Following the Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History, the Ward Irish Music Archives, the largest public collection of Irish music in America, is receiving national attention again this year. The Association of College Research Libraries posted a positive review of the archives in the organization’s December 2014 issue. J. G. Matthews, of … [Read more...] about Accolades for Ward’s Irish Music Archives
Music Archives
Gemma Hayes:
Crowd-sourcing Her Sound
The Irish musician, singer-songwriter, and composer Gemma Hayes on making music her way.
I’ve never done an interview with a baby before,” says an apologetic Gemma Hayes who has just run off to comfort her crying son. One-year-old Max hasn’t take kindly to being left with the nanny while his mum sits down to talk about her new album.
“Oh yeah, the album,” she begins … [Read more...] about Gemma Hayes:
Crowd-sourcing Her Sound
Songs for the Ancestors
Judy Collins on finding inspiration in the experience of her antecedents. Shortly before Judy Collins was inducted into the Irish America Hall of Fame in New Ross, County Wexford, this magazine interviewed her. In the article entitled El Troubadour she cited her father as her inspiration. She said that Charles Thomas Collins was a great singer and musician who graduated summa … [Read more...] about Songs for the Ancestors
Irish Folk Bonanza
If ever you've been mid-St. Patrick's Day party hunting through your collection for the perfect blend of Irish music, this is the CD you'll wish you had. The Ultimate Guide to Irish Folk is the best collection to be released covering the genre in years. Released by ARC music with liner notes written by John O’Regan, the two-disc set is well curated to demonstrate not only the … [Read more...] about Irish Folk Bonanza
“The Hard Way Home”
Paddy Homan’s newest CD reflects the Irish tenor’s philosophy of life. In the tradition of a lively rambling house, Irish tenor Paddy Homan has been presiding for six years every Sunday night at the Galway Arms Pub, in Chicago, where he is often joined by a retinue of outstanding musicians and performers from the greater Chicago area. He is a regular performer on the stage at … [Read more...] about “The Hard Way Home”