Dear Reader - It was one of those weekends where you are reminded just why you do this job. Let’s go through it in order…
The Big Thing
Friday’s was the smallest gig of the weekend in terms of audience numbers but they don’t get much bigger in terms of significance!
Any time you play at a wedding you want to give the couple your best, but it always means that bit more when it’s a close friend waiting at the top of the room for his bride to arrive. It’s such a lovely ask to get - to play for a couple that means a lot to you - and everyone seemed to have a great day.
The piano was wheeled out again later in the evening for an impromptu sing-song that will live long in the memory too…one of those that starts with someone singing just cos they want to and ends up with the whole wedding party involved!
Where else but Sligo?
Then Saturday brought the first gig of our Theme Nights Unplugged At Christmas Tour - at King House in Boyle. Firstly it was great to see this historic house open again after a horrible recent act of vandalism.
And everyone in the room was reminded of what a wonderful facility it is as we experienced what was just a magic night of music together.
Ok it helps when you’re playing a Steinway (!) but the feeling in the room was one I’ll always remember. One of those nights where nothing else matters just the music and the communion between performers and audience.
Emotion, humour and truth throughout.
Thanks to Aileen, Michael and Steve for bringing their best and especially to our audience for being with us.
Great to get the Christmas tour up and running and after that start I’m so excited for the rest of it - we’re back in Sligo venues this week.
4 gigs to go - 2 are sold out but still some tickets left for the Sligo Folk Park on 22nd and Maitland’s Barber Shop on the 23rd…
What’s New?
It would take a lot to put Eoin Troy’s version of River in the ‘new’ category - I have heard him sing it most years since 2011. However I’m not sure I have ever heard it as good as it was last Sunday at the Sligo Academy of Music Christmas Extravaganza.
Eoin always does a fantastic job on it, but to have Niamh Crowley and a big gang of her teachers back him with that magnificent lush strings sound added something so special and made it sound new all over again.
Here’s an almost as good (!) version from 2021…
Finally…
We had a Christmas song from Seamie last week - here’s one from Georgie and I from back in 2017 (possibly should have had a shave that day!)…
Till next time - Kieran.
