Undaunted by the floods, the brave men and women of the Boyle singers' circle turned out in force last Saturday night.
Clare started with the anti-war "Bramblethorn" by Sarah Daniels, later on, she sang Sandy Denny's "Who knows where the time goes", Across the evening sky all the birds are leaving and still later, an R. Burns song, "Ye banks and braes o' bonnie Doon".
Two women composers, and that's before taking Helen's and Breege's respective compositions; Helen: "I'm going home, soon as I can, to buy a farm, somewhere around the Plains of Boyle" and Breege: "In Culmeen, near Ballyfarnon", a song about Josie McDermott. Theresa read a poem from her own pen about her father.
Joe from the Sligo singers gave a great rendition of an updated version of Kilkelly Ireland. Where normally you'd be expecting:
Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 60, my dear and loving son John
[...]
Your brothers have all gone to find work in England, The house is so empty and sad
The crop of potatoes is sorely infected, A third to a half of them bad.
From Joe we got the email version, Kilkelly Ireland, 2001:
We have a jacuzzi inside in the bathroom
and
[We have] holiday homes in Carrick on Shannon,
Tis marshy, but sure it will do.
So - we finally got to the watery theme. However, Eugene's Dark-Eyed Sailor ended with the encouraging line: A stormy morning brings on a sunny day.
Eugene also delivered up Delaney's chicken - but not quite plucked, boiled or skewered:
So this bird must have been crowing since they built the Tower of Abel (Babel)
He was fed by Cain and Abel and he lived in Noah's Stable,
All the shots and shells was fired in the field of Waterloo,
Could not penetrate or dislocate the tilugated, armour-plated, double-breasted, iron-chested cock-a-doodle-doo.
Delaney might have had need of Eileen's "Brisk young butcher" - Says he "A frolic I will have, my fortune for to try, I will go into Leicestershire some cattle for to buy". She also sang You are the call, I am the answer, and "Willie Taylor".
Brian went from
It's in the evening after dark,
When the blackleg miner creeps to work,
With his moleskin pants and dirty shirt,
There goes the blackleg miner!
to the "Finding of Moses" on Egypt's banks, contagious to the Nile and finished later with Sergeant William Bailey.
George gave us Shanagolden, Lough Arrow's Side and I will an' I must get married, for the humour is on me now. Frank had the Chapel gate in Cooraclare, and Oh don't you know the reason. Tony sang, Oh the prickel-eye bush, The cocks are crowing and My love he left me, ...joined the army and marched away. Clíona, "The next market day", "Sadhbh Ní Bhruinneala" and the "Hare's lament": On the first of November on a bright autumn's day...
Frances and Joe recited pieces, Tommy sang Percy French, and a duet with Paddy on "Hear the wind blow", Breege gave us "Matt Hyland" and Helen a ghost song, for the season that's in it.
Time now to prepare for the next season - polish up your Carols for December.
