Support Irish traditional music in our region . . . Attend a live concert! Join the Ceili Group! Buy a CD! Hug a fiddler! Learn the tin whistle! Drive to Coatesville!
At The COATESVILLE CULTURAL SOCIETY; 143 E. Lincoln Hwy; (610) 486-2220
I’m "the library guy" at the Univ of PA Veterinary School’s New Bolton Center, in Kennett Square, PA, a nice laid-back thing to do from nine to five. I’m also a banjo player with a passion for pure-drop Irish music, who produces a series of concerts and workshops featuring the cream of the crop of Irish traditional musicians in Coatesville, PA, west of Philly. In the beginning I’d contact traditional players whose music I admired, like 80+ year old Irish flute player and Galway native Mike Rafferty, then button accordion wizard Billy McComiskey from Baltimore, then the great Sligo-style fiddler Brian Conway. Things started rolling and now the series has been running for almost four years, and trad musicians from Ireland are starting to call when they’re over here on tour. After 25 successful concerts there are presently three more scheduled for the spring and summer, and I hope to be adding more soon. So, that’s enough background... now go explore our little corner of BallyPhilly. - Frank Dalton
Take a look at a page from the original CTIMS web site and see what some of our past performers have had to say about the concert series.
Our Early Summer Concert - MICHEAL O RAGHALLAIGH and IVAN GOFF will perform traditional Irish dance music on the uilleann pipes, tin whistle, wooden flute and concertina; Sat., June 7, 2008; 8:00 PM / Tickets: $15; kiddoes free
Micheal O'Raghallaigh (pronounced ME'-haul O'Riley) is from County Meath, a place more noted for its sporting prowess than its traditional music. There was a prevalence of button accordions when he was growing up, and there have always been some gifted players there. Now Micheal is one of the finest young concertina players not just in County Meath, but in all of Ireland. Steeped in the music from an early age by his Connemara-born father Padraig, he studied concertina with the great Rena Crotty from Kilrush. O'Raghallaigh has recorded and toured with the group Providence and with three-time All-Ireland Champion Ceili Band, The Tain. He has taught at the Willie Clancy Summer School and the Comhaltas Scoil Eigse as well. Following the success of his debut album "The Nervous Man" in 2001, he surpassed all expectations with his second release, "Inside Out", in 2007. Hear some selections by Micheal, and Ivan Goff, too, on the little music player up top and to the left, a little below my picture.
[a tip: on the player's toolbar, click the ‘open popup window’ icon, start the music, minimize that window, and listen as you navigate the site.]
Ivan Goff, originally from Dublin, began playing the tin whistle when he was eight, progressing to the more demanding uilleann pipes at eleven under the tuition of Dan O'Dowd (1903-1989). He won competition titles at all levels including the All-Ireland Fleadh. He has performed in many well-known productions including Riverdance and Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance, and has featured in a number of film scores. In addition to performing solo, he has worked with numerous bands including internationally acclaimed Irish traditional bands Lúnasa and Téada. Ivan’s music is featured in work as diverse as acclaimed art-film Cremaster 3 exhibited in the Guggenheim museum and in theatrical productions such as Peter and Wendy and The Voice of the Sea. In concert with Micheal, Ivan will play his pipes, tin whistle, low whistle, and the wooden flute. Now based in New York, Ivan is pursuing a PhD in music at NYU. He played a gig with fiddler Tony DeMarco in Philly, May '07.
In a clip of the band Providence, Micheal O'Raghallaigh plays concertina:
Our Mid-Summer Concert - ANGELINA CARBERRY and MARTIN QUINN return to the CTIMS stage with their driving banjo and button-accordion music, all the way from County Galway; Sat., July 26, 2008; 8:00 PM / Tickets: $15; kiddoes free
Angelina Carberry … born in Manchester in the late 70’s into a County Longford family steeped in traditional music, it was not long before Angelina’s interest and keen ear for the music quickly developed. Starting on the tin whistle she soon moved to the banjo, following in the footsteps of her father Peter and her grandfather Kevin. Angelina has since developed a highly personal style with an exciting rhythm that captivates anyone who is lucky enough to hear it. In 1998 she moved to Galway and quickly established herself on the local music scene. Soon after, she recorded a duet album with her father Peter on accordion. She has since gone on to record a duet CD with her husband Martin, and a solo offering, "An Traidisiun Beo" (a new tradition). Her unmistakable sound is at times dark and earthy, coupled with a weighted, deeply grounded rhythm. The momentum is measured, unstoppable, and deadly accurate.
Martin Quinn … comes from a family of musicians and tellers of traditional stories. The family has its roots in County Armagh. At an early age Martin developed a keen interest in traditional music and especially that of the accordion. He took up the instrument in 1981 and since then he has developed a highly refined style and is regarded as one of Ireland's finest exponent's of the button-box. In 1996 Martin received his diploma from the Irish Department of Education and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Eireann for teaching the 2 row button accordion. He began his professional career as a musician in 1994. His left hand harmonics complement Angelina’s playing perfectly. Martin and Angelina are husband and wife.
Listen to these three reels from Angelina and Martin ... mighty music!
The old steel mill town of Coatesville seems an unlikely place for traditional Irish music, but here's how it happened. As a volunteer at the Coatesville Cultural Society, I approached the artistic director there with a plan to present an evening of jigs, reels and hornpipes by a group of area musicians from Narberth, PA. As a result, local band ‘The Morrigan’ played driving Irish dance music on fiddle, flute, accordion and guitar for about 50 appreciative community members in June of 2004. Encouraged by the turnout, I contacted revered Irish musician Mike Rafferty in New Jersey and arranged a second event featuring himself on flute and uilleann pipes. Mike's daughter Mary accompanied him on button accordion and tin whistle, along with Donal Clancy on guitar. The result was a very special evening of music along with Rafferty's recollections of growing up and learning to play in Galway. With the level of enthusiasm climbing, plans were laid for future events and Library Guy Productions, later rechristened The Coatesville Traditional Irish Music Series, was born!
2004 1/ Mike & Mary Rafferty, w. Dónal Clancy - Oct. 2 2/ Billy McComiskey & Friends - Dec. 11
2005 3/ Brian Conway & Darin Kelly - Jan. 9 4/ Paddy O’Brien & Chulrua - Mar. 12 5/ John Carty & Ged Foley - Apr. 2 6/ Gráinne Hambley & William Jackson - Apr. 9 7/ John Flanagan (sean nós singer) - May 20 8/ Kane Sisters - Aug. 19 9/ Téada - Sept. 18 10/ Randal Bays & Roger Landes - Oct. 8 11/ Paddy O’Brien & Chulrua - Oct. 30 12/ Colm Gannon & John Blake - Nov. 21 13/ Brian Conway & Brendan Dolan - Dec. 3
2006 14/ Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill - Mar. 8 15/ Joanie Madden & Mary Coogan - Apr. 22 16/ Brian McNamara - June 17 17/ Fanai - Sept. 16 18/ James Keane - Oct. 14 19/ Claire Keville & Pat O’Connor - Oct. 28
2007 20/ Maeve Donnelly & Tony McManus - Mar. 31 21/ Jerry O’Sullivan - May 12 22/ Rosie Shipley & Gerry O’Beirne - June 16 23/ Angelina Carberry & Martin Quinn - July 7 24/ Rafferty, Dolan and Kelly - Oct. 13 25/ Hedge Band, from Baltimore - Dec. 14
2008 26/ Dana Lyn, Tina Lech & Donna Long - Apr. 19 *27/ Micheal O Raghallaigh & Ivan Goff - June 7 *28/ Angelina Carberry & Martin Quinn - July 26
What's up with our friends over at the Philadelphia Ceili Group? Sean Tyrrell... The Cry of a Dreamer - Sat., May 17, 2008; 8:00 PM
A native of the slower moving West of Ireland, Sean Tyrrell was surrounded by music all his life. During the 60’s he performed in Galway’s folk clubs, honing his skills and rubbing shoulders with a host of celebrated musicians. He emigrated in 1968 and slid into the folk club scene in Greenwich Village. He returned to Ireland in the late 70’s and continued composing, but seldom played in public. In 1978 he accepted employment with the University of Galway, in the heart of the Burren in County Clare. It's hard to avoid music in this part of Ireland and soon Sean was lured back into the scene. He became fascinated by the poem 'The Midnight Court' (all 1,206 lines), written in the 17th century by Brian Merriman, possessed with a desire to set this work to music. The feat was achieved with much success when the Druid Theatre in Galway staged Sean Tyrrell's 'traditional music opera'.
. . . The Irish Center / 6815 Emlen St / Phila., Pa / (215) 843-8051
Here's a Short Slideshow Of Some Photos Taken At Past CTIMS Concerts:
At The COATESVILLE CULTURAL SOCIETY; 143 E. Lincoln Hwy; (610) 486-2220 Join the CTIMS e-mailing list by dropping us a brief note at dalton@vet.upenn.edu.
Thanks to Todd Denton, Jeff Meade & Tim McCarrick for the videos, to Emily Fine for running ticket and CD sales, to Leora Merion for working the lights, and to John Gallagher, ace sound engineer. Thanks to long-lost CTIMS usher Marti, wherever she may be. To CCS artistic director Bob Jones and to Anne Praino go special thanks, too.
Jeff Meade
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