The original traditional Irish folk band, as far as anyone who came of age in the 1970s or 1980s is concerned, is the Chieftains. Their sound, built largely on Paddy Moloney's pipes, is otherworldly, almost entirely instrumental, and seems as though it comes out of another age of man's history. That they became an international phenomenon in the... [+] Read More

The original traditional Irish folk band, as far as anyone who came of age in the 1970s or 1980s is concerned, is the Chieftains. Their sound, built largely on Paddy Moloney's pipes, is otherworldly, almost entirely instrumental, and seems as though it comes out of another age of man's history. That they became an international phenomenon in the '70s and '80s is testament to their virtuoso musicianship.

The Chieftains were first formed in Dublin during 1963, as a semi-professional outfit, from the ranks of the top folk musicians in Ireland. Until that time, and for some years after, the world's (and even Ireland's) perception of Irish folk songs was rooted in either the good-natured boisterousness and topicality of acts such as the Irish Rovers or Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers, or the sentimentality of Mary O'Hara. That began to change in Ireland with the advent of Ceoltoiri Cualann, a group formed from the ranks of the best traditional Irish musicians by a composer named Sean Ó Riada, who hailed from County Cork. Ceoltoiri Cualann, which specialized in instrumental music, stripped away the pop music inflections from Irish music -- the dances were played with a natural lilt and abandon that came from deep within the music's origins, and the airs, stripped of their worst modern inflections, came across with even greater poignancy than anyone had recognized them for in decades, and perhaps centuries. Tempos were changed in midsong, from reel to polka to jig to slow air and back again.

Paddy Moloney came out of Ceoltoiri Cualann to found the Chieftains in 1963, seeking to carry this work several steps further. The earliest recorded incarnation of the group consisted of Moloney (pipes), Sean Potts (tin whistle), Martin Fay (fiddle), David Fallon (bodhran), Mick Tubridy (flute, concertina), and Ó Riada. They were a success virtually from the beginning, their music weaving a spell around audiences in Ireland and later in England, where they quickly became popular as both a performing and recording act -- the only thing holding them back was the decision by the members to remain a semi-professional, part-time ensemble until the early '70s. Their first four albums, spread over a period from 1965 through 1973, were originally available only from the Claddagh label in Ireland, but were later picked up by Island Records for release in England and America in 1976, after the group had achieved international renown.

The 1970s saw the group break big in America. A new, younger generation of Irish-American listeners, who enjoyed folk music and whose cultural and musical tastes weren't limited to songs about "the troubles" (i.e., England), had already begun discovering the Chieftains' music in the early to mid-'70s. By that time, the group had elected to go professional, and to expand its lineup. Ó Riada and Fallon left after the first album, and Peadar Mercier (bodhran) and Sean Keane (fiddle) joined with the second. Following the recording of Chieftains 4, they'd added Ronnie McShane (percussion) and Derek Bell (harp, oboe, timpan), a classically trained musician. Bell's harp lent the group's sound a final degree of elegance and piquancy.

The group's big breakthrough in America, however, occurred when they provided the music for Stanley Kubrick's 1975 movie, Barry Lyndon. The film itself wasn't a hit, but the Chieftains were, especially one track called "Women of Ireland," which began getting played heavily on FM progressive rock stations, and even managed to get onto the play lists of some Top 40 stations. Suddenly, the Chieftains were hot in America, and a U.S. tour and a series of performances on television -- especially the network morning news/feature shows -- brought them into demand.

By that time, Island Records had contracted to release both the group's latest album, Chieftains 5, and their four previous records in England and America. With their newfound audience, Chieftains records started coming out every year instead of every two or three years -- Bonaparte's Retreat in 1976, Chieftains Live in 1977, and Chieftains 7, 8, and 9 in 1978, 1979, and 1980, respectively, although for their U.S. releases, from 1977 through 1980, they abandoned Island Records in favor of Columbia Records. Ever since the dawn of the CD era, their music has been available on compact disc from Shanachie Records, while their more recent work has shown up on the BMG label, on both compact disc and home video. The latter have included a Christmas concert and a mixed-ensemble performance interweaving the group with orchestras, American folk and country musicians, and rock musicians, and an album (Irish Heartbeat, 1988) recorded with Irish-born R&B shouter Van Morrison. Additionally, the group has been engaged steadily for film work.

Since the late '70s, the group's recordings have settled into an effective but not fully inspired level of creativity. The band has kept its sound fresh with the periodic addition of new members and a search for sounds beyond the boundaries of Ireland -- as distant as Spain -- as sources for its music.

In 2003, long time harp player Derek Bell passed away while on tour in Phoenix, AZ. The group, who continue to play and record, released a tribute in 2005 called Live in Dublin. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide [-] Hide

June Tabor is probably the finest female traditional British folk singer of the late 20th century -- if not the best British folk singer of her time, period. What links her to Britain's past traditions are the chilling and emotional qualities of her voice. What links her to the British present is her fine taste in material, arrangements, and... [+] Read More

June Tabor is probably the finest female traditional British folk singer of the late 20th century -- if not the best British folk singer of her time, period. What links her to Britain's past traditions are the chilling and emotional qualities of her voice. What links her to the British present is her fine taste in material, arrangements, and backing musicians, along with a willingness to try different things and interpret work by contemporary songwriters.

Tabor's first high-profile project was a duet album with Steeleye Span's Maddy Prior in the 1970s (the duo dubbed themselves the Silly Sisters for the occasion). An all-star cast of some of the leading lights of the British folk scene supported the singers, including Martin Carthy, Nic Jones, and Andy Irvine. For her own albums and tours she has worked with outstanding guitarists, most notably Jones and Martin Simpson. She's also tread into folk-rock waters with Fairport Convention (whom she's guested with onstage) and the Oyster Band (with whom she collaborated on a 1990 album). Her 1994 album, Against the Stream, found her still at her peak, interpreting both traditional tunes and efforts by modern-day composers, including Elvis Costello and Richard Thompson. Subsequent efforts include 1996's Singing the Storm, 1997's Aleyn and 2000's Quiet Eye. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Not too many people could make an instrument as localized as the Northumbrian small pipes sexy, but that's exactly what Kathryn Tickell (who's also an accomplished fiddler) has managed. Along the way, in addition to many records under her own name, she's recorded with Sting and the Chieftains, and elevated her instrument to the international... [+] Read More

Not too many people could make an instrument as localized as the Northumbrian small pipes sexy, but that's exactly what Kathryn Tickell (who's also an accomplished fiddler) has managed. Along the way, in addition to many records under her own name, she's recorded with Sting and the Chieftains, and elevated her instrument to the international stage. Born in 1970 in Northumberland, her family was immersed in local traditional music and it was only natural that she'd become a part of it, taking up the small pipes when she was nine and winning every pipe competition by the time she was 13, in addition to making a name for herself on the fiddle. In 1984, she released her first album, On Kielderside, and was also named official piper to the Lord Mayor of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and by the time she reached 16, she'd become a professional musician, putting out her second release, Borderlands (which included original as well as traditional work), and touring throughout Europe. The following year, she became the subject of a U.K. documentary, but rather than rest on any laurels, she pressed ahead with the album Common Ground. By 1990, she'd formed the Kathryn Tickell Band. In addition to more recording, she composed for local theater, hosted shows on BBC radio, and recorded with the Penguin Café Orchestra, Sting (another Geordie), and the Chieftains -- quite an accomplishment for someone barely out of her teens. The Gathering, her sixth album, was released in 1997 and garnered worldwide acclaim. But again, her head wasn't turned. Instead of using it as a stepping stone to greater fame, she instead issued The Northumberland Collection, which brought in many local musicians, and also began teaching in local schools prior to coming out with Debateable Lands, an album of music from the English-Scottish border, in 1999. 2000 brought a new venture, Ensemble Mystical, which crossed plenty of musical boundaries and resulted in the album Kathryn Tickell & Ensemble Mystical. That led to a live and recorded collaboration with saxophonist Andy Sheppard on Music for a New Crossing. The following year saw the Kathryn Tickell Band perform at the prestigious Promenade Concerts in London, the first time a traditional folk band had been invited there, and Tickell also took up a part-time position as a lecturer in folk and traditional music at Newcastle University, prior to releasing Back to the Hills, a traditional disc of solos, duets, and trios. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Irish-born American tenor John McCormack, who sang both popular and classical works, was one of the most successful live musical performers of the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s, regularly selling out concerts in the biggest halls around the world, as well as being a top recording artist. The 600-plus sides he recorded, primarily for Victor Records,... [+] Read More

Irish-born American tenor John McCormack, who sang both popular and classical works, was one of the most successful live musical performers of the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s, regularly selling out concerts in the biggest halls around the world, as well as being a top recording artist. The 600-plus sides he recorded, primarily for Victor Records, between 1904 and 1942 are estimated to have sold upward of 200 million copies. Chart researcher Joel Whitburn, in his book of chart approximations, Pop Memories 1890-1954, ranks McCormack 23rd among the top artists of the 64-year period, giving him seventh place for the decade 1910-1919, and his recording of the World War I anthem "It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary" is listed as the tenth most successful recording of that decade.

McCormack was born in Athlone, Ireland, on June 14, 1884, the son of mill laborer Andrew McCormack and Hannah (Watson) McCormack. At the age of 12 in 1896, he won a scholarship to Summerhill College in Sligo, and he attended the school until 1902, when he graduated at 18. Already intent upon a singing career, he accepted a place in the Palestrina Choir of Dublin's Pro-Cathedral, where he was encouraged by the choir-master. In 1903 he entered a competition in the Feis Ceoil, the Irish National Music Festival, and won the gold medal for tenor. In 1904 he went to America for the first time and sang at the St. Louis World's Fair. The same year he traveled to London where he made his first recordings for the Edison, Edison Bell, and Gramophone & Typewriter (G&T) labels. Meanwhile, a friend had written on his behalf to the Italian singing instructor Vincenzo Sabatini, and Sabatini agreed to accept him as a pupil. He left for Milan to study with Sabatini early in 1905 and spent much of the year there. By the following winter, Sabatini judged him ready to perform, and he made his operatic debut on January 13, 1906, with the Teatro Chiabrero company in Savona in L'Amico Fritz. Returning to Great Britain, he settled in London, where he found singing engagements and signed a six-year contract with Odeon Records. It has sometimes been suggested that, over the course of his career, he moved from primarily a classical to primarily a popular repertoire, but biographer Gordon T. Ledbetter, in his book The Great Irish Tenor, points out that even at this early point McCormack's recordings were a mixture of material, with the greatest share of it being the Irish ballads for which he was best known.

McCormack was engaged by the Royal Opera in 1907, making his debut at Covent Garden on October 15, 1907, as Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana. At 23, he was the youngest tenor ever to sing a major role with the opera company. As of 1908, he moved to the more prestigious summer season schedule, and he continued to perform at Covent Garden until the opera closed temporarily at the start of World War I in 1914. That made it possible in 1909 for him to accept an offer of a three-year contract from American impresario Oscar Hammerstein (grandfather of the Broadway lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II) to join his Manhattan Opera Company, a rival to the Metropolitan Opera in New York. McCormack made his debut at the Manhattan Opera House on November 10, 1909, in Traviata. Eight days later, he made his U.S. concert debut at the same location. The following year, Hammerstein sold out to the Metropolitan, which converted the Manhattan Opera Company into the Philadelphia-Chicago Opera Company, playing in those two cities and on the road. McCormack fulfilled his contract with performances around the U.S., and he also debuted at the Metropolitan itself in New York on November 29, 1910.

Meanwhile, on February 10, 1910, Victor Records had bought out McCormack's Odeon contract for 2,000 pounds and offered him a generous new long-term deal to run 28 years, with a 10,000 dollar advance and a royalty of 10 percent of his records' list price. The company began making its money back immediately. By Whitburn's estimate, McCormack had five hits in 1910, starting with a re-recording of the Irish ballad "Killarney" in May. There were five more in 1911, among them two that Whitburn estimates would have ranked as number one hits if there actually had been charts at the time, "I'm Falling in Love With Someone" from Victor Herbert's Broadway operetta Naughty Marietta and "Mother Machree" from Chauncey Olcott's Broadway musical Barry of Ballymore.

In the fall of 1911, McCormack toured Australia performing opera, but when he returned to the U.S. in early 1912, he announced his intention to focus primarily on concert work. In a later interview, he said, "I am the world's worst actor," concurring with reviewers who praised his opera singing but criticized his acting. Of course, many opera singers are poor actors, but McCormack clearly did not enjoy performing in opera, preferring to appear alone and as himself before an audience. This is what he began to do, giving 34 concerts in America before returning to Covent Garden for the summer season. During the 1912-1913 season, he gave 67 concerts, while also appearing in 12 operas and, according to Whitburn, scoring another five record hits. Then it was back to London for the summer season, a concert tour of Australia, and another U.S. tour beginning in October and running through March 1914.

This busy, peripatetic schedule became only more extensive in the next few years: 95 concerts in the 1914-1915 season; 85 (plus two operas) in 1915-1916; approximately 80 in 1916-1917; 88 (plus five operas) in 1917-1918; and approximately 90 (plus two operas) in 1918-1919 (all this at a time when commercial air travel and the interstate highway system lay far in the future). It would be hard to overestimate McCormack's popularity in this period, before the advent of radio and television networks, when performers worked without amplification. McCormack filled theaters such as New York's 5,000-seat Hippodrome to overcapacity, with an extra 1,000 seats sold surrounding him and his piano accompanist on-stage and 1,000 standing-room patrons, sometimes for several concerts in a season. At the same time, his recordings continued to sell well. By Whitburn's estimate, there were six hits in 1914; seven in 1915, including "It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary," which was the biggest hit of the year; seven in 1916, including two, "Somewhere a Voice Is Calling" and "The Sunshine of Your Smile," at number one; seven in 1917, with two more number ones, "The Star-Spangled Banner" (in the wake of U.S. entry into World War I that spring) and "Send Me Away With a Smile"; four in 1918; and another four in 1919. It has been estimated that his income in 1918 alone was 300,000 dollars (an amount that would equate to more than 3.5 million dollars in 2003 dollars).

In April 1914, McCormack had filed papers to become an American citizen. He was naturalized in June 1919. Except for a throat infection that sidelined him from the spring to fall of 1922, he maintained his busy schedule of performing and recording through the first half of the 1920s, eventually giving up performing opera completely in 1923. This, too, fueled the notion that he had moved from classical music to pop, but Ledbetter notes that he continued to sing plenty of "serious" music in his concerts, while his recordings leaned much more toward popular songs. That kept his sales up; Whitburn lists another 23 hits during the '20s, including a number one with Irving Berlin's "All Alone," which McCormack introduced in a radio tribute to the songwriter in 1924.

As of the 1925-1926 season, McCormack cut back to about 50 concerts a year, but he continued to travel extensively, for instance going to Japan and China in 1926. In 1929, eight weeks' work in Hollywood earned him half a million dollars for starring in his first feature film, Song o' My Heart. (He appeared in only one other movie, 1937's Wings of the Morning, the first Technicolor film made in England.) By the 1930s, with his voice deteriorating, he began to work less, and he announced his retirement from performing at a concert in Buffalo, NY, in March 1937, although he later undertook a British tour that lasted until November 27, 1938. Less than a year after that, he was back on tour to raise money for the Red Cross in the early days of World War II, giving a final performance on May 5, 1940. Even then, he continued to record, cutting his last session on September 10, 1942, before retiring to his estate outside Dublin. He died there of pneumonia at 61 on September 16, 1945.

Despite the enormous popularity he enjoyed during his performing career, McCormack suffered critically due to his refusal to be either exclusively a classical or popular artist. He was what in a later era would be called a "classical crossover" artist, and that tended to mean that classical music fans rejected him as a turncoat, while popular music fans, especially later in his career and after his death, found him much more formal than, say, Bing Crosby, and thus not really a pop artist at all. (It didn't help that much of his "popular" repertoire of sentimental ballads, operetta, and art songs, drifted into the classical repertoire over time.) Also, with most of his best recordings dating from the largely neglected pre-1925 "acoustic era" of recording, his records have not stayed in print as much as those of performers who peaked commercially a decade or two later. Nevertheless, in the CD era, there have been many collections which demonstrate the same qualities that the judges at the Feis Ceoil first heard back in 1903, an amazing expression of feeling and purity of tone in a voice that generations have found unforgettable. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Though primarily steeped in the traditions of folk and Celtic music, Scottish singer/songwriter Dick Gaughan enjoyed a lengthy and far-reaching career in a variety of creative pursuits. Born Richard Peter in 1948, he first picked up the guitar at the age of seven, and issued his debut solo LP No More Forever in 1972. Gaughan then signed on with... [+] Read More

Though primarily steeped in the traditions of folk and Celtic music, Scottish singer/songwriter Dick Gaughan enjoyed a lengthy and far-reaching career in a variety of creative pursuits. Born Richard Peter in 1948, he first picked up the guitar at the age of seven, and issued his debut solo LP No More Forever in 1972. Gaughan then signed on with the folk-rock group the Boys of the Lough, releasing a 1973 self-titled LP before returning to his solo career with 1976's Kist o Gold. However, he soon returned to the group format, forming a band named Five Hand Reel and issuing another eponymously titled effort that same year; over the next two years, Gaughan issued four more records -- two solo releases (1977's Copper and Brass and 1978's Gaughan) as well as two more Five Hand Reel outings (1977's For A' That and 1978's Earl o' Moray). In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he worked as a critic and columnist with Folk Review magazine, and also acted as a member of the 7:84 Theatre Company; after a three-year absence from the studio, Gaughan also returned to regular musical duty with the release of 1981's Handful of Earth. A Different Kind of Love Song followed in 1983, and in 1985 he released Live in Edinburgh; True and Bold appeared a year later. After 1988's Call It Freedom, Gaughan again retreated from view; much of his time was devoted to his increasing interest in computer technology, and he later earned notice for his skills as a programmer and web designer. Finally, he formed a new band, the short-lived Chan Alba, which disbanded after releasing their 1995 self-titled debut; the solo Sail On arrived the next year, followed in 1998 by Redwood Cathedral. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide [-] Hide

[-] Hide

Fans of Fairport Convention or Steeleye Span will find the clean, stripped down, spirited performances here a revelation: The beautiful, original "Lord of the Dance" (which transforms the Shaker hymn "Simple Gifts" into something wonderful in its own right), a delightfully ominous reading of "The White Hare," a lively "Banks of Sweet Primroses"... [+] Read More

Fans of Fairport Convention or Steeleye Span will find the clean, stripped down, spirited performances here a revelation: The beautiful, original "Lord of the Dance" (which transforms the Shaker hymn "Simple Gifts" into something wonderful in its own right), a delightfully ominous reading of "The White Hare," a lively "Banks of Sweet Primroses" (which, in various forms, became part of the repertories of numerous folk-rock revival bands), and, most impressive of all, a dazzling rendition of "Jack Orion." Carthy's voice (featured acapella on the beautiful "Creeping Jane" and the ominous "Lord Lankin") is a very fine instrument, he gets a surprisingly rich sound from his single guitar, and Swarbrick's violin is all the support he really needs. And lest anyone doubt that this record was done during England's flower-power era, check out the acoustic psychedelic-folk version of Leon Rosselson's "Brass Band Music." ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Tabor's first solo record is an understated triumph full of good songs, great arrangements and a crack groups of backing musicians led by the guitar playing of Nic Jones. Much of the record is pure English folk, and Tabor has much fun with such ancient numbers as "While the Gamekeepers Lie Sleeping" and "Young Waters." The standout track,... [+] Read More

Tabor's first solo record is an understated triumph full of good songs, great arrangements and a crack groups of backing musicians led by the guitar playing of Nic Jones. Much of the record is pure English folk, and Tabor has much fun with such ancient numbers as "While the Gamekeepers Lie Sleeping" and "Young Waters." The standout track, however, is her version of Eric Bogle's brilliant anti-war ode "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda." Sung a cappella, you can almost feel the bitterness in her voice, a breathtaking, stunning moment indicative of how amazing she can be. Reissued on compact disc by Shanachie. ~ John Dougan, All Music Guide [-] Hide

This is a well-chosen 22-track, 68 1/2-minute, digitally remastered compilation of John McCormack's recordings of Irish-oriented songs, ranging from traditional material to songs that were recently written when performed. Six of them feature only piano accompaniment; among the other tracks, two come from Irish composer Victor Herbert's operetta... [+] Read More

This is a well-chosen 22-track, 68 1/2-minute, digitally remastered compilation of John McCormack's recordings of Irish-oriented songs, ranging from traditional material to songs that were recently written when performed. Six of them feature only piano accompaniment; among the other tracks, two come from Irish composer Victor Herbert's operetta Eileen and feature Herbert's own orchestra under his baton. The age of the recordings (dating from 1910 to 1930) has not been masked by noise-reduction techniques, but McCormack's ringing tones still come through, and his renditions of these frankly sentimental songs have an emotional resonance not found in his more classical efforts. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide [-] Hide

For anyone who's ever been a fan of any of Carthy's music -- solo or with Steeleye Span or anyone else -- The Collection is probably superfluous. On the other hand, for someone who's only heard of him, this 20-song, 65-minute anthology, with songs chosen by Carthy himself from 28 years of recording, is a fair overview of his work. One can argue... [+] Read More

For anyone who's ever been a fan of any of Carthy's music -- solo or with Steeleye Span or anyone else -- The Collection is probably superfluous. On the other hand, for someone who's only heard of him, this 20-song, 65-minute anthology, with songs chosen by Carthy himself from 28 years of recording, is a fair overview of his work. One can argue that the order might have been shuffled a bit, and the notes could have identified the albums off of which each of these songs were taken (you'd think the record label would insist upon it). On the other hand, the music is sufficiently diverse -- from Rosselson back to Ralph Vaughan Williams and Cecil Sharp, the various trails of English folk music are represented -- and the notes give enough history on each to leave the listener wanting lots more. Featured numbers include "Palaces of Gold," and the ubiquitous "Lord Randal," the epic "Cottage in the Wood," the concertina-driven "I Sowed Some Seeds," the haunting "Lovely Joan," the mysterious gypsy-originated "Eggs In Her Basket," and the dance "Swaggering Boney" (i.e. Napoleon). ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide [-] Hide