Irish America

Irish America

Music Archives

The Chieftain of Endurance

By ian Worpole, Contributor
April / May 2008

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With St. Patrick’s season came the mighty Chieftains and their annual tour of the U.S., which began in Albuquerque in February and ended up at Carnegie Hall on March 17.  What to say about these titans? This year’s set of gigs, titled “Celtic-Scottish Connections,” marked 34 years of touring in this country alone; they have recorded 44 albums, many in collaboration with the … [Read more...] about The Chieftain of Endurance

Ceol Na nGael

By Ian Worpole, Contributor
February / March 2008

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About ten years ago I stumbled into the traditional Irish music scene and life has never been quite the same. My first article for this magazine was about that experience, but this time around I’d like to delve into the truly arcane world of The Fleadh Choil (literally, Festival of Music), or The All-Ireland Championships (AIC). Now, if you’ve ever been to any Irish session, … [Read more...] about Ceol Na nGael

Mary Black

By Ian Worpole, Contributor
December / January 2008

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Mary Black, one of Ireland’s most-loved performers, is back in the spotlight with Full Tide, her finest and most critically acclaimed album in many years. Mary Black and her siblings, Frances, Michael, Shay and Martin, have long been Ireland’s premier musical family, performing together as The Black Family and in various combinations since the late 1970’s. Parents, Kevin and … [Read more...] about Mary Black

Cape Breton Awash in Celtic Colors

October / November 2007

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It was over a decade ago that an imaginative union of tourism and cultural heritage formed to create the Celtic Colours International Festival  in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.  With the 11th annual festival taking place Oct. 6-13, 2007, and growing every year, the nine-day festival, awash in autumn colors, with gorgeous sea and landscape settings, has become one of the world’s … [Read more...] about Cape Breton Awash in Celtic Colors

Cathie Ryan: Home is Where the Music Is

By Ian Worpole
October / November 2007

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My mum had a phrase that fascinated me – whenever something like the vacuum cleaner showed signs of failure, she would say, “Oh, it’s going home.” I’ve always had a vision of what a strange and wonderful place that particular Home may be, filled with weary appliances. It’s a powerful phrase, and as I grew older and maybe wiser, I realized it is more usually indicative of the … [Read more...] about Cathie Ryan: Home is Where the Music Is