Hi C. Thank you for the wonderful gig last night, it was fast, furious, fierce, funny, funky and formal when needed. The welcome when you came out on that iconic stage set the tone and the next 90 mins flew by in a flash. It’s such a privilege to sit and listen. Beir bua agus beannacht go deo. H
Christy's reply
perfect timing..my marker ran dry before the gig last night…great to be back
What a gig last night. Thoroughly enjoyed every second of it, even with the very lively and sometimes very noisy tables behind us. The quiet moments were special, especially Gortatagart for me. Tara says you are playing the full G now, all 3 fingers. I think she may be right?
Christy's reply
Still playing my chords arseways Spink….a bad habit so deeply ingrained I just cant quit…about 30 years ago I attempted to correct the error of my tuning but gave up after a week of torture….now I just accept it and live my life with 6th string tuned to F….I dont recommend it to any beginners…its reductive, destructive but in no way seductive…..if I ever come back I’ll be dropping it down to the E
To be clear I in no way meant to suggest your artistry is anything but how you so eloquently describe it. Thank you for thoughtful reply and invitation to visit again.
Christy's reply
All good Brendan…
“Hunt The Hare and turn her
down the Rocky Road
and all the way to Dublin
Whack Foll Oll Dee Da”
Yours is meaning others here took, I’m sure. Dont listen to me. Literal plagiarism is so common here in the US I reacted out of context.
Christy's reply
I’m happy to listen to you Brendan….this is where I get to converse with listeners who show interest in the songs…
Somewhere along the road I overheard that Pete Seeger spoke thus about “plagiarism”. I never met Pete but he was kind enough to respond when I wrote to him many years ago. He encouraged me to continue with my early efforts. As did Ewan MacColl , Peggy Seeger, Seamus Ennis, Dominic Behan and many more all of whom listened carefully to the players & singers who preceeded them, who gleaned and re-echoed old verses, sometimes adding and subtracting, other times recycling precisely the ancient songs…Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan,Peggy Seeger,Ewan MacColl,Wally Page,Joni Mitchell,Jimmy Mack,Bruce Springsteen,they all have/had old tunes rolling round their heads when putting pen to paper….
Keep Coming Back Brendan
I simply love the chase, the challenge, the beauty,the continuum of it all…its been a life’s work, a job that seldom stops…..I welcome all feedback, the positive brings pleasure , neighsayers play their part too….I take note of it all and then sing on…
My understanding is that some light lifting is allright, but claiming another’s work as ones own – plagiarism – is another matter.
It seems to me small bits derived from things plainly borrowed are a necessary part of folk music, and other art forms. That’s far from the big lie of the plagiarist; that nothing is original and everything is up for grabs. Maybe that goes without saying.
Christy's reply
I will have to re-examine my understanding of “to plagiarise”….I assumed it to mean “to borrow”,”to utilise”,to be influenced, to follow in the footstps, even to copy….but to claim another’s work as ones own…thats theft, thats low
fair play, Christy… you boil the strings – I’ve got the kettle going…
Enjoy every minute of the sound check/ gig – the whole shebang…
I’m also thinking back to days when there we needed a supply of coins for the gas meter – might be returning to that here! D
Christy's reply
An hour to go.
Back here in Vicar St. Dublin where I’ve worked two hundred times before., but never with the sense of gratitude that I’m feeling here tonight…this time last year we all wondered would we ever gig again….
Thousands of people around the world have worked long and hard to make this possible….hundreds of thousands of front line workers around the world have put their lives on hold to treat those of us who’ve suffered this awful plague…let us never forget their sacrifice…nor should we forget those noisy neighsayers who still seek to thwart their efforts at every turn…
Gotta love it here… not even boiled the kettle yet and I’m admiring the ace work by Gipp and companero/ have a book title to follow up and an album to find!
I didn’t know Peter’s songs, but found his fine version of ‘Cold Blow…’ on a Goilin/ITMA link – so much good stuff via ITMA.
Time for a brew now – have an ace day/gig.
Dave
Christy's reply
early start today
gotta change strings
iron the black shirt
check ears and nostrils for unruly hairs
let out the corset a notch
try and remember the route to Vicar St
will it be all bicycle lanes
find my vacc passport
check that I can remember Joxer
its just great to be heading out today
after 18 months of wondering
will we ever gig again
In reference to Dave, I wouldn’t be great at the sums meself! Every time I listen to it I have to take the shoes and socks off to make sure Norman didn’t get it wrong but it is one of me all time favourites. It such a beautiful song to listen to, sing to, play along with! Anyway myself and me Compadre gave it a blast into a phone as our 1st take, I hope you can forgive the plagiarism Christy! its a bit rough round the edges! Hope the link works. Just choose “continue to website” or “open with” then “sound player”
Plagiarism Gipp !!!
Pete Seeger maintained it was an essential tool for any Folk Song writer (or words to that effect)….
a few good ideas, a bit of creativity,3 or 4 chords, a dollop of plagiarism and we’re all away on a hack…..
never did Zimmerman no harm, nor Ivan nor any of us for that matter….
thats a tasty cover of Billy Gray there, some nice licks behind the vocal
Dear Christy, a friend today sent me the photo of a wonderful picture Democracy Remembers Her Sons, fighters of
Eire and Spain with a list of names of the heroes who fought and died for freedom against the disease of all that Franco and his like stood for.
Naturally it reminds me of your stirring, brilliant song Viva…
Can you recall where you wrote it and whether there was any one thing that finally brought you to put pen to paper for it?
Cheers
Rory
Christy's reply
Sure can…
We were living in the hills between Frijiliana & Nerja
I was reading Mick O’Riordan’s book “The Connolly Column”
The song wrote itself
Hope all is well.
The Mica and Pyrite campaign in Donegal Mayo,Clare and skerries is still on going, and a further protest in Dublin may happen on 8th October .
Thanks once again for your support christy
Christy's reply
we send you our commiserations and hope you achieve a good outcome
Understandable that there’s little talk of maths here, but I bet Norman Blake double checked his sums when he wrote about the ‘eighteen words’ in the ‘Billy Gray epitaph…
It’s long been one of my favourites and in the Planxty arrangement, I feel it’s one of your best ever vocals – the phrasing there, superbly linked to the music.
There’s a nice live version on youtube. Norman and Nancy Blake +James Bryan. Nancy’s cello and James’ fiddle tie in very well with Norman’s guitar/vocals – but it ain’t Planxty!!
Have a good day
Dave
Christy's reply
Had the dinner in Kilmainham last night…with my sister and her husband,the Ballad Singer Peter Byrne….have you heard his album ?
Hello Christy,
The last couple of nights the moon has been huge and yellow. Harvest moon. It lit up Steve’s office with a beautiful clean light. https://youtu.be/5hZ5c9xPe5M
I’ve been learning this for a few weeks now.
Pam, it’s good to see your posts. I’ve missed you.
Rebecca
Christy's reply
its to do with the moon…
yesterday I was taliking to Rory about The Phoenix Bar in Cork
today I can reveal that it was in the very same Phoenix Bar that I heard Noel Shine sing this beautiful song circa 1975. He shared it with me and 3 years later Planxty recorded it.
“Billy Gray” was written by Norman Blake. Its a wonderful song to sing.
Met a lady at work today which a revelation Christy.
She used to stay in Cork, though Scottish, and saw Jimmy McCarthy play often.
She said there were great music sessions in the Phoenix bar?
She recalled fondly of a band called Stargazer and she still has a poster she took from the 4 day folk festival circa 76 near the Lee.
She saw you with Moving Hearts play out of the back of a lorry at Cobh , she thinks early 80s?
Seems I put her on to John Spillane a year or so ago and she is now an aficionado!
Great thing music, all arose talking about her knowing someone leaving a mandolin in a bequest!
Stay well
Rory
Christy's reply
The Phoenix Bar in Cork was a pure classy joint, doubtcha boy..played a Woody Guthrie tribute gig there in 1978 (ish)
The Stargazers that the Lady remembers featured one John Spillane…so she heard the lad 40 years before you “put her on to him”….but then again Rory we all had different hair and shapes and songs and problems way back then…I dont recall the back of a lorry in Cobh.. we did play on the back of a lorry in Mullingar in 1980..Phil Lynott went on after us..one of the few times I met him….
Hi C. Thank you for the wonderful gig last night, it was fast, furious, fierce, funny, funky and formal when needed. The welcome when you came out on that iconic stage set the tone and the next 90 mins flew by in a flash. It’s such a privilege to sit and listen. Beir bua agus beannacht go deo. H
perfect timing..my marker ran dry before the gig last night…great to be back
What a gig last night. Thoroughly enjoyed every second of it, even with the very lively and sometimes very noisy tables behind us. The quiet moments were special, especially Gortatagart for me. Tara says you are playing the full G now, all 3 fingers. I think she may be right?
Still playing my chords arseways Spink….a bad habit so deeply ingrained I just cant quit…about 30 years ago I attempted to correct the error of my tuning but gave up after a week of torture….now I just accept it and live my life with 6th string tuned to F….I dont recommend it to any beginners…its reductive, destructive but in no way seductive…..if I ever come back I’ll be dropping it down to the E
To be clear I in no way meant to suggest your artistry is anything but how you so eloquently describe it. Thank you for thoughtful reply and invitation to visit again.
All good Brendan…
“Hunt The Hare and turn her
down the Rocky Road
and all the way to Dublin
Whack Foll Oll Dee Da”
Hello Christy,
https://youtu.be/Cfh3wx-v7xY
There’s no way I could be doing what I’m doing without all the people I listen to and try to understand.
How was it yesterday?
Rebecca
Dolores Keane….. first lady of Irish song…Dolores too learned carefully from those who went before Her…..
and here,John Faulkner delivers perfect harmony, in its proper place positioned below Dolores as she carries the beautiful melody…
John, another acolyte (methinks) of MacColl and The Critics
I often listen to the singing of Dolores Keane
Yours is meaning others here took, I’m sure. Dont listen to me. Literal plagiarism is so common here in the US I reacted out of context.
I’m happy to listen to you Brendan….this is where I get to converse with listeners who show interest in the songs…
Somewhere along the road I overheard that Pete Seeger spoke thus about “plagiarism”. I never met Pete but he was kind enough to respond when I wrote to him many years ago. He encouraged me to continue with my early efforts. As did Ewan MacColl , Peggy Seeger, Seamus Ennis, Dominic Behan and many more all of whom listened carefully to the players & singers who preceeded them, who gleaned and re-echoed old verses, sometimes adding and subtracting, other times recycling precisely the ancient songs…Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan,Peggy Seeger,Ewan MacColl,Wally Page,Joni Mitchell,Jimmy Mack,Bruce Springsteen,they all have/had old tunes rolling round their heads when putting pen to paper….
Keep Coming Back Brendan
I simply love the chase, the challenge, the beauty,the continuum of it all…its been a life’s work, a job that seldom stops…..I welcome all feedback, the positive brings pleasure , neighsayers play their part too….I take note of it all and then sing on…
My understanding is that some light lifting is allright, but claiming another’s work as ones own – plagiarism – is another matter.
It seems to me small bits derived from things plainly borrowed are a necessary part of folk music, and other art forms. That’s far from the big lie of the plagiarist; that nothing is original and everything is up for grabs. Maybe that goes without saying.
I will have to re-examine my understanding of “to plagiarise”….I assumed it to mean “to borrow”,”to utilise”,to be influenced, to follow in the footstps, even to copy….but to claim another’s work as ones own…thats theft, thats low
Great sentiments, Christy – well said
All at Vicar Street will join you in keeping spirits high, I bet.
All the best, as ever
Dave
it went real good…set to follow
Good call, Rebecca – and ‘Rawtenstall annual fair’…
gotta keep dreaming the dreams… D
Dave’s comment about the gas meter made me think of this.
https://youtu.be/SK99y22uLv8
They have a proper brass section!
fair play, Christy… you boil the strings – I’ve got the kettle going…
Enjoy every minute of the sound check/ gig – the whole shebang…
I’m also thinking back to days when there we needed a supply of coins for the gas meter – might be returning to that here! D
An hour to go.
Back here in Vicar St. Dublin where I’ve worked two hundred times before., but never with the sense of gratitude that I’m feeling here tonight…this time last year we all wondered would we ever gig again….
Thousands of people around the world have worked long and hard to make this possible….hundreds of thousands of front line workers around the world have put their lives on hold to treat those of us who’ve suffered this awful plague…let us never forget their sacrifice…nor should we forget those noisy neighsayers who still seek to thwart their efforts at every turn…
Now let the music keep our spirits high….
Hello Christy,
Hope you have a great day and night.
Rebecca
Mornin’ Christy/ all
Gotta love it here… not even boiled the kettle yet and I’m admiring the ace work by Gipp and companero/ have a book title to follow up and an album to find!
I didn’t know Peter’s songs, but found his fine version of ‘Cold Blow…’ on a Goilin/ITMA link – so much good stuff via ITMA.
Time for a brew now – have an ace day/gig.
Dave
early start today
gotta change strings
iron the black shirt
check ears and nostrils for unruly hairs
let out the corset a notch
try and remember the route to Vicar St
will it be all bicycle lanes
find my vacc passport
check that I can remember Joxer
its just great to be heading out today
after 18 months of wondering
will we ever gig again
In reference to Dave, I wouldn’t be great at the sums meself! Every time I listen to it I have to take the shoes and socks off to make sure Norman didn’t get it wrong but it is one of me all time favourites. It such a beautiful song to listen to, sing to, play along with! Anyway myself and me Compadre gave it a blast into a phone as our 1st take, I hope you can forgive the plagiarism Christy! its a bit rough round the edges! Hope the link works. Just choose “continue to website” or “open with” then “sound player”
https://www.dropbox.com/s/c9yy1jt9iqyns26/Voice%20053.m4a?dl=0
Plagiarism Gipp !!!
Pete Seeger maintained it was an essential tool for any Folk Song writer (or words to that effect)….
a few good ideas, a bit of creativity,3 or 4 chords, a dollop of plagiarism and we’re all away on a hack…..
never did Zimmerman no harm, nor Ivan nor any of us for that matter….
thats a tasty cover of Billy Gray there, some nice licks behind the vocal
Dear Christy, a friend today sent me the photo of a wonderful picture Democracy Remembers Her Sons, fighters of
Eire and Spain with a list of names of the heroes who fought and died for freedom against the disease of all that Franco and his like stood for.
Naturally it reminds me of your stirring, brilliant song Viva…
Can you recall where you wrote it and whether there was any one thing that finally brought you to put pen to paper for it?
Cheers
Rory
Sure can…
We were living in the hills between Frijiliana & Nerja
I was reading Mick O’Riordan’s book “The Connolly Column”
The song wrote itself
Dear christy
Hope all is well.
The Mica and Pyrite campaign in Donegal Mayo,Clare and skerries is still on going, and a further protest in Dublin may happen on 8th October .
Thanks once again for your support christy
we send you our commiserations and hope you achieve a good outcome
Mornin’ Christy
Understandable that there’s little talk of maths here, but I bet Norman Blake double checked his sums when he wrote about the ‘eighteen words’ in the ‘Billy Gray epitaph…
It’s long been one of my favourites and in the Planxty arrangement, I feel it’s one of your best ever vocals – the phrasing there, superbly linked to the music.
There’s a nice live version on youtube. Norman and Nancy Blake +James Bryan. Nancy’s cello and James’ fiddle tie in very well with Norman’s guitar/vocals – but it ain’t Planxty!!
Have a good day
Dave
Had the dinner in Kilmainham last night…with my sister and her husband,the Ballad Singer Peter Byrne….have you heard his album ?
😀
The real ballad bug?
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/sep/22/mathematicians-discover-music-really-can-be-infectious-like-a-virus
Sadly, it doesn’t mention folk.
In fairness..we seldom mention mathematics….
Hello Christy,
The last couple of nights the moon has been huge and yellow. Harvest moon. It lit up Steve’s office with a beautiful clean light.
https://youtu.be/5hZ5c9xPe5M
I’ve been learning this for a few weeks now.
Pam, it’s good to see your posts. I’ve missed you.
Rebecca
its to do with the moon…
yesterday I was taliking to Rory about The Phoenix Bar in Cork
today I can reveal that it was in the very same Phoenix Bar that I heard Noel Shine sing this beautiful song circa 1975. He shared it with me and 3 years later Planxty recorded it.
“Billy Gray” was written by Norman Blake. Its a wonderful song to sing.
Met a lady at work today which a revelation Christy.
She used to stay in Cork, though Scottish, and saw Jimmy McCarthy play often.
She said there were great music sessions in the Phoenix bar?
She recalled fondly of a band called Stargazer and she still has a poster she took from the 4 day folk festival circa 76 near the Lee.
She saw you with Moving Hearts play out of the back of a lorry at Cobh , she thinks early 80s?
Seems I put her on to John Spillane a year or so ago and she is now an aficionado!
Great thing music, all arose talking about her knowing someone leaving a mandolin in a bequest!
Stay well
Rory
The Phoenix Bar in Cork was a pure classy joint, doubtcha boy..played a Woody Guthrie tribute gig there in 1978 (ish)
The Stargazers that the Lady remembers featured one John Spillane…so she heard the lad 40 years before you “put her on to him”….but then again Rory we all had different hair and shapes and songs and problems way back then…I dont recall the back of a lorry in Cobh.. we did play on the back of a lorry in Mullingar in 1980..Phil Lynott went on after us..one of the few times I met him….