Hello Christy,
Thanks to Bourkey for the comments about Shane. Looks like it’s going to be a great gig at the 3arena.
I was touched by what was said. This is the only place, apart from with Steve where I talk about things I’ve sensed, felt or seen. It’s not something that’s talked about where I live. The UK feels generally scoured clean of its magic. So there’s either very little being felt or all the people like me are keeping quiet.
Being sensitive gives me a very colourful and interesting life. At my mother’s funeral a stonking great Buddha turned up in the chancel. And all of us surrounded by crow black priests. I mentioned it to Steve later. He said he was just trying not to set on fire…
This is a special place that Christy has created and let us build.
Hope everyone is enjoying the Olympics.
Rebecca
Christy's reply
still to us the earth is a healer
a teacher, a mother,
a weaver of a web
that keeps us all alive
she gives us the wisdom
to see through the chaos
she gives us the courage
it is our will to stay alive
….. from Burning Times by ,the late,Charlie Murphy.
this great song came to me in a roundabout way from Charlie, through Roy Bailey
in Nottingham and Martha McClelland in Derry who sent it to my sister Terry in Kildare who passed it on to me…..Terry also sent me Jackson Browns song “How Long”..she has a good ear for songs that might suit me to sing….
one night in London I got to sing “Burnning Times” to Charlie Murphy when he attended an RFH Concert with his partner….we spent a lovely hour afterwards swopping songs in the green room until security came and told us they needed to lock up the kip
Hi Rebecca,
You mentioned in dispatches how you sensed
Shane’s spirit at a recent Christy gig.
Well the great man might go one better this December.
Spider, Jem, James and a parcel of rogues are dusting
down Red Roses For Me and bringing it to The Point.
The souls and the spirits of the faithful departed will be
looking down from the veranda of heaven for this one
Their gig from the Hackney Empire is online and it
looks like a rare ould time was had by one and all.
Things not going so well across the pond at the moment
nor the big pond. Not going mighty on the rock neither.
Take care and mind yourselves.
Peace and Love
Bourkey
Christy's reply
“the night is burstin into mornin
give us a drop of your sweet Poitín”
In recent years I have begun exploring Irish music and songs and have found great inspiration from you and your work, thank you. I am particularly inspired by your pieces for voice and drum. I’m wondering if you can suggest songs of yours, or of others combining voice and drum such as you do in ‘well below the valley’? With warm wishes from Dartmoor , Lewis
Christy's reply
any song you want to sing that has some solid rhythm….
The Well has always worked very well for me with the drum…I have a new song in the offing thats beginning to sound good with the Drum
over the years I have played
Cúnla
Tippin it up
Home by barna
Rocky Road to Dublin
On The Run
good luck with your singing and drumming
Hello Christy,
Well the guitar is going well. It’s the first instrument I’ve ever played that I want to play before I get up. Its right here beside me. I’ve got two now. They’re notorious breeders aren’t they and I’m counting on mine!
I had to go into Halifax yesterday to run two training courses. Got in like a drowned rat afterwards. Now I remember why music got lost when I worked in town. Too exhausted to do anything. Working at home is much more human. I can hum and noodle all day. And the desert blooms.
I hope we will see the fruits of your labours very soon.
Rebecca
Christy's reply
went to bed one night with a Gibson guitar and woke up with two mandolins
Christy, I second Brendan’s motion. New concert dates, please. (First time listening to your Traveller recording the other day, so different the elaborate arrangements, loved it.)
Christy's reply
soon as I know I’ll have them up here in two shakes of a lamb’s tail
Hi christy
Great to see Declan McLaughlin is playing Kimmage, he is coming to our Hawick festival next year.
Newly provided on spotify is his marvellous track ‘Rise’…..that the laughter of our children mean our day has finally come….
I’m not usually short of words,but Rory has done me,in the nicest way! His work lunch break here were a treat…and as you’ll know,Christy,it’s a great city for a wander with a good companero -for an hour or a day…and Rory fits the bill…
This morning,I woke early,thinking of Southport…decades ago,we might have headed there for a fun day out…right now,many will be suffering,so thoughts headed there…
Dave
Christy's reply
its difficult to imagine the horror of it all… and I’m hearing now that Farage and his thugs are seeking to exploit this terrible event
Hey Christy, I know it’s a bit early, but I’m already planning my next trip to Ireland after seeing you in Belfast this past spring. Do you have any idea when you’ll be releasing dates for next year’s tour? I’m hoping to see you again with a crowd of happy followers next spring or summer. All the best ..Take care, Brendan
Christy's reply
Brendan…soon as we have dates in place we will post the info here….nothing confirmed for next year at this time….If all goes well I hope to play some gigs next year…
Morning’ All…
Back to peek at CM goin’ ons…been trying to breathe life into a dead footy team (my not so mighty Essendon Bombers in AFL) but to no avail …their malady is doomfully serious…
Did someone say ‘new album’? Great news if so…I lashed out & sold the kids for a CM t-shirt so at least I look the part …”all the gear but no idea”…
Well, the world spins round & time goes on & Fascists raise their head & we knock ‘em off…and so it goes…
It’s uplifting to read the posts here & feel part of a mob keeping each other cosy
Love & big grins to youse all
You do more good than you realise
Danny Harris – a fan
Christy hi,
Sometimes honesty is the best policy, in fact always its the best policy.
So with due deference to contributors old and new , daily posters and once a year folk, try hards and die hards, it is great to get these gems from Dagrab.
Folk against Fascism, i never thought, i should have , but yer man brings home the bacon every time.
I have wandered into a couple of old Mancunian record shops with Dave , before or after a cuppa and shared toast, it felt like being in the presence of a pal you’d always known and who could guide you in the direction of a musical gem.
Some of us, me included, try too hard sometimes , Dagrab just lets it flow naturally and sometimes we don’t hear from him for a week, yet he never looks for an answer , never forces it, but excells in just giving.
Anyway Dave, keep on keeping on.
I think of him like yourself Christy, like an old friend whether ever met or not. You’d be Someone to share a story or observation with, share an imaginary tea with and we’d probably all love to rummage in a record shop with you.
Keep on keeping on too Christy.
Rory
Ps Germany Pat….we ‘love you too baby’ as was said of Shane.
Christy's reply
I concur…manys the morning kick started by goodies that appear from our good companeros of the 4711 community…..
as a child I used to gather eggs around the farmyard when staying with grandparents
Had a good find today in a second hand music shop. 2 CD set I’ve never seen before. From 2010, ‘Folk against Fascism’…
31 tracks and you’re at 11 with ‘Pink Triangle’…the message resounds…I’m a long time fan of June Tabor,so brilliant to hear her version of Lester Simpson’s ‘Standing in Line’…Damien Dempsey kicks arse on ‘Colony’…plus,numerous other great songs of social comment.
I suspect the release might not be easy to find.As a contributor,I hope you have a copy to play when you have chance…
Enjoy Summer
Dave
Christy's reply
I dont think I’ve ever seen this album…but I’m glad to be part of it
Hi Christy,
It was always going to be a tight game.
Unfortunately it wasn’t a great game.
Fair play to Armagh – deserved winners.
Kept our big dogs quiet all afternoon.
And we didn’t take all our frees when we got em.
Sin a bhfuil…Hon the ladies next week.
Watched badminton for the first time last night.
Fair play to Nhat Ngayen of Team Ireland.
See you in The Hanger next month.
Tabhair Aire
Bourkey
Christy's reply
in serious training here for the return to Salthill
Hello Christy,
Good morning from beautiful sunny Yorkshire, hope the sun is shining on all here. It’s lovely to see you back and chatting away. Hope you had a good break.
Restrung my seagull yesterday. It was a well played shop tester when I bought it. New, but with dull strings and scratches on the pick guard. But the bottom e string sang and rang fowever. It had to be mine, even so well used in the shop.
So we put some new strings on it yesterday, Bronze 12s. A bit lighter to help my hands.
It’s singing beautifully now, nothing like a seagull. Birds that screech and steal your chips. Weird name for a guitar.
Anyone see any of the rugby 7s yesterday?
It rivalled the hurling for speed!
Hello Christy,
Thanks to Bourkey for the comments about Shane. Looks like it’s going to be a great gig at the 3arena.
I was touched by what was said. This is the only place, apart from with Steve where I talk about things I’ve sensed, felt or seen. It’s not something that’s talked about where I live. The UK feels generally scoured clean of its magic. So there’s either very little being felt or all the people like me are keeping quiet.
Being sensitive gives me a very colourful and interesting life. At my mother’s funeral a stonking great Buddha turned up in the chancel. And all of us surrounded by crow black priests. I mentioned it to Steve later. He said he was just trying not to set on fire…
This is a special place that Christy has created and let us build.
Hope everyone is enjoying the Olympics.
Rebecca
still to us the earth is a healer
a teacher, a mother,
a weaver of a web
that keeps us all alive
she gives us the wisdom
to see through the chaos
she gives us the courage
it is our will to stay alive
….. from Burning Times by ,the late,Charlie Murphy.
this great song came to me in a roundabout way from Charlie, through Roy Bailey
in Nottingham and Martha McClelland in Derry who sent it to my sister Terry in Kildare who passed it on to me…..Terry also sent me Jackson Browns song “How Long”..she has a good ear for songs that might suit me to sing….
one night in London I got to sing “Burnning Times” to Charlie Murphy when he attended an RFH Concert with his partner….we spent a lovely hour afterwards swopping songs in the green room until security came and told us they needed to lock up the kip
Good am, as the Irish rowers make great progress this song by a very, very young C.S. reminds us of previous Games https://youtu.be/Ub6WEncZAUg?si=rojUukddNDoQUruI Beir bua agus beannacht. H
fáilte romhat arais
Hi Rebecca,
You mentioned in dispatches how you sensed
Shane’s spirit at a recent Christy gig.
Well the great man might go one better this December.
Spider, Jem, James and a parcel of rogues are dusting
down Red Roses For Me and bringing it to The Point.
The souls and the spirits of the faithful departed will be
looking down from the veranda of heaven for this one
Their gig from the Hackney Empire is online and it
looks like a rare ould time was had by one and all.
Things not going so well across the pond at the moment
nor the big pond. Not going mighty on the rock neither.
Take care and mind yourselves.
Peace and Love
Bourkey
“the night is burstin into mornin
give us a drop of your sweet Poitín”
Dear Christy,
In recent years I have begun exploring Irish music and songs and have found great inspiration from you and your work, thank you. I am particularly inspired by your pieces for voice and drum. I’m wondering if you can suggest songs of yours, or of others combining voice and drum such as you do in ‘well below the valley’? With warm wishes from Dartmoor , Lewis
any song you want to sing that has some solid rhythm….
The Well has always worked very well for me with the drum…I have a new song in the offing thats beginning to sound good with the Drum
over the years I have played
Cúnla
Tippin it up
Home by barna
Rocky Road to Dublin
On The Run
good luck with your singing and drumming
Hello Christy,
Well the guitar is going well. It’s the first instrument I’ve ever played that I want to play before I get up. Its right here beside me. I’ve got two now. They’re notorious breeders aren’t they and I’m counting on mine!
I had to go into Halifax yesterday to run two training courses. Got in like a drowned rat afterwards. Now I remember why music got lost when I worked in town. Too exhausted to do anything. Working at home is much more human. I can hum and noodle all day. And the desert blooms.
I hope we will see the fruits of your labours very soon.
Rebecca
went to bed one night with a Gibson guitar and woke up with two mandolins
Christy, I second Brendan’s motion. New concert dates, please. (First time listening to your Traveller recording the other day, so different the elaborate arrangements, loved it.)
soon as I know I’ll have them up here in two shakes of a lamb’s tail
Hi christy
Great to see Declan McLaughlin is playing Kimmage, he is coming to our Hawick festival next year.
Newly provided on spotify is his marvellous track ‘Rise’…..that the laughter of our children mean our day has finally come….
https://open.spotify.com/track/7C6iL1N7zXhOYEDbcuzHcB?si=Mn4iguN3SZO2THhgVvF3rQ
Rory
great Night of song guaranteed at The Four Provinces in Kimmage, Dublin…Declan McLaughlin is a top shelf songwriter and singer…get there early
It’s great to see the friendship and love here this morning.
Morning,Christy
I’m not usually short of words,but Rory has done me,in the nicest way! His work lunch break here were a treat…and as you’ll know,Christy,it’s a great city for a wander with a good companero -for an hour or a day…and Rory fits the bill…
This morning,I woke early,thinking of Southport…decades ago,we might have headed there for a fun day out…right now,many will be suffering,so thoughts headed there…
Dave
its difficult to imagine the horror of it all… and I’m hearing now that Farage and his thugs are seeking to exploit this terrible event
Hey Christy, I know it’s a bit early, but I’m already planning my next trip to Ireland after seeing you in Belfast this past spring. Do you have any idea when you’ll be releasing dates for next year’s tour? I’m hoping to see you again with a crowd of happy followers next spring or summer. All the best ..Take care, Brendan
Brendan…soon as we have dates in place we will post the info here….nothing confirmed for next year at this time….If all goes well I hope to play some gigs next year…
Morning’ All…
Back to peek at CM goin’ ons…been trying to breathe life into a dead footy team (my not so mighty Essendon Bombers in AFL) but to no avail …their malady is doomfully serious…
Did someone say ‘new album’? Great news if so…I lashed out & sold the kids for a CM t-shirt so at least I look the part …”all the gear but no idea”…
Well, the world spins round & time goes on & Fascists raise their head & we knock ‘em off…and so it goes…
It’s uplifting to read the posts here & feel part of a mob keeping each other cosy
Love & big grins to youse all
You do more good than you realise
Danny Harris – a fan
keep coming back danny
Christy hi,
Sometimes honesty is the best policy, in fact always its the best policy.
So with due deference to contributors old and new , daily posters and once a year folk, try hards and die hards, it is great to get these gems from Dagrab.
Folk against Fascism, i never thought, i should have , but yer man brings home the bacon every time.
I have wandered into a couple of old Mancunian record shops with Dave , before or after a cuppa and shared toast, it felt like being in the presence of a pal you’d always known and who could guide you in the direction of a musical gem.
Some of us, me included, try too hard sometimes , Dagrab just lets it flow naturally and sometimes we don’t hear from him for a week, yet he never looks for an answer , never forces it, but excells in just giving.
Anyway Dave, keep on keeping on.
I think of him like yourself Christy, like an old friend whether ever met or not. You’d be Someone to share a story or observation with, share an imaginary tea with and we’d probably all love to rummage in a record shop with you.
Keep on keeping on too Christy.
Rory
Ps Germany Pat….we ‘love you too baby’ as was said of Shane.
I concur…manys the morning kick started by goodies that appear from our good companeros of the 4711 community…..
as a child I used to gather eggs around the farmyard when staying with grandparents
Hi Christy
Had a good find today in a second hand music shop. 2 CD set I’ve never seen before. From 2010, ‘Folk against Fascism’…
31 tracks and you’re at 11 with ‘Pink Triangle’…the message resounds…I’m a long time fan of June Tabor,so brilliant to hear her version of Lester Simpson’s ‘Standing in Line’…Damien Dempsey kicks arse on ‘Colony’…plus,numerous other great songs of social comment.
I suspect the release might not be easy to find.As a contributor,I hope you have a copy to play when you have chance…
Enjoy Summer
Dave
I dont think I’ve ever seen this album…but I’m glad to be part of it
Hi Christy, I hope you are keeping very well.
I have Declan McLaughlin from Derry playing this Saturday in The Four Provinces, Kimmage. I know you’re a fan of his work.
By the way, a drop of WD40 sorted out the ladies jacks door. You can now hear a pin drop 😉
Sound JL…..will try and get there CM
Hello Christy,
Something lovely for this morning.
https://youtu.be/HPpXSETRF30?si=yEms6vhSpZtobyGV
Rebecca
Thank You
Hi Christy,
It was always going to be a tight game.
Unfortunately it wasn’t a great game.
Fair play to Armagh – deserved winners.
Kept our big dogs quiet all afternoon.
And we didn’t take all our frees when we got em.
Sin a bhfuil…Hon the ladies next week.
Watched badminton for the first time last night.
Fair play to Nhat Ngayen of Team Ireland.
See you in The Hanger next month.
Tabhair Aire
Bourkey
in serious training here for the return to Salthill
Very sad news about Edna O’Brien,Christy…
An amazing life and writer…I’ll never forget her warmth and charisma,meeting her after a Q and A in the 80s…RIP and thanks,country girl…D
Rest in Peace Edna….
Gaillimh abú
Go dtugadh Dia spreagadh dòibh Sam a thabhairt abhaile…thar an tSionnain…
CS 19
P. S. Passed the driving test .
Tá sean hyundai dearg anois agam .
Hope you are well.
twill be a sad day for the Connemara sheepdogs
when your Firestones they do feel……
A new album. Oh goody! Can’t wait 🌺
Hello Christy,
Good morning from beautiful sunny Yorkshire, hope the sun is shining on all here. It’s lovely to see you back and chatting away. Hope you had a good break.
Restrung my seagull yesterday. It was a well played shop tester when I bought it. New, but with dull strings and scratches on the pick guard. But the bottom e string sang and rang fowever. It had to be mine, even so well used in the shop.
So we put some new strings on it yesterday, Bronze 12s. A bit lighter to help my hands.
It’s singing beautifully now, nothing like a seagull. Birds that screech and steal your chips. Weird name for a guitar.
Anyone see any of the rugby 7s yesterday?
It rivalled the hurling for speed!
Rebecca