Dear Reader –
I was introduced to a new song this week - with some great lyrics. Here’s the second verse.
“If you feel a hand guiding you along
When the path seems wrong
It will be me”
There’s a big announcement coming in next week’s letter, and when getting ready for the start of a big project you’ll find yourself on the wrong path quite a bit, so thanks to the many readers of this letter who have been that hand guiding me along over the past while.
*All hyperlinks, as always, in bold.
The Big Thing
OK so maybe I’ll fill you in on some of the details of this project this week - and firstly fair warning, because this particular big thing might last a few weeks. It’s something you’re probably going to read about a fair bit for the next month or so. We will get back to the regular cadence of letters once it’s over, so stay with me please.
I’m only doing so because it’s important - not just to me, but to the many others who have asked me to do something like this over the years. And hopefully to some of you also.
You see this Christmas we will celebrate 10 years of Theme Nights. It has been an amazing decade, with some (more recent and unavoidable) lows but also many highs, and I am so grateful to the musicians, performers and audiences alike who have contributed to so many great nights in that time.
I really hope that we will be able to celebrate this milestone together with some live shows in the Hawk’s Well in December. However whether we get to do so or not, I plan to mark the occasion by producing a souvenir album and book - two special commemorative products which will not only showcase some of the best music, images and stories from the Theme Nights, but provide paid work to almost 50 local musicians and creative professionals.
I’ll be asking for your support in order to help us make this happen, and I’ll be launching a crowdfunding campaign in next week’s letter. in the meantime you can get a sneak preview and sign up to get notified when it goes live here.
Indeed if you know that you would like to support this campaign, I’d love to chat to you (email kieran@kieranquinn.ie) - otherwise keep an eye out for next week’s letter in which will be revealed the many exclusive and fun rewards available to you in exchange for your support.
Where else but Sligo?
Plans for this project are well underway of course, and regular readers of this letter will know that on the album I wish to uphold the theme night tradition of always including a first-timer. This week I met the brave singers who had answered my call, and Sligo once again came up trumps with a dozen or so excellent singers who I had the pleasure of meeting, listening to, and accompanying. It was such a treat to sit at the piano and make music with you all.
One lady came out with a different idea however. She had a story to tell me, specifically one about her grandparents, the people who raised her. They are no longer on this earth, and tears came to her eyes as she recalled one of her fondest memories of them - being small and her Nan and Grandad taking one of her hands each and swinging her up into the air.
She told me that she saw my wife and I doing something similar with one of our children out walking in Strandhill a few years ago and the image stayed with her, so much so that she vowed that if she ever got the chance to sing with me that she would sing one particular song (see below) in honour of her grandparents. And she did, making my day in the process. Thankyou.
Inspired by this story, we tried the trick again this weekend. He’s probably a bit big now, but we still managed to get him airborne!
What’s New?
The Theme Night Choir have a new super-cool and very well prepared choirmaster - it was great to see everyone again at rehearsals yesterday - the weather hit all the right notes too to make it possible for us to practise outside. Thanks for your work Dave, and to Jane for the pic.
It’s Euro 2020 time - and I love a good football chant! Here’s one that got stuck in my head during the week thanks to the Second Captains podcast.
One of Sligo’s twin towns is Kempten in southern Germany. The mayor of Kempten commissioned this piano concert for the children of Sligo as a way of keeping in contact during lockdown. Have a look - it’s great fun!
Finally…
Here’s this week’s featured song. It needs no more introduction - just have a listen.
I look forward to sharing more about this project with you all next week.
Till then,
Kieran.
