A 2-CD collection featuring the best of Ceoltóirí Laighean. Founder Éamon de Buitléar was an important member of Seán Ó Riada's pioneering and enormously influential group, Ceoltóirí Chualann. Among their members were some of the very finest individual performers of Irish traditional music and song. But they are even more important as a group, for the ideal they represent, blending their talents in the lively expression of a noble tradition. With Paddy O’Brien, John Kelly, James Kelly, Paddy Glackin, Mary Bergin, Micheál Crehan, Michael Gavin, Éamon de Buitléar and many others...
Anyone with an interest in the Darwinian aspects of traditional music will welcome this reissue of two seminal recordings from 1973 and 1975: The Crooked Road and the widely influential The Star Of Munster . Founder Éamon de Buitléar drew John Kelly, James Kelly, Paddy Glackin, Paddy O’Brien and Mary Bergin to the fold and invited, as guest, the late Cúl Aodha singer, Diarmuid Ó Suilleabháin. Ceoltóirí Laighean’s shared aspiration was to integrate our music, language and song into a cohesive whole. Original recordings from 1973 and 1975, this is a digital remaster from 2010.
The first CD (The Crooked Road) is a live recording of a 1973 concert held in UCD to support Scoil Dhún Chaoin, the Gaeltacht school then threatened with closure. In that year also, Paddy Glackin became All-Ireland fiddle champion at the Fleadh Cheoil. The second CD (Star of Munster) was recorded two years later and shows the develop-ment of the group's ensemble-playing. The famous Munster and Jacobite anthem 'Mo Ghile Mear' is sung here by Diarmuid Ó Súilleabháin.
Two of the players, Éamon de Buitléar and John Kelly, had been in Seán Ó Riada's Ceoltóirí Chualann and de Buitléar's group had a similar style of instrumentation and also used lead singers. The full lineup was as follows: Éamon de Buitléar, John Kelly, James Kelly, Mary Bergin, Paddy Glackin, Paddy O'Brien, Michael Crehan, Michael Gavin, Micheál Ó hAlmhain, Peter Phelan, and Aibhlín McCrann. Diarmuid Ó Súilleabháin and Seán Ó Liatháin were the singers.
Track List
Album One - The Crooked Road
Reels: The Crooked Road / The Duke of Leinster's Wife
Harp Tune: A Fine Toast to Hewlett
Double Jig: Sixpenny Money
Song: Mathair mo Cheile (My Mother-in-Law)
Reels: Sporting Nell / Lucky in Love
SlowAir: Sean O' Duibhir a' Ghleanna (John O'Dwyer of the Glen)
Harp Tune: Murtagh McCann
Song: De Bheatha-sa, a Pheaiti! (God Welcome You, Paddy!)
Reel: The Morning Dew
Song: Amhran an Steaimpi (Song of the Stampy)
Reel: The Gravel Walks
Harp Tune: O Love, Lie Beside Me
Album 2 - The Star of Munster
Polkas: Cnoc na gClarach, Bainis Cnoc na gClara
Reel: Miko Russell's Ashplant
Song: Mo Ghile Mear
Song: An Cgruach Tobac
Harp Tunes: Carraig an Aoibhnis, An Speic Seoigheach
Slow Air & Reel: An tSean Bhean Bhocht
Set Dance: Gairdin na Noimini (The Garden of Daisies)
Jig: Port Thom Bhilly
Reel: Realt na Mumhan (The Star of Munster)
Slide: Sleamhnan Inis Cathaigh
Song, Airs & Reel: Dha Ghabhairin Bhui
Jig: Dinny Delaney's
CEOLTOIRI LAIGHEAN MUSICIANS:
John Kelly, James Kelly & Paddy Glackin - Fiddles
Mary Bergin, Michael Crehan & Michael Gavin - Flute & Whistle
Michael O' hAlmhain - Flute, Whistle & Uilleann Pipes
