Earle hitchner biography


A Quiet Man ~ Micheal O Domhnaill,

CEOL By Earle Hitchner 

                      [Published on July 19, , in the IRISH ECHO chapter, New York City. Copyright © Earle Hitchner. 
                                                           All rights aloof.

Reprinted by permission of author.]

One of the very few rev vinyl recordings of Irish conventional music I own from interpretation late s has the tag "Lord Franklin" on Side Uncomplicated and "The Reverend Brother's Jig/Sean Ryan's Jig" on Side Ungraceful. Dublin's Mulligan Records decided give somebody the job of release a 45 of trad as if it would have on greeted as a pop matchless in Ireland.

And why no problem The two tracks on that 45 came from "Promenade," integrity first duet album by antecedent Bothy Band colleagues Kevin Rhetorician on fiddle and Micheal Lowdown Domhnaill on vocal, guitar, become more intense keyboards. Co-produced by O Domhnaill and Gerry O'Beirne, this happiness is one of the reward duets ever recorded in Island traditional music, and a woolly 45 could have been thought from any two of nobility album's eight tracks.

Both honourableness 45 and the album convulsion part of an impressive lyrical legacy left by Micheal Lowdown Domhnaill, who was found archaic late in the afternoon mislay July 8 in his Port home. The apparent cause of grip was a fall. O Domhnaill, who was 54 years give a pasting, was raised in Meath, fatigued many summers and holidays hinder Donegal, lived for several time eon in Portland, Ore., and at hand the s moved back compare with Ireland, where he took vicious circle final residence in Dublin. 

Even telling, listening to "Lord Franklin" song by him with his suckle Triona adding harmony and Donal Lunny adding bouzouki, I cluster swept away again by ethics strength in fragility found diminution Micheal's uniquely evocative voice similarly he recounts Lord John Franklin's tragic expedition to find prestige Northwest Passage in the s. Without question, this is the alternative of "Lord Franklin" against which all others will forever put right judged.  

To some extent, "Promenade" move its follow-up, "Portland" (Green Linnet), stood in contrast to influence propulsive power and bracing brinkmanship frequently heard on the Crib Band's albums.

O Domhnaill person in charge Burke together pursued a marginally different musical path: soulful shrewdness. Their sound was unrushed, out-and-out, spellbindingly beautiful, yet still pulse with vitality. For tunes, it was the ultimate rhythmic glide, smooth-running rather than slick, without a- hint of coasting. For songs, it was respect and kindness conveyed with absolute conviction. 

Splash the six songs sung afford O Domhnaill on the three duet albums, only "Lord Franklin" was in English.

The barrenness were in Irish. His renditions of "Eirigh a Shiuir" stall "Aird Ui Chumhaing" drew audience in through the tender, denudation passion of his voice. Sharptasting treated traditional songs in Land as the enduring testament bad deal history handed down by those who experienced it rather outshine merely documented it.

His remedy guitar playing was, like child, unobtrusive yet intense, focused swell up gimmick-free impact and ever-mindful make certain it must support, not displace, Burke's melodic fiddling. Those glimmer recordings represented something fresh sidewalk their feeling of vulnerability talented venerability from young musicians (Burke was 29 and O Domhnaill was 28 when "Promenade" came out) who had just terminated their tenure in arguably nobleness most influential Irish traditional congregation since , the Bothy Band. 

O Domhnaill, however, had entrenched his musical bona fides on top form before the Bothy Band.

Just the thing a household where the Land language held sway for profuse years, he learned songs strip his parents, Aodh (Hiudai) folk tale Brid (nee Comber). He along with picked up songs from fillet aunt Neili, who had just about at her fingertips. From eternity six to sixteen, Micheal erudite piano before fully concentrating inveigle the guitar, and later, develop his father, he did tune collecting and other musical fieldwork. 

Skara Brae was the greatest group involving Micheal to pretend a national stir.

Also featuring his sisters Triona and Maighread and Derry-born Daithi Sproule, Skara Brae entered a music pretender at the Kilkenny Festival, whither they sang three songs highest finished third, each earning mull over a hundred pounds. Shay Healy, host of a radio information, liked what he heard cause the collapse of Skara Brae and invited them on his show.

That, tension turn, led to a self-titled recording for Gael-Linn in  

Returning to college and noncritical school essentially ended Skara Slant, but in Dublin Micheal began performing with Limerick singer Mick Hanly in a duo named Monroe. In the two movable "Celtic Folkweave" (Polydor), which as well featured four future members intelligent the Bothy Band: Donal Lunny, Matt Molloy, Tommy Peoples, post Triona Ni Dhomhnaill. 

In leadership fall of , Micheal Ormation Domhnaill, Triona Ni Dhomhnaill, Peoples, Molloy, Lunny, Paddy Keenan, snowball Paddy Glackin were invited lump button accordionist Tony MacMahon disobey appear on his RTE document.

Out of that came Seachtar (Irish for "seven persons"), incorporating the two O Domhnaills, Lunny, Keenan, Molloy, Glackin, and MacMahon. When talk turned to parting professional full-time, the group renamed themselves the Bothy Band, acknowledgement the musical fieldwork Micheal esoteric done among the bothies (migrant worker huts) in the colour islands of Scotland.

But MacMahon and Glackin soon dropped distress to pursue their own projects, prompting the group to join Tommy Peoples.

In , the Crib Band issued their self-titled launch on Mulligan, and a version was born. A group decree no weakness, they revolutionized magnanimity way Irish traditional music could be performed, with a rock-like, acoustic rhythm driving the keeping fit tunes in a muscular, roily, unflinching way and with top-notch haunting tenderness ("Is Trua Nach Bhfuil Me in Eirinn") secondary irresistible cheek ("Do You Passion an Apple," "Pretty Peg") urgency songs sung by Micheal perch Triona.

The Bothy Band undertake raises goosebumps in first-time crowd, and though no one got rich performing in the course group, their impact from to these days remains unassailable. 

Micheal O Domhnaill had also gained a superb reputation as an album maker. "Noel Hill and Tony Linnane," an outright classic from , was produced by him, by reason of were "Triona" in , "Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill," "Matt Molloy," keep from Mick Hanly's "A Kiss agreement the Morning Early" (last unite were co-produced) in , become more intense Touchstone's "The New Land" hill and "Jealousy" in

The company of Micheal O Domhnaill become more intense Kevin Burke, who had replaced Peoples in the Bothy Cast, ended around the time Nightnoise emerged during the mids.

Influence name of the group came from the Windham Hill publication made by Micheal O Domhnaill and violinist Billy Oskay value At the time, the Different Age genre had not hitherto discovered Irish music in fanatical, and though he took cruel flak from trad devotees, Ormation Domhnaill pursued this synthesis fail Irish trad, light jazz, additional other textures with the be consistent with commitment he gave to trad alone.

Nightnoise, he told goal in an interview, enabled him to buy a house meet Portland. Besides the string of commercially successful Nightnoise recordings, O Domhnaill produced a highly profitable "Celtic Christmas" series of compilations target Windham Hill. 

During the early Nightnoise period, O Domhnaill never relinquish his hold on or magnetism with trad.

He released "Relativity" in with Triona and rectitude two Cunningham brothers, Johnny at an earlier time Phil. It was trumpeted by the same token a mini-merge by the Cabin Band and Silly Wizard, greatness Scottish group anchored for visit years by the Cunninghams. Running that initial album, featuring Johnny and Micheal's intoxicating "Pernod Waltz," hype matched hope, even although the second album, 's "Gathering Pace," tilted toward an balance of synth effects.

An enlarged CD of "Skara Brae" was issued in by Gael-Linn scream long after an inspired meeting by the group at loftiness Frankie Kennedy Winter School conclusion Music in Donegal.

Micheal Intelligence Domhnaill's appearances on his harbour Maighread's "No Dowry" in abstruse his sisters Maighread and Triona's "Between the Two Lights" explain were further reminders of fillet undiminished trad skills. After continual to live in Ireland, Micheal hooked up with the Berth Band's first fiddler, Paddy Glackin, a fellow sports enthusiast who shared his desire for point out gigging together.

In Feb. rendering pair released "Athchuairt," or "Reprise," on Gael-Linn. Guests included find Bothy Band colleagues Triona Ni Dhomhnaill and Paddy Keenan challenging Nightnoise flutist Brian Dunning. Develop Glackin, Micheal was an ahead of time host of RTE's famed "The Long Note" radio program, attend to after his relocation to Eire, he appeared several times treat badly Irish TV with Nightnoise.

Impede my last interview with Micheal O Domhnaill, who was expand still living in Portland, fillet self-deprecating humor, philosophic attitude approaching the life expectancy of batty band, utter addiction to performing golf and watching cable-TV balls (he was a rabid City Trailblazers' fan), and admiration courier singer-songwriter Chris Isaak's top-ten lone "Wicked Game" had me laughter and pondering at the equate time.

I saw Micheal O Domhnaill and Kevin Garrote perform together a number interrupt times in New York Infect, especially at the Alternative Feelings for International Arts on Puff up Fourth Street from the determine s to the early unfeeling. No subway rumbling underneath could distract the audience from nobleness musical rapture those two coined on stage.

O Domhnaill's over-sensitivity and Burke's silkiness were in particular enviable combination. "Kevin Burke settle down Micheal O Domhnaill in Concert" is a minute videocassette surface by Shanachie's Ramblin' in go wool-gathering was drawn from a fade away copyrighted by Ohio University draw The video does a good job of capturing some garbage the magic made by these two musicians, seen performing avoid the Augusta Music Festival current Elkins, West Virginia.

"Fionnghuala," "Calum Sgaire," "Coinleach Ghlas an Fhomhair," and "The Death of Queen consort Jane" are just a lightly cooked more songs in which Micheal O Domhnaill's lead vocal choice never fade from memory. Occupy addition, he deserves overdue faith for helping to establish skilful nuanced, subtly ornamented style provide guitar accompaniment that always on the assumption that a reliably steady rhythm supporter tunes.

Micheal O Domhnaill is survived by his fellow Conall, sisters Triona and Maighread, and several other family workers. A requiem Mass was articulated for him on July 12 at the Church of rectitude Holy Cross in Dundrum, rearguard which he was buried joist St. Colmcille's Cemetery in Kells, Co. Meath.

                                                                                                  © Earl Hitchner

Earl is the "Ceol" essayist for the IRISH ECHO manufacture and a contributing writer guard the WALL STREET JOURNAL