Various Artists

Geantraí on CD

Geantraí (translated: Lively Music) is a hugely popular traditional music series which has become regular viewing for musicians and traditional music followers in Ireland. The viewers of TG4 recently voted Geantraí the No 1. music programme, while the readers of Irish Music Magazine voted Geantraí the best traditional music programme on television.

To celebrate ten years of this top-rated TG4 series Geantraí, Gael Linn has worked with Forefront Productions and TG4 to pick 19 performances from the show for this CD and DVD release. In the last ten years, a very comprehensive collection of music has been compiled, all of it recorded 'live' in pub settings throughout Ireland, as well as in England, Scotland and the United States. Working on the basis that, historically and culturally, the pub session is an important part of traditional music, genuine traditional music pubs were carefully researched as suitable venues, pubs where all-year-round good music sessions happen. This meant that the production team had to work in packed pubs, with all the obvious difficulties that this brings, but they believed that this approach was the only way to capture the special atmosphere and accurately portray the genuine pub session.

As this album is made of different sessions spaced over ten years, it can convey a sense of the excitement, timelessness, and fun that is so hard to capture on a "studio" album. There is a definite emphasis on fun and spontaneity, featuring great performances from both instrumental music and song, representing a diversity of performing styles and instrumentation.

In all, fifty musicians and three singers are featured performing a total of thirty-eight tunes and three songs.

Noel Hill & Tony Linnane

Audio Sound Samples

Track 1: Providence: The Midnight Reel

Track 2: John Spillane: All The Ways You Wander

Track 3: Joe Burke & Matt Molloy: The Limestone Rock

Also Available from Copperplate:  Geantrai DVD

Track Listing

1. Providence: The Gleanntán Reel / The Sandymount Reel / The Beauty Spot / The Ravelled Hank of Yarn / The Midnight Reel
2. Liz & Yvonne Kane (fiddles) & John Blake (guitar):Jig for Jimmy/ Betsy's Delight
3. Jackie Daly (accordion) & Séamus Creagh (fiddle): Bill Sullivan's Polka /The Britches Full of Stitches
4. Gerry O'Connor(Banjo) & Tom Kenna (Guitar): George White's Favourite High Drive /Fiach's Fancy
5. Séamus Ó Beaglaoich (singer); Jim Murray (guitar): An Ciarraíoch Mallaithe
6. The Boys of the Lough: The Steamboat / The Sheffield Hornpipe
7. At First Light: Rose in the Gap / Old Dudeen
8. Conor Keane(accordion),Méabh Boyd(fiddle) & Martin O'Malley (guitar):The Star of Brittany
9. At the Racket: John Carty (banjo), Séamus O'Donnell (saxophone), Brian McGrath (keyboards) & Jim Murray (guitar): Far From Home / The Sally Gardens / The Sligo Maid
10. Bríd Ní Mhaoilchiaráin (singer): Neainsín Bhán
11. Joe Burke (accordion), Matt Molloy (flute) & Anne Conroy Burke (guitar): The Gooseberry Bush / The Limestone Rock
12. Gay McKeon (uilleann pipes): Bean Dubh a' Ghleanna / The Ace and Deuce of Pipering
13. Dana Lyn (fiddle), Patrick Ourceau (fiddle) & Eamon O'Leary (guitar): The New Road / Paddy Fahey's
14. Charlie Lennon (fiddle) & Johnny Óg Connolly (accordion): Step it out Joe / Murphy the Big Man
15. John Spillane (singer and guitar): All the Ways You Wander
16. Ronan Browne (uilleann pipes) & Peter O'Loughlin (fiddle): Táim in Arrears / Hardiman the Fiddler
17. Vincent Campbell (fiddle), Jimmy Campbell (fiddle) & Peter Campbell (fiddle): The Orange and Blue / The Braes of Maar / The Keelrow
18. Noel Hill (concertina) & Tony Linnane (fiddle): Old Tipperary / Down the Back Lane
19. Máirtín O'Connor (accordion), Cathal Hayden (fiddle), Brendan Larrissey (fiddle), Dessie Adams (flute), Brendan O'Regan (bouzouki), Johnny McDonagh (bodhrán): Devaney's Goat / The Green fields of Rossbeigh / The Dairymaid
    
    
    REVIEWS
    The Journal of Music.This DVD and CD marks ten years of the TG4 series Geantraí, and is a useful and thoroughly enjoyable compilation documenting the variety and vigour of contemporary Irish traditional music. In fact the timespan documented is quite narrower, as the recordings were all made from 2000-5. It’s an accurate reflection then of the twenty-first-century tradition, with a strong emphasis on instrumental music: only three songs were selected from the series, with the somewhat bizarre inclusion of John Spillane the only really false note on the recording. Given that the other songs are from the sean-nós tradition, the absence of any traditional ballads or songs in English is striking. Also notable is the lack of solos: only Gay McKeown’s evocative air and set piece is a solo in the purest sense, although Gerry O’Connor on banjo also contributes a marvellous bluegrass-tinged set full of mischievous invention.

    The sleeve notes hint at these being natural, relaxed, and session-like recordings, but these are really performances recorded in pubs rather than pub performances, and what really comes across is the tremendous level of musicianship among traditional players today. Only the last track seems to approach the looseness of a session, Máirtín O’Connor and Cathal Hayden in particular cutting loose at every opportunity. Overall, though, it’s the breadth and contrast of styles on display that is the recording’s most attractive feature. Providence provide a blistering start, and their driving playing contrasts nicely with the untrammelled exuberance of At the Racket’s barndance and reels, and the steely control of At First Light. The fiddle is particularly well served on the set too, with Donegal highlands from the Campbells; and the precise duets of the Kane sisters and Dana Lyn and Patrick Ourceau are reminiscent of the former classic fiddle partnerships of Killoran and Sweeney, and McGann and Reynolds, although here very much drawing inspiration from the East Galway tradition. There’s lovely contributions from the Clare and Kerry tradition also, and a fine balance between new and more familiar material. While the sound is generally excellent, the flute goes missing on a couple of tracks, but this is a minor flaw, and both DVD and CD are highly recommended – here’s hoping that a complete box-set of the show may appear in the future!

    The Living Tradition
    The translation of the title is “lively music”, and is also the title of a programme on Irish television channel TG4, which broadcasts traditional music in live sessions from all round the country and further afield.  I don’t know just how many Euros a commissioning editor gets, but the cast assembled herein would require a very deep delve into the pockets indeed.

    Given that all nineteen tracks were recorded at different venues, there is a remarkable feeling of unity for a compilation disc.  The quality of production and engineering is consistently high, and you could easily believe that they had all been laid down at the same time.  The list of artists is from the top drawer, with Seamus O Beaglaoich, Brid Ni Mhaoilchiarain and John Spillane giving us “An Ciarraioch Mallaithe”, “Neainsin Bhan” and “All the Ways You Wander” respectively.  The rest of the album features tunes, which reflect Irish regional styles and instrumental combinations to delight the heart of those who know this music, and to act as a superb guide for those making a voyage of discovery.

    With the likes of Jackie Daly & Seamus Creagh; the Boys of the Lough; Joe Burke, Matt Molloy & Anne Conroy Burke; Noel Hill & Tony Linnane – to pick from the line-up of just four tracks – this was never going to fail to please.  With over 65 minutes of music, and an informative booklet, this all adds up to a great deal of pleasure indeed.  Now all I need to know is how to tune in to TG4! Gordon Potter