North Galway's young Celtic music flames

YOUNG musicians from North-East Galway, aided and abetted by some of more mature years, appropriately named Celtic Flames, are set to light up the music scene when they launch their debut album in Abbeyknockmoy at The Abbey Inn on Friday night July 29. While this is their debut album, the group of 24 musicians and singers, aged from six to 60, have already served their apprenticeship playing in smaller groups and sometimes all together in places such as The Cellar Bar and Monroe's Tavern in Galway city as well as at events across North-East Galway, especially in the Moylough, Mountbellew and Brierfield areas, where most of the members live. According to Tomás Mannion, one of the driving forces behind the group, they play an eclectic mix of Traditional Irish music, song and dance fused with a contemporary idiom. Originally formed as a ten-piece group last year, this act has grown to include some of the top young Traditional music talent to surface recently in this area and Tomás says that their mission is to entertain. Tomás is a member of a well-known Traditional music family and a teacher who has instilled a great love of Irish music and song into his pupils at Brierfield NS where he is principal. Back in the 1980s and 90s many will also recall Tomás as being one of the driving forces behind the group Ceoltoiri Maghlocha who toured America and Australia on six occasions with their show titled 'A Taste of Ireland'. Indeed during my recent travels in Australia I heard glowing reports about their concerts in Perth over a decade and a half ago. Back then the group recorded several vinyl LPs and now Celtic Flames are travelling down a similar route by putting their Traditional music talents down on disc, albeit a CD this time. 'The CD is titled From the Cellar to the Attic and we selected this title as the album is a selection of songs and tunes that we played in The Cellar Bar as well as recording them in the studio in the attic of my home,' laughs Tomás. 'We played five gigs in Tenerife last Easter and we plan to go back there again to play in a larger theatre setting next Easter. 'We will also be back in Monroe's Tavern for the next few weeks and are putting on a show in Mulrany on August 5 and 6 with two London performances planned for March 23 and 24, 2013,' he added. The group uses 15 different musical instruments to deliver a unique and vibrant sound during their live shows and on tracks on this CD. Stand out tracks are The Rocky Road To Dublin, Whiskey in the Jar, The Wild Rover plus many others including jigs, hornpipes and polkas. During their live shows the group's versatile dancers perform the full dynamic range of Irish dancing including light and heavy sets, sean nós and twig dancing. Their singers also mix the old style Traditional songs with a varied selection of more contemporary material.Some of the tracks are also American Country-Roots style songs and the Traditional Irish flavour given to them on this recording makes them sond very different from the original versions by American artists. Tomás Mannion says they try to mix a moody blend of ancient and modern musical styles and infuse it all with a contemporary feel. He has been the musical arranger for this CD and along with producer and sound engineer Tristan Delahousse they have come up with an interesting new slant, and given a new sound to some old Irish songs and tunes. But they never stray too far from the Traditional roots and that is why this album, like their live shows, should appeal to people of all ages who have an interest in the ballads and the tunes of Ireland, old and new. Their concert in The Abbey Inn on Friday July 27 will start at 9 pm and it promises to be much more than just a tame toe-tapping, hand-clapping affair. It will be a case of around the house and mind the dresser as this lively blend of music and song should raise the rafters, if not even the roof! In the past Tomás Mannion and his musical associates broke down musical barriers and appealed to audiences as far away as Australia and America with their mix of Irish songs and tunes in the show 'A Taste of Ireland'. Now a whole new young and enthusiastic generation of players and singers, infused with just a smattering of players of more mature years, is set to light up the Traditional music world again as Celtic Flames. While Ireland has such musical talent there is never any danger of the flames of Irish music and songs flickering out. â€â€ Tom Gilmore