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It's been ten years now since I started my days
as a volunteer DJ at WWUH. For the past nine of those years I've
had the pleasure of being the producer and host of Celtic Airs,
Tuesday mornings 6:00-9:00 AM. I feel very fortunate that WWUH has
provided me the outlet and opportunity to present the traditional
Celtic music I love to an appreciative and ever growing audience.
Though the Riverdance frenzy and the craze for all things Irish
has diminished over the recent years, I still find that I have a
dedicated, highly supportive and knowledgeable group of listeners
"at the other end of my microphone." I truly appreciate
your encouragement and loyalty. Your words of praise make me feel
humble yet proud of what I've accomplished.
In August 1994, with encouragement and instruction from Ed McKeon
(the father of the Folk Next Door) and the late Bill Domler and
with the blessing of station manager John Ramsey and the WWUH executive
board, the Celtic Concert series was born. After eight years and
sixty-five concerts, the series has taken on a life of it's own.
We now have a mailing list of 1500+ households who support the series.
With this wonderful resource and a dedicated core group of listeners/fans
who never miss a live performance, we manage to sell-out almost
all our shows. Our audience has become renowned among the traditional
Celtic musicians of the world as one of the most supportive, attentive
and appreciative anywhere. Those who have been here have a good
time and always want to know when we can have them back. Others
who have yet to grace our stages call on the strength of our reputation
and ask if we can fit them into our schedule on their next US tour.
The bands performing for us this summer are in the former group;
they've been here before and are happy to return to the "fair
venues and fans" at the University of Hartford.
Dervish, in my opinion the number one Irish traditional band in
the world today, will return to perform two shows, July 16th and
17th in the Wilde auditorium. Though they've performed for massive
audiences of many thousands in locales as far flung as Rio, Edmonton,
Denmark and Japan, they're still willing to return to Hartford to
play in the intimate venue that seats only 200! Apparently they
have a special place in their hearts for us as I do for them! I
think, in part, this stems from the fact that in 1994 Celtic Airs
/WWUH was the first radio station in America to play their debut
album Harmony Hill. Our concert series also provided them one of
the most successful stops on their maiden tour of the US.
A "dervish" is a spiritual person, enraptured by music…and
apt description for this talented and dedicated group of musicians
who came together as an instrumental quintet in 1989. Through 10+
years of worldwide touring, they have not compromised their authentic
traditional style. Their third album At The End of The Day (1996)
won the Hot Press Trad/Folk album of the year award. In 1997, they
were named Best Trad/Folk band of the year in the Irish Music Magazine
annual reader's poll. Their 1999 album Midsummer's Night was voted
Best Traditional Album by the Irish Times.
Sligo natives Liam Kelly (flute/whistle) and Shane Mitchell (button
accordion) have been playing together since they were 9 and 7 years
old respectively. This long-standing relationship has produced the
remarkably tight and intuitive interplay that's at the core of the
Dervish sound. During their high school years, these two formed
a highly acclaimed traditional band called Poitin. In college they
joined with another Sligo native, Michael Holmes (guitar/ bouzouki)
in rock band called Who Says What? They never abandoned their traditional
roots however and could often be found playing in seisuns in the
pubs of Sligo.
It was at one of these seisuns where they first encountered Brian
McDonagh (mandola/mandolin), already a celebrity on the Irish traditional
music scene. At the age of 16 he was a founding member of Oisin,
one of the leading bands in the late 70's /early 80's Irish folk
revival.
Kelly and Holmes moved to London for a time, while Mitchell and
McDonagh remained in Sligo. The "wayward pair" returned
in 1989 and by 1991 had added All-Ireland fiddle champ Shane McAleer
and Roscommon born singer/ percussionist Cathy Jordan to what became
a formal band, eventually releasing their first album Harmony Hill
in 1993. This sextet remained together til 1998 when McAleer was
replaced by another All-Ireland fiddle champ, Co. Leitrim's Tom
Morrow and the band expanded to a septet with the addition of Sheamie
O'Dowd (guitar/fiddle/vocals), another Sligo native who had been
playing with the band members at the informal seisuns for a number
of years. This line-up recorded Midsummer's Night in 1999 and remains
together to the present all the more amazing and impressive (if
that's even possible!) after three more years of steady touring.
Our August guests will be Lunasa (pronounced LOO-nuh-suh), returning
on 8/23/02 to the Millard Auditorium. Their most recent CD The Merry
Sisters of Fate was the 2001 Indie Award winner for Celtic recording
of the year. On the heels of it's release, the Boston Herald proclaimed
them "The New Celtic Royalty."
Lunasa is and old pagan, pre-Christian festival in honor of the
god Lugh, Celtic god of light and the patron saint of the arts.
Founder member Sean Smyth MD (!), ALL-Ireland champion on fiddle
and tin whistle, asked Donogh Hennessy (guitar) and Trevor Hutchinson
(double bass), two members of the Sharon Shannon band at the time,
to join him for a brief Scandinavian tour. They enjoyed themselves
so much that on their return to Ireland they added Michael McGoldrick
(flute, now with Capercaillie) and John McSherry (uillean pipes,
now with Donal Lunny's Coolfin) for a 1997 Irish tour that was preserved
as the live recording "Lunasa," the first time they used
the name. Later in 1997, current flutist Kevin Crawford (also adept
on whistle and bodhran as well as a witty master of ceremonies)
replaced McGoldrick though both featured on the bands' second album
Otherworld (1999). By 2000, Cillian Vallely from the well-known
Armagh musical family, had replaced McSherry on uillean pipes and
low whistle and it was this quintet, still together today, who recorded
'The Merry Sisters of Fate".
The excitement Lunasa generates counters the common assumption that
Irish traditional bands that lack a vocalist will never ascend to
mass popularity. In fact, their popularity has far outstripped the
loyal Irish-American fan base they initially courted. "We're
comfortable with our current approach" says Crawford "though
we certainly have no shortage of demo tapes from singers believe
me!"
Perhaps two of the New York City Irish press corps. sum up the Lunasa
phenomenon best. "They have the best one-two rhythm punch in
Irish traditional music today with a melody frontline second to
none" says Earle Hitchner of the Irish Echo. "The most
distinctive aspect of Lunasa's music is their uncanny ability to
create new and highly effective arrangements of Irish traditional
tunes," quips Don Meade of the Irish Voice. "In a few
short years, they have reached the top of the heap with a talent
and vision that opens new and exciting vistas in Irish traditional
music." (The Chicago Tribune)
Dervish and Lunasa, two of todays best examples of the vitality
and power of Irish folk music. Don't miss your chance to see them
both live, an experience that's light years beyond that you get
from a CD! Upcoming concerts in the Celtic Airs series include:
Danu 9/20, Chulrua 10/4, Aniar 11/15, Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies
11/21 and Susan McKeown/Johnny Cunningham/Aidan Brennan 12/12. Tickets
for our shows go on sale 2 months before the performance date and
are available through the University Box Office, 1-800-274-8587
or 1-860-768-4228.
Copyright©WWUH: July/AugustProgram Guide, 2002
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