Tonight was another delicious night of intelligent folk discussion and music with Sean and Fionna Hennessey from Blackwater. We discussed Irish music, deep musical heritage and growing up in a family tradition steeped in live music. There was so much information that I really can’t focus on the specifics at this point but it was at a college level.
Great talk about music in a oppressed culture, hundreds of years under the yolk of the English, the Normans, the Vikings, the Church and more, thus shining the light on the tremendous pride of the Irish. We talked about the importance of stories, dance, fiddle tunes, ballads and more that simply do not exist in our contemporary culture, and definitely lacking in my own family history.
I am blessed to have such intelligent people in my circle who can talk about why we play music and what it means to our culture and families, and then play and sing such wonderful music. I live for these moments.