2. Weeping of Women & Jenny’s Welcome
The second performance – ‘Weeping of Women’ & Jenny’s Welcome’.
Overtone Live Acoustic Concert from 2009 features twelve performances. This hugely important archival footage was lost for over a decade and found again recently. Hence the delay in releasing it! On Friday the 13th of November 2009, sixteen musicians and composers came together to celebrate the launch of the new album ‘Overtone’ Ancient Music of Ireland. Over the coming weeks each performance will be released here and on AMI YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/@ancientmusicireland?si=Cai5RuNm-Oj6EZcC
About ‘Weeping of Women and Jenny’s Welcome’ performance – In 1995 Ancient Music Ireland Co-Founders, Simon and Maria O’Dwyer played in various sessions in Galway City with friends, among them were Mark Farrelly, John Meskell and Frank Ryan. Recordings from one of these sessions were included in the ‘Overtone’ – Ancient Music of Ireland album. https://www.ancientmusicireland.com/product/overtone-live-acoustic-album Thus, Mark, Frank and John were invited to play for the live concert as a group. They chose two traditional Irish tunes beginning with a slow air for the first and lifting the tempo into a lively swinging reel for the second tune. This track is made particularly impressive by the combination of a rare uilleann pipe style by Mark Farrelly which includes extensive use of the regulators, the tonal variety of the trumpet by John Meskell and enriched by overtones and an unusual off beat bodhrán by Frank Ryan.
Mark Farrelly – uilleann pipes; John Meskell – dord íseal (large end-blown bass Bronze Age trumpet – Galway design); Frank Ryan – bodhrán.
Mark is a composer and creator see his work and YouTube Channel here –https://youtube.com/@marfars?si=RBj1qrBFhCSZ9U5x
John Meskell is a multi-instrumentalist both melody and percussion. He leads the way in Bronze Age trumpet playing technique by being one of the few who beautifully brings out the overtones in these instruments.
Frank Ryan is a well known bodhrán player and percussionist in Galway. Frank’s wonderful playing style brings an interpretation that is undoubtedly Irish in origin to this piece but it also contains elements of North African and Middle Eastern sounds and a more modern jazz feel.
Rod Callan – Sound Engineer – Rod has recorded both original and reproduction ancient horns and trumpets with Ancient Music Ireland since the research first began over thirty years ago. In this instance he travelled from Penylan Studios in Wales to record the ‘Overtone Live Acoustic’ concert in Galway. His brilliant expertise and experience with the instruments perfectly captured the complexity and multi-colours of the sound. https://www.penylanstudios.com/
The event was organised by Ancient Music Ireland to explore the overtone properties of the ancient and prehistoric horns of Ireland, Britain and Europe both in a live acoustic habitat and accompanied by other more modern instruments. The concert was recorded by Rod Callan of Penylan Studios.
Performers were collected in groups which brought together particular combinations of sounds and musical traditions. The main purpose of the concert was to explore the variety and colour of music that can be played on ancient horns and to demonstrate them as complex musical instruments in their own right.
Some of the tunes featured only bronze horns whilst others combined them with traditional and modern acoustic instruments. It was very important that the concert would be played completely acoustically. Thus, no electronics of any kind were employed. The only microphones present were recording and the only effect was the natural soundscape created by the magnificent acoustic properties of the building. It was hoped that one or two unusual audio colours might be realised during the performance but no one could have predicted the tremendous power and richness of the sound spectrum that filled the room nor the complete certainty with which the instruments, old and new combined together in harmony.
Musicians travelled from America, Germany, England, Scotland and different parts of Ireland. Though many had not previously met each other before, during the rehearsal sessions on the day of the concert it became evident that something new and exciting was happening. Tunes and instrument combinations which had never been played together before took shape mainly due to the proficiency and professional excellence of the players. One particularly historic aspect was the introduction of a reproduction English Iron Age carnyx. This was the first time in modernity that one of these instruments was played and heard in public in approximately two thousand years. Though the distinctive head of the carnyx was yet to be attached by the maker, the essential sound, tuning and power were imminently evident.
Rod Callan – Sound Engineer – Rod has recorded both original and reproduction ancient horns and trumpets with Ancient Music Ireland since the research first began over thirty years ago. In this instance he travelled from Penylan Studios in Wales to record the ‘Overtone Live Acoustic’ concert in Galway. His brilliant expertise and experience with the instruments perfectly captured the complexity and multi-colours of the sound.
