The High Kings

[Mel]

Thank you David! You did it again!!


I love the new CD and DVD.

[zankoku]

Waiting for the DVD but listening to the CD now. A man's CD of Irish music to spark the Irish blood. So much like the Clancys (wonder why)<g>

Just wish there were more than 13 tracks

Jim

[willow-jeeves]

To David and the High Kings:  Thank You!  I am enjoying both the CD and DVD immensely, and you truly are the Music Makers.  I can't wait until you all are here in San Diego! 

~Mary

[MeganDelia]

To David: As Mel has said you definetly did do it again!!! I saw THK on PBS and I loved it!!!!! Great Job!

[Kimberly AJ]

I think he also played piano on the show too.

[nbrock]

I agree with your sentiments, Mel.  I can hardly put into words what David has brought to my life with CW and now THK! 

I grew up knowing of my part Irish, mostly American Indian, background.  The High Kings music goes straight to my heart -even more than my beloved CW- and seems to tell me stories of my past.  It's as if I've always known these songs, always had these tunes playing in my head.  The mix of sadness and joy, trials and celebration, tell me something about who I am and where I come from.  I can see those distant relatives boarding that ship from Cork into the unknown, and now I have words and melody that bring their stories to life.  My trips to Ireland to be with "the girls" opened my heart and brought a joy & peace to my life.  This new gift of The High Kings has awakened my soul. 

Sorry for the mushy sentiment, but David's gifts really have changed my life and I just had to share with those who understand what an impact this music has had.   Erin Go Brough!
Norma

[Conchobar]

Excellently put Norma!! I think you speak for a lot of us there. There is something about these songs that stir deep emotions. They take you from wanting to stand up and dance to wanting to put an arm around a loved one and sway back and forth.

[Maggie]

It's great that the traditional songs sung by THKs are now reaching and affecting a new audience.

Most children in Ireland heard these songs from infancy, in the family home, or even on the radio.
Those born since the 60s and 70s probably heard them from the "Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem" and "The Fureys and Davy Arthur".
Finbarr and Martin heard them up closer than most - it was their Daddies and uncles making the music. Brian and Darren would have heard them too.
The emergence of the High Kings had me dusting off my old vinyl and CDs,as I've said before.
In fact the success of THK could cause a resurgence of interest in the original recordings, just to compare them.
If you look at the track lists on a lot of the early CDs, especially the Fureys, you will find many old English, Scottish and American songs too. Not unusual to see "Tennessee Waltz" and "Goodnight Irene" in there. They were, after all, trans-Atlantic Groups.
Today of course, David's arrangements and technical advances in music reproduction make the music come alive like never before.
But to me (call me a sentimental old fool) hearing the raw voices and primitive recording has a lot of charm, too.
When I first heard some of the more traditional songs, they were unaccompanied, sung in a living room or pub, by untrained singers in what is now called sean-nós style
So when I heard the Clancys and the Fureys, they had taken the old songs to a new level and it was wonderful to hear them.
Now along come their kids and raise the bar again!

The Fureys and Davy Arthur in the 70s, Martin's Dad Finbar is sitting with the pipes:


here's Paddy, Tom and Liam Clancy with Tommy Makem 2nd from left:


All four Clancy Brothers:

[Maggie]

I know Bob's favourite song from THKs Show is "The Little Beggarman".

So I thought I would show the evolution of this lively little tune.

Tommy Makem was the son of Sarah Makem, a traditional ballad singer from Armagh, Northern Ireland. If you scroll down this track list to #25 and click on the left arrow, you will hear Tommy and his Mum with their Armagh accents singing "The Little Beggarman" as it would have been sung in their house, with mistakes and all:

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Clancy-Brothers-Tommy-Makem/dp/B000002NQK

Here is a YouTube clip, Tommy again singing it with the Clancy's, and he even does a dance at the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt0mc28dOYk

And now......the more polished version by the young upstarts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl6JWSi8jXo

You can see they learned well.............

[Conchobar]

Those are great Maggie! Wonderful finds!
I do love that song. The first time I had heard it was Gaelic Storms version which is a bit different. It's faster, and contains a diggereedoo part. I hope I spelled that right.

[Jason]

The Clancy's....don't need to say which one is Finbarr's Dad Bobby, you can see the resemblance and the very same smile!

Ooh.. Bobby actually isn't in that pic. Though, you can certainly see a family resemblance! That's Tom, Tommy Makem, Liam, and Paddy from left to right! Here's a pic of young Bobby



Not used to seeing him with a guitar instead of a banjo! From http://www.liamclancy.com/articles/bobby.htm - nice little bio on Bobby there too, from his daughter Aoife.

[Maggie]

Ooh.. Bobby actually isn't in that pic. Though, you can certainly see a family resemblance!

OOPS!    Thanks Jason...I should know better, with all the Clancy LPs and CDs I have!..i wanted Tommy Makem to be in the pic. .I've now corrected it.

Here's Bobby Clancy (with banjo), his son Finbarr (now of THK) and Eddie Dillon:

[nbrock]

   Thanks a million, Maggie & Jason!  I am so hungry for all the information I can get.  I love the music and the history.  So glad we have some experts here that are willing to share!

[zankoku]

Tommy and his Mum with their Armagh accents singing "The Little Beggarman

I have that cd and complied THK and Clancy Brothers and have both the CB and Tommy and his mum's version back to back

Always loved the Clancys especially the Rebels songs 

Jim

[nbrock]

Maggie, I have to tell a lovely story about sharing with a "new generation".  Last month, our daughter & her husband (100% Irish he is!!) came for a Saturday visit with his 2 year old nephew in tow.  Little Keegan wasnt feeling well and was in their care unexpectedly.  Since we've no toys for wee boys at our house, we scrambled to entertain and comfort him. 

After several hours with little success, he snuggled up on the couch, so we sat down to share THK DVD.  You should have seen Keegan's eyes light up the moment the music began!  He was especially taken with the band.  He watched Nollaig play her fiddle with a mezmerized stare.  When Robbie played, he squealed with delight!  He swayed and bounced to the tunes and danced round the room.  I gave him 2 spoons and he immediately banged them together with perfect rhythm.  We watched it (and him) twice! 

I was thrilled that my 30 year olds loved the music (and knew many of the songs), but I was absolutely delighted to see this curly-haired child join in the fun.  There is nothing as fulfilling as sharing something you love with the people you love!  Again, thanks to all the folks who've given us such joyful sounds!

Norma