All Systems Functioning

Pardon our dust—that is, dust layer. We aren't as verbose as we used to be, yet the Ancient and Honorable Baltimore Singers Club is still going strong. We still meet on the second Wednesday of every month at Bertha's, we still sing old songs, we still welcome anyone who wants to take part, and we still drink heavily. We're also still incredibly handsome, and we're working on being modest.

See you there.

The Baltimore Singers Club Presents: Dónal Maguire — Wednesday, 16 December 2009

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND — Legendary Irish Traditional singer Dónal Maguire will perform at the Time and Tide Theater in the Fell’s Point Visitor Center on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 starting at 8pm. The program for the evening will feature the inexhaustible Maguire, a one-man armada of music, with support members of the Baltimore Singers Club. Dec. 16th will mark Maguire’s second appearance at the Time and Tide Theater following a tremendous double performance with fellow traditional singer Len Graham in 2008. For more information on Maguire’s 2009 United States tour, please see donalmaguire.co.uk. The Baltimore Singers Club will present Maguire as its monthly guest singer in association with The Preservation Society (preservationsociety.com) and New Old Theater (newoldtheater.org). Tickets will be available at the door. Doors open at 7:30pm. Admission is $15.


VENUE INFORMATION:

The Time and Tide Theater
at The Fell’s Point Visitor Center
1724 Thames Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21231


Dónal Maguire is internationally regarded as one of the finest living interpreters of traditional songs and ballads. A master vocalist and compelling storyteller, Dónal has a unique flair for rendering the traditional repertoire in a manner that is musically and intellectually poignant for modern people. He is equally lauded for his execution of contemporary material and is well known for his ability to re-breathe vim and vigor into the most tired lyrics. A deft hand at the mandolin and tenor banjo, an impeccable presenter with a transcendental wit, and an inexhaustible character, Dónal Maguire is a consummate performer whose abilities far exceed the perceived margins of folksong and traditional music. For more information and samples, see donalmaguire.co.uk or myspace.com/donalmaguire.

The Baltimore's Choice Prize: Vote for Billy McComiskey!

To celebrate the release of his first solo album in nearly 30 years, 'Outside the Box', we've nominated Irish button accordionist Billy McComiskey for the Baltimore's Choice Prize! Recipients of this annual award are selected by public vote, so this is our chance to evidence to the larger arts community not only that we exist(!), but that we're a vibrant community dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in our art form (Irish Traditional music). Billy is up against nominees from a range of disciplines, from serialist art music to claymation, so the award's following is diverse to be sure. By recognizing Billy, we may introduce many of these artists and their supporters to Irish Traditional music — as interpreted by a world class player — and in doing so increase the pool of collaborative opportunities available to all of us.

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How to do it:

1. To vote for Billy, it is necessary to register at http://www.bakerartistawards.org/signup.

2. Go to http://www.bakerartistawards.org/nomination/view/billymccomiskey.

3. Click "VOTE FOR Billy McComiskey" in the right panel.

4. Retire, having made the world a better place, OR (please) recommend to your friends that they vote as well!

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The voting deadline is February 1st, 2009 at 5:00pm, so the clock is ticking.

Please help us support Billy's nomination! Thank you very kindly!

Monthly Meeting – After Action Report – December 2008

On the evening of December 10th 2008, the Baltimore Singers Club again inhabited the upstairs room at Bertha’s. There was quite a number of them: Pat Egan, Andy O’Brien, Don Yates, Erin Dowd, Severn Savage, and Peter Brice, with newcomers Charlie Baum, Lisa Null, Myron Bretholz, Judy Predmore, and Lisa Konyar. Mr. Brice (R-Maryland), determined to discuss the economics of last month’s concert featuring Dónal Maguire and Len Graham, was nearly thwarted by Mr. O’Brien, a transcendentalist, for whom the business of the Club is mere frivolity. There was also drinking, and several songs were sung.

Don Yates gave the first song, ‘The Rocks of Bawn’, followed by Alistair Hewlitt’s ‘Blue Murder’, ‘White Minstrel’, and Dillard Chandler’s ‘Short Time Here, But a Long Time Gone.’

Severn Savage sang several songs splendidly: ‘Old Abe’ from Frank Proffitt, C. Fox Smith’s ‘Home for Christmas’, and Andrew McKay’s ‘Lifeboat Horses’.

Andy O’Brien sang ‘Cushieville’, ‘The Session’, by Barry Dransfield, ‘The Little Drummer’, and ‘The Seeds of Love’.

Lisa Null sang ‘Time to Remember the Poor’ from Carrie Grover’s collection A Heritage of Song, ‘Yarrow’, and a version of ‘When Adam was Created’ collected by Cecil Sharp.

Charlie Baum sang a version of ‘The Federal Soldier’ learned from Ruth Pershing, who learned it in turn from Maggie Hammonds Parker, a Sacred Harp setting of ‘Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer’, and Dillon Bustin’s ‘The City of Columbus and the Humane Society’.

Judy Predmore sang ‘The Rambling Sailor’ and ‘A Pint or So’.

Erin Dowd sang ‘Dixie’, the anthem of the cups.

Myron Bretholz sang Franke Harte’s setting of ‘Napoleon’s Lamentation’ and ‘The Star of Moville’.

Pat Egan sang ‘Pink’ and ‘The Cherry Tree Carol’ (Child 54).

When he wasn’t being interrupted, Peter Brice sang ‘When Adam was in Paradise’.

This motley crew retired shortly after midnight.

NOTE: In the case that the above listing is incorrect, incomplete, or insufficiently detailed, please recommend changes in the comments.

Photo: Kindly gentlemen. (Credit: Sean McComiskey)

UPDATE: Dónal Maguire AND LEN GRAHAM at the Baltimore Singers Club -- November 12th, 2008

The Baltimore Singers Club is pleased to present Dónal Maguire and Len Graham, two of the finest living interpreters of traditional songs, together in concert at the Time and Tide Theater in Fell's Point, Baltimore, Maryland!


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:

Peter Brice
The Baltimore Singers Club
baltimore.singers.club@gmail.com

THE BALTIMORE SINGERS CLUB PRESENTS: DÓNAL MAGUIRE and LEN GRAHAM – 12 November 2008

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – 13 October 2008 – Legendary Irish Traditional singers Dónal Maguire and Len Graham will make a rare appearance together at the Time and Tide Theater in the Fell’s Point Visitor Center on Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 from 8:30pm to midnight. The program for this one night spectacular will feature the inexhaustible Maguire, a one-man armada of music, alongside Graham, the highly regarded master-singer and collector from Antrim, with support from the Baltimore Singers Club regulars and interspersed with selections of the Irish Traditional music for which Baltimore, Maryland is internationally renowned. The Baltimore Singers Club will present Maguire and Graham’s joint appearance in association with The Preservation Society (www.preservationsociety.com) and New Old Theater (newoldtheater.org). Tickets will be available at the door. Doors open at 8pm. Admission is $15.


VENUE INFORMATION:

The Time and Tide Theater
at The Fell’s Point Visitor Center
1724 Thames Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21231


Dónal Maguire is internationally regarded as one of the finest living interpreters of traditional songs and ballads. A master vocalist and compelling storyteller, Dónal has a unique flair for rendering the traditional repertoire in a manner that is musically and intellectually poignant for modern people. He is equally lauded for his execution of contemporary material and is well known for his ability to re-breathe vim and vigor into the most tired lyrics. A deft hand at the mandolin and tenor banjo, an impeccable presenter with a transcendental wit, and an inexhaustible character, Dónal Maguire is a consummate performer whose abilities far exceed the perceived margins of folksong and traditional music. For more information and samples, see http://www.donalmaguire.co.uk/ or www.myspace.com/donalmaguire.


Len Graham is recognized from Baltimore to Belfast as one of his generation’s foremost singers, collectors, and authorities on Irish Traditional music. A wellspring of repertoire himself for the most prominent performers in Irish music, Len performs traditional songs from the North of Ireland informed by a life spent in the company of the 20th century’s preeminent traditional singers, the sources of the traditional repertory. Writer Ciarán Carson says of Len, "By definition, any traditional singer is obliged to the past, but he assimilates the songs in the here-and-now, and re-makes them in his own voice, continually. Those who know Len Graham's singing will recognize artistry and the 'spontaneity' of his voice, but there is no spontaneity without recollection. To be here, you must have been there, and Len has, many times." For more information, see http:/www.chivalry.com/len_graham.

Monthly Meeting -- After Action Report -- October 2008

The Baltimore Singers Club convened at Bertha’s, cider in hand, on a drizzly October 8th, 2008. In attendance were Erin Dowd, Don Yates, Peter Brice, Steven Lampredi, Severn Savage, and Gene Rosenthal. Discussion was wide ranging, from the repertoire of Hank Williams to the repertoire of 18th century masques and operettas, to the nature of repertoire itself. We also discussed our game plan for next month’s meeting to feature guest singer Dónal Maguire.

Don Yates got the ball rolling with Dillard Chandler’s setting of ‘Short Time Here, but a Long Time Gone’. He also sang ‘The Poor Wayfaring Stranger’ and Tommy Sands’ ‘There Were Roses’.

Erin Dowd sang three songs: ‘Farewell to Nova Scotia’, a popular setting of ‘The Two Sisters’ (Child 10), and ‘Glencoe’ by Jim McLean.

Severn Savage sang a not-surprisingly Australian song entitled ‘Wallaby Stew’ and an American setting of ‘The Boston Burglar’. He also sang a composition of Linda Kelly's about growing up and old in Hull, England, 'Lament'.

Steven Lampredi sang a version of Yankee Doodle from the War of 1812 published under the title ‘The New Yankee Doodle’. He also sang ‘The Sailor’s Darby Ram’, but that’s a lie.

Peter Brice sang a setting of ‘The Dear Companion’ collected by Cecil Sharp in North Carolina, Murty Rabbett’s setting of ‘Molly Durkin’, and a setting of ‘The Wife Wrapt in Wether’s Skin’ (Child 277) from Helen Hartness Flanders’ Vermont Folksongs & Ballads.

We left Bertha’s at around quarter to twelve with the cider inside us.

NOTE: In the case that the above listing is incorrect, incomplete, or insufficiently detailed, please recommend changes in the comments.

Don Stallone contributed this post's hyperlinks.

Photo: A lovely strawberry blonde muses: “Which fellow shall take me home with him?” (Credit: Sean McComiskey)

Dónal Maguire at the Baltimore Singers Club -- November 12th, 2008

The Baltimore Singers Club is very pleased to announce the news you've all been waiting for: Dónal Maguire, our first guest singer, will visit us on November 12th, 2008. Details are evolving rapidly, so check with baltimoresingersclub.blogspot.com often to stay in the loop!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:

Peter Brice
The Baltimore Singers Club
baltimore.singers.club@gmail.com


Dónal Maguire, Irish Traditional Singer – US Tour

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – 14 September 2008 – Legendary Irish Traditional singer Dónal Maguire will tour the United States in November 2008 to promote his recently released album ‘Michael Davitt: The Forgotten Hero?’, an essay in song on the life of 19th century Irish Land League champion Michael Davitt, and his forthcoming biopic regarding the same. Maguire, one of Ireland’s most celebrated purveyors of narrative songs and ballads, will be making his second run of appearances in the US, following a successful tour of the East Coast in 2004 to promote his CD ‘Gilded Chains and Sordid Affluence’ and the re-release of his celebrated 1979 LP, ‘The Star of Sunday’s Well’.


Noteworthy dates for Dónal Maguire’s November 2008 tour include:

November 1 -- Laurel, MD -- Cook’s Treehouse, sponsored by the Folklore Society of Greater Washington

November 2 --New York, NY -- South Street Seaport Museum, Melville Gallery

November 6 -- Staten Island, NY -- House concert at the home of Bob Conroy

November 7 -- East Windsor, NJ -- House Concert at the home of Dick Greenhaus

November 9 -- St. Paul, MN -- The Traditional Singers Club of the Twin Cities

November 12 -- Baltimore, MD -- The Baltimore Singers Club

November 14-16 -- Queens, NY -- Eisteddfod Festival-NY, sponsored by The Folk Music Society of New York

More dates to be announced.

Dónal Maguire is internationally regarded as one of the finest living interpreters of traditional songs and ballads. A master vocalist and compelling storyteller, Dónal has a unique flair for rendering the traditional repertoire in a manner that is musically and intellectually poignant for modern people. He is equally lauded for his execution of contemporary material and is well known for his ability to re-breathe vim and vigor into the most tired lyrics. A deft hand at the mandolin and tenor banjo, an impeccable presenter with a transcendental wit, and an inexhaustible character, Dónal Maguire is a consummate performer whose abilities far exceed the perceived margins of folksong and traditional music. For more information and samples, see http://www.donalmaguire.co.uk/ or www.myspace.com/donalmaguire.

Born in Drogheda, County Louth, Dónal's emigration to England as a fifteen-year-old paradoxically accelerated his interest in Irish music and culture. Like so many other young Irish kids, Dónal was greatly inspired by the charismatic Clancy brothers and their triumphal return to Ireland from the USA in the early 60s. Whilst admiring Luke Kelly's strident style, Dónal soon became enamored of the high style exemplified by master-singers of the older generation like Joe Heaney, Paddy Tunney and Elizabeth Cronin.

The London Singers Workshop helped to develop his singing and he became a resident at the Singers Club, joining Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger, John Faulkner, Sandra Kerr, and Terry Yarnell.

Dónal helped to the set up the Knave of Clubs in Bethnal Green, East London, together with Yarnell, Faulkner, Kerr and other members of agitprop group Combine. Latterly, Dolores Keane joined the residents. Dónal moved to Lancashire in 1976 and soon teamed up with virtuoso 2-row accordion player Liam Webster. They played together for over 20 years.

Dónal has conducted many singing workshops, always characterized by his relaxed, yet highly informative, professional style. He has also collected many songs, not only in his native County Louth, but from many sources in the U.K.

In 2001 Dónal decided to realize a lifetime ambition and devote himself to music on a full-time basis. In 2001, he re-released his highly regarded album ‘The Clergy's Lamentation’ with additional tracks and launched his first new record since 1979, ‘Gilded Chains and Sordid Affluence’ to rave reviews at the Rhythm Station, Rawtenstall, Lancashire.

In January 2004 Dónal re-released his celebrated album ‘The Star of Sunday’s Well’, re-mastered by eminent RTE producer Harry Bradshaw. During late Autumn 2004 Dónal engaged in a very successful tour of Eastern USA with gigs in NYC, New Hampshire and Maryland. Spring 2005 offered the opportunity for Dónal to make his first trip to Australia, playing the inaugural “Two Fires Festival” in Braidwood, NSW, and then the prestigious Australian National Festival in Canberra over the Easter holiday period.

Dónal's latest major project centers around the legendary Michael Davitt, arguably one of the most celebrated statesmen in 19th Century Irish history. Davitt, the supreme political organizer, social reformer, and egalitarian, migrated to Haslingden, County Lancashire (where, coincidentally, Dónal has lived since 1978) as a child from Mayo in the west of Ireland. Following the release of his latest album, ‘Michael Davitt: The Forgotten Hero?’, Dónal toured the UK and Ireland with a musically illustrated lecture, ‘Triumph over Adversity’, to celebrate the centenary of the great man’s death in 1906.

Monthly Meeting -- After Action Report -- September 2008

Among the purposes of this blog is to provide a record of what we get up to and what gets sung at our monthly meetings. This isn’t just for our own edification and entertainment, but in the hope that, years later, we might be able to shed some light on the repertoire possessed by Maryland singers during the lifespan of the Baltimore Singers Club.

Therefore, without further adieu…

The September 2008 meeting of the Baltimore Singers Club (its first anniversary) got rolling a little after 9pm. In attendance were Andy O’Brien, Pat Egan, Peter Brice, Erin Dowd, Severn Savage, and Cindy Matera. We chatted about songs, especially children’s songs, and the recent passing of Ronnie Drew.

Severn Savage sang a setting of ‘Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still’ from the Warner Collection.

Pat Egan sang a recently composed out-of-love song entitled ‘Pink’.

Erin Dowd sang ‘Daddy Fox’ with an assist from Severn.

Peter Brice sang two songs: Thomas Moran’s setting of ‘The Elfin Knight’ (Child 2), ‘Strawberry Lane’, and ‘Commodore John Barry’.

Andy O’Brien sang ‘McCaffrey’s’, ‘McAlpine’s Fusiliers’ in honor of Ronnie Drew, ‘The Maid of the Sweet Brown Knowe’, ‘Coshieville’, and ‘The Lee Boys Lassie’.

NOTE: In the case that the above listing is incorrect, incomplete, or insufficiently detailed, please recommend changes in the comments.

Photo: Pat Egan deconstructs narrative singing, society. (Credit: Sean McComiskey)

A Momentous Occasion

Come all ye men of Maryland, attend unto my jovial theme: today marks the thirteenth meeting and first anniversary of the Baltimore Singers Club!

A year ago, on September 12th, a few bold men, ballad singers, traipsed up the stairs at Bertha’s, beers in hand, for the first time. We didn’t know what to expect (and that hasn’t changed!), but we knew we wanted to create a special place for singers and songs in Baltimore. Of course, that’s easier said than done -- not every establishment desires to give itself over to a clique of singers, nor will every establishment tolerate narrative singing for an entire evening!

You’re reading this, however, because we had the good fortune to make it work.

It’s fair to say that the latest comer to the Baltimore Singers Club was initiative, for although Pat Egan, Andy O’Brien, and I discussed the prospect of a regular “singing session” for several years, our progress was at length forestalled by the lack of a venue. All that changed when, at Andy’s request, Tony Norris consented to let us use the upstairs room at Bertha’s, which has proved the perfect spot.

We’re very pleased to meet on the second Wednesday of every month at Bertha’s (of ‘Eat Bertha’s Mussels’ fame) Bar and Restaurant not only because we enjoy what’s on tap, but because it’s a great spot for singing. Leaks and puddles aside, the upstairs room offers precisely the space and the quiet for what we’re after (drink), not to mention that you can still hear every detail from the adjacent men’s and ladies’ rooms. Tony and Laura always have tremendous performers booked in the taproom, and neither is the company on the other side of the bar less than pleasant and delightful.

A year on, the Baltimore Singers Club has grown from three to six to ten and fifteen members. We’ve made the transition from a fetal inkling to living, breathing existence, and we’re growing still -- vigorously. The coming year holds some very exciting developments for the Singers Club: this blog, soon to be regularly updated, and, if God, Mary, and the grant cycle are with us, our first visiting singers (one of whom is already confirmed – stay tuned!).

Our prospects (and our courage) are good, our membership is better, and we have the great good fortune to be surrounded by a community of marvelous musicians, fantastic friends, and the kindest, most supportive neighbors anyone could ask for.

Success to the traditional music of Maryland and the Baltimore Singers Club!