From Medieval Wexford to Midtown Manhattan Larry Kirwan tells the story of Irish music to a backdrop of war, social upheaval and revolution. From Viking invader to Sean O'Riada, Oliver Cromwell to Rory Gallagher, James Connolly to Van Morrison in a clash of uilleann pipes, armalites and electric guitars. The story moves with the Diaspora to The Pogues' London, Dropkick Murphys' Boston and Black 47's New York City. Pulsing, passionate, occasionally tragic - through the eyes of an insider.

(Guitar Solo). 15 favorites arranged for solo guitar in notes and tab, including: Down by the Salley Gardens * The Foggy Dew * The Galway Piper * The Gypsy Rover * Londonderry Air * Molly Malone * Sweet Rosie O'Grady * Water Is Wide * The Wearing of the Green * When Irish Eyes Are Smiling * Whiskey in the Jar * Wild Rover * and more.

A collection of Ireland's greatest and best-loved ballads, including the lyrics, music and chords, along with an introductory piece on each song. Illustrated with photographs and woodcuts. A beautiful guide to the cream of the Irish ballad tradition. Songs of love, yearning, revolution, celebration, emigration, mourning, fun, famine, drinking and more. A collection of powerful yet beautiful ballads of Ireland, placed in and reflecting historical events and traditions. All have stood the test of time and present to the world the uniqueness of Irish history and her musical and revolutionary traditions. Including: Are You Right There Michael? Danny Boy Kevin Barry I'll Tell Me Ma The Irish Rover Molly Malone The Rare Old Mountain Dew The Rocky Road to Dublin The Rose of Tralee Whiskey in the Jar Best-Loved Irish Ballads celebrates the songs and tradition of Irish music.

An important anthology of Irish and Celtic solos for the 5-string banjo featuring a comprehensive, scholarly treatise on the history, techniques, and etiquette of playing the banjo in the Celtic tradition. Includes segments on tuning, pick preferences, and tablature reading followed by 101 jigs, slides, polkas, slip jigs, reels, hornpipes, strathspeys, O'Carolan tunes, plus a special section of North American Celtic tunes. A generous collection of photos of Irish folk musicians, street scenes, and archaeological sites further enhances this fabulous book. All of the solos included here are written in 5-string banjo tablature only with a few tunes set in unusual banjo tunings. the appendices provide a sizable glossary and a wealth of information regarding soloists and groups playing Celtic music, Irish festivals, music publications, on-line computer resources, cultural organizations, and more. If you are serious about playing Celtic music on the 5-string banjo, or if you don't play the banjo but simply want to expand your knowledge of the Celtic music tradition-you owe yourself this book. the first-ever CD collection of Irish and Celtic music for 5-string banjo provides 68 lovely melodies and demonstrates revolutionary techniques for playing highly ornamented tunes and rolling back-up. Recorded in stereo with virtuosos Gabriel Donohue (steel- and nylon-string guitar and piano) and Robbie Walsh (bodhran- frame drum played with a stick), the five-string banjo is out front and plays through each melody in real-life tempo with authentic Celtic chordal and rhythmic backing. the recording features the music of all Six Celtic Nations and includes jigs, reels, hornpipes, slides, polkas, marches, country dances, larides, andros, slipjigs, strathspeys, airs and O'Carolan tunes. 35 songs in the book are not on the CD.

Music from the Heart follows Emile Benoit, a fiddler from French Newfoundland, through a rapidly changing musical milieu as he moves from a small rural community to international musical and folk festivals. Seeing himself as a representative of French Newfoundland, Benoit viewed his music as an expression of that identity. In Benoit's tunes one finds reference to the people, places, communities, roads, and natural landmarks that have framed his life. The compositions included represent a range of work that evokes his youthful experiences and follow his career as he leaves home, plays with other musicians, and presents his stories to audiences around the world. Quigley has based his study on years of observation of Benoit's compositional practices, his own experiences performing with Benoit, interviews, and analysis of the thoughts and conceptions of the artist himself.

(Waltons Irish Music Books). 110 of Ireland's most beautiful and haunting melodies, including laments, airs from old Gaelic songs and Carolan tunes. Suitable for all melody instruments, but does not include guitar chords. Songs include: Carrickfergus * Death and the Sinner * Eleanor Plunkett * Brian Boru's March * Blind Mary * Black-Eyed Susan * Easter Snow * Do You Remember That Night? * Killarney * Oft in the Stilly Night * The Poor Irish Boy * Wild Geese * The Dawning of the Day * I'm Sitting by the Stile Mary * Port Gordon * Captain Sudley * Molly St. George * Nora Crionna * Sally Gardens * Planxty Hewlett * The Lambs on the Green Hills * The Young Man's Dream * The Banks of teh Suir * The Castle of Dromore * The Bells of Shandon * The Foggy Dew * Carolan's Concerto * and many more.

Gaelic songs are beautiful to listen to and to sing, but until now it has been extremely difficult for anyone without knowledge of the Irish language (Gaelic) to sing the songs of that tradition. A must for anyone who has always longed to sing the old songs of Ireland, this book and CD decodes the Irish language for those who aspire to sing these songs without them having to undertake an Irish language course. The fourteen songs are presented in an accessible fashion. On the CD, the author speaks each phrase slowly, leaving a pause for the student to imitate the pronunciation. The author then sings each song in a simple, plain style, conducive to learning. The book has the sheet music, guitar chords, phonetics, Irish lyrics, and a translation and background to each song. There is an introduction which gives information on traditional singing in Irish as well as a guide to the phonetic system used. The songs are graded linguistically and musically so that the student can build up skills as she or he progresses through the book.

Celtic music and dance have taken North American culture by storm, becoming the soundtrack of our age. "Riverdance, Braveheart, Gael Force, and "Celtic Tides are just a few of the shows featuring Celtic music. Aside from such notable male acts as The Chieftains, this music has largely been written and performed by women, either as solo artists or as band leaders, whose work has been compiled, somewhat anonymously, on such "CDs as A Woman's Heart and "Women of the World: Celtic. But who are these women? What inspired them to perform? What do they feel about traditional and contemporary Celtic culture? Based on exclusive interviews, "Celtic Women in Music profiles the careers of 30 artists including Maire Brennan (Clannad), Dolores Keane, Eileen Ivers (Riverdance), Mary Jane Lamond, Karen Matheson (Capercaillie), Loreena McKennitt, Maddy Pryor, June Tabor, and Jean Ritchie. These musicians reveal the devotion to traditional Celtic culture that inspires their art and the sense of personal sovereignty that informs their lives as women.

"'With a Fenian fiddle in one ear and an Orange drum in the other', singer Tommy Sands was reared in the foothills of the Mourne Mountains. His family was immersed in folk music - his father played the fiddle, his mother the accordion. Their kitchen was a place where Protestant and Catholic farmers alike would gather to sing at the end of the day's harvesting. During the 1960s and '70s, he was the chief songwriter with The Sands Family, who played wherever they were welcome, from local wakes and weddings to New York's Carnegie Hall. His songs have been recorded by Joan Baez, Dolores Keane, Dick Gaughan and The Dubliners." "The Songman is the story of Sands' journey. He tells of his family's traditional way of life, recalling his mother tying summer sheaves while his father worked the scythe. Here are the turbulent days of the civil rights movement; The Bothy Band brawling in Brittany; encounters with Alan Stivell, Mary O'Hara and Pete Seeger; the 'boyish devilment and humour' of Ian Paisley on his radio show Country Ceili; and a 'defining moment' during the Good Friday Agreement talks, when he organized a moving impromptu performance with children and Lambeg drummers."--BOOK JACKET.