Maddens, Belfast
Myself and Innes ventured across the water on 30th April to do a gig at Madden’s Bar, Belfast. We also hijacked the lovely Fran Morton to guest for us on flute and whistle and she did a fantastic job! We had a fab night- the place was packed and the audience was very appreciative. Thanks to Màirtìn, Caoimhe and the staff at Madden’s for looking after us so well. The music continued into the wee hours, with a samba band and a great song session, including a version of “Runaway” by the Corrs in Gaeilge, leaving everyone scratching their heads going, “I’m sure I’ve heard that song before”…
The next day started with initial panic at the thought that I might have lost a bag of CDs and several items of clothing, but after a few phonecalls and a visit to Madden’s again we managed to locate them and got onto the plane without further drama! A big thank you to Feilimi O’Connor for his help.
Spirit Aid lineup
The next week was a gig on home turf, this time at the Oran Mòr in Glasgow. The event was Spirit Aid 2009, a fundraiser for a childrens’ charity run by well-known actor David Hayman. The organisation gives aid to communities in places like Malawi, Afghanistan, Gaza and other areas ravaged by war and famine. I was delighted to be involved in this and will continue to support the work of Spirit Aid. www.spiritaid.org.uk
Also this month I squeezed in a wee bit of recording for a Brazilian roots project Mike McGoldrick asked me to be involved in. There was a wee bit of composition involved (in Gaelic) so it’s probably going to be a bit different! Looking forward to hearing the end result and will post more info up when I get it…
Earlier tonight I was interviewed on Celtic Music Radio by Fergus Muirhead. The topic was Dick Gaughan songs- which was easy because I have been a big fan of Gaughan since I was a toddler! Fergus and I had a great time waxing lyrical about countless songs until we ran out of time! You can hear the programme live on Monday 18th May and again on Tuesday 19th May at 12 noon by logging onto www.celticmusicradio.net
Next on the agenda for me are rehearsals for a new music project starting on Sunday, after which I start another block of YMI tutoring for Fèis Rois in Nairn and Wester Ross. Also for anyone who might have a burning desire to learn Gaelic song I’ve started teaching another block of Saturday lunchtime Gaelic song classes for the Edinburgh Fèis (Tollcross Primary). It’s a very relaxed environment and beginners are welcome! Contact Kaela Rowan on feisdhuneideann@feisean.org for more details…
Slàinte, Maeve x