Launch of Mayo Music and Musings – 6 C.D. Collection – 20 years on Mid West Radio by Joe Byrne

‘Mayo Music and Musings Collection’ – 6 CD’s – 20 Years on Mid West Radio, compiled by Joe Byrne, was launched on Friday Dec. 4th 2009 in the Park Hotel in Kiltimagh.

There was a great turn out at the special event, among them many leading musicians, singers poets and historians.

THE LAUNCH

The Launch was done by Tom Shiel, regional editor of the Connacht Telegraph. Tom was the ideal person for such an occasion as he himself worked in the radio station in Ballyhaunis, was the main voice of the news on Mid West radio for many years and it was Tom who put in place most of the news network and systems in the fledgling station. Tom began by saying ”This is a unique and very special collection of music, song, lore, poems, talk and history that includes contributors from almost every corner of Mayo.” He then went on to praise the efforts made in recording and in gathering up such valuable material, – without the assistance of recording equipment or of any travel expenses. ”However the fruit of the labour is evident and I can only compare it to a diligent farmer who has husbanded his land carefully and is now gathering and saving a rich harvest into a granary.”

IN AID of MAYO – ROSCOMMON HOSPICE

The proceeds from the 6 C.D. Collection goes to Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation and Cynthia Clampett, the director of the Hospice spoke next. She said that the Hospice Foundation was very pleased that the profits were being allocated to them, as they depend so heavily on voluntarily contributions. She was also anxious to make clear that all the work on this Mayo Collection from production to publicity, to the actual launch itself had been done by Dreoilín Community Arts, Achadh Mór and she stated that she particularly wanted to emphasise that fact and to acknowledge that at the outset. She then continued, ”I also want to take this opportunity to thank publicly two young men who are from the Achadh Mór area also – Gerard Burke and Dónal Byrne, both of whom organised a large and most successful Barn Dance in aid of The Hospice earlier in the summer. It was an outstanding success and raised very significant funding for the Hospice. Next she outlined briefly the beneficial work being done by Hospice and listed the annually increasing numbers of people who are seeking the service.

THANKS TO PERFORMERS

Joe Byrne then thanked all the 500 or so artists and performers who are featured on the 6 CD’s – choirs, bands, orchestra, groups and individuals.. all of whom gave of their time and talent entirely free of charge to this project and who also have performed and entertained for free on Mid West Radio over the past 20 years. He said he doubted if there was any group or body of people in Ireland that were more generous than musicians, singers, dancers, local historians, writers and artists. The launch was followed by a variety concert with recitation, poetry, music and song in the main function room. There was also a rollicking parallel informal seisiún of ceol in the bar.

CONTENT OF 6 C.D. SET

Music and Musings from Mayo – A Special 6 C.D. Collection with 99 Tracks – 8 Hours of Music, Song, Poetry, Lore and History with performers from every corner of Mayo….A Unique Mayo Gift.

The Collection contains 6 CD’s with a companion booklet in a gift wrapped set. It contains music, songs, poetry, lore, history and readings from contributors and performers from Erris to Shrule and from Ballyhaunis to Ballina..

In CD’s 1 to 3 each track contains poetry or readings or talk followed by a piece of music or a song. Each track in CD’s 3 and 4 involves history and lore sprinkled with some music and song also. The last CD – No.6 is mainly made up of music and song.

There is a very wide inclusive variety of material – Traditional Meleodeon Music from Alan Morrisroe and Tommy Gallagher of Kilaturley, Swinford; Classical Piano with Maria McGarry, Ballyhaunis; a Christmas Story of 1964 by Colmán O Raghallaigh of Claremorris, Poems from Iarla Mongey and Peter Jordan of Castlebar; Readings from their Books by Terry Reilly, Ballina and Tony Jordan of Ballyhaunis; Pipe Bands from Achill and The Carracastle Fife and Drum Band; The Mayo Concert Orchestra and the Kilmovee and Bofield Céilí Bands, Italian Musicians at Moyne Abbey near Ballina and a Japanese Musician in Achadh Mór; Sean nós songs from Iorras and Ballads about Knock Airport and David Trimble’s Pimple; Grace Notes Choir from Ballyhaunis and Cór Cheathrú Thaidgh in Iorras; History and Lore from Westport and Kiltane, Foxford and Killala, Louisburgh and Loughlynn. Old and new pieces are aligned side by side, for example ‘The Sanctus of a New Millennium Mass’ by Noel Henry follows ‘Marthain Phádraig’ the ancient prayer of Saint Patrick spoken by the late Riocárd Bruadair of The Mullet Peninsula. ” Christina ” is the title of a newly composed piece of music by Spanish style guitarist Adrian Leonard of Achadh Mór that is preceded by a poem by Geraldine Mitchel of Louisburgh and a Bulgarian busker recorded on the streets in Ballyhaunis is featured with some Gypsy Waltzes. Terry Maughan one of the last practising tin smiths of the travelling community talks of his trade and travels and Tony Doneghue of Crossmolina tells of the Loch Conn Music Manuscripts that he managed to rescue from mice in a barn loft .Laoise Kelly the world renowed harper plays one of the unusual tunes from those precious manuscripts…………..Scores of Reels, Jigs, Hornpipes, Airs ,and Songs can be heard. There is a veritable treasure trove of material contained within the 99 tracks in this broad ranging collection from Mayo.

SALES -PRICE

The 6 C.D. set and companion booklet in gift wrap costs 25 euro.

Postage and packaging – In Ireland 2 euros and overseas 4 euros.

Proceeds to Mayo Roscommon Hospice .

Main Outlets in Mayo where available.

Castlebar – Castle Bookshop.

Ballina – Leonard’s Hot Shot Records .

Westport – Duffy’s Bookshop.

Claremorris – Smyth’s Bookshop.

Sets can be bought directly from Joe Byrne,Achadh Mór Ballyhaunis Co Mayo. (094- 93- 67189.) or by email at trishmb@eircom.net .

The Dreoilín Music and Lore Projects.

The first music project in the Dreoilín Series , “Songs of Past and People” VOL 1, a book and companion cassette recorfing of 15 songs with various singers from East Mayo, was issued in 1994.

This project, “Music and Musings from Mayo” in the 12th production in the Dreoilín Community Arts Series and was once again compiled by Joe Byrne who is a musician and singer and presents and produces the weekly arts programme ”Ceol agus Ealaíon” on Tuesday nights from 10.00pm until 1.00am on Mid West Radio. It is also intended of course as part of the Mid West Radio Twentieth Celebrations and many of the tracks represent a cross section of some of the material recorded and broadcast by Joe since the station started in 1989. The sound bytes are taken from the four programmes that Joe has been involved in over the past 20 years – ‘Ceol agus Fáilte’ a regular Saturday night music and song show from 1989 until 2007, ‘Seó Beo’ an occasional Irish language programme over the years, ‘Parish Pump and Town Crier’ a local history programme from 1994 – 1995 and from the more recent ‘Ceol agus Ealaíon’ the Tuesday night late show of Arts, Music and Gaeilge from 10.00.pm until 1.00am.

SLEEVE COVERS

The beautiful art work on the sleeves and booklet is by the artist Bernie Prendergast of Crois Árd, Tuairín. Bernie and all the performers have also given their talents free of charge. David Dwane of Dwane studios Ballina (originally from Ballyhaunis), refined and mastered the sound and also gave many of the hours involved in the project for free. Since many of the recordings were ‘one man’ efforts out in the field and were done on a variety of low-tech recording machines, the overall sound he achieved through mastery is exceptionally good.

Proceeds from the collection go to the Mayo – Roscommon Hospice Foundation. The price for the full package set is 25 euro with 2 euro extra for postage and packaging (within Ireland), and 4 euro extra to overseas destinations. The 6 C.D. set and booklet are available directly from Joe Byrne at Achadh Mor, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo. The collection gift pack will also be available in outlets all across Mayo – for example in Castlebar it is on sale in Bernie’s Art Gallery On The Green (Bernie Prendergasts – beside The Old Imperial Hotel in the Mall); and in The Castle Street Bookshop also in Castlebar. In Ballina at Leonard’s Hot Shot Records and in Duffy’s Bookshop in Westport and Smyth’s News Agency and Warde’s pub in Claremorris. In the local Achadh Mór area it is on sale in Achadh Mór Post Office; in Moran’s Pub and Cluain Falach Post Office; in Ballyhaunis it’s in Seamas Caulfield’s of Upper Main Street and in Paddy Phillip’s Pub and The Gem; and in Kilkelly at Tarpey’s and in Cunniffe’s.

This collection is a unique and very reasonably priced package and is in aid of a very worthy cause. Selling at 25 euro, it would certainly make an ideal and very special gift for all Mayo people at home and away.