Named the best album of 1996 by the "San Francisco Gael "
Séamus Begley is known for his sean-nós singing, hailing as he does from the Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht, both he and Stephen Cooney are well established in that part of Kerry. There are three songs in the Irish demonstrating his lilt and way with them on this CD. Séamus is also a damned fine melodeon player in the Kerry way and this gift, along with the talents of Stephen Cooney for accompaniment, age given wing on the ten other instrumental tracks of dance music.
I'm not sure what happened in the studio, or between there and pressing, or possibly between the US company and maybe a difference in the spin on our stereos in Europe, but the tracks, for example #2, slides, are a whole step up, sharp ~ that much faster than what would likely have been the original recording. With track #2 that meant the key of B Major for "The Kings of Kerry", that's five sharps, instead of the usual key of A Major, three sharps. As with many tunes in A it is also played in G Major, and vice versa. Even if it were a box in the old tuning, that tends to mean about a half step sharp, D to Eb, not usually a full whole step.
At the moment, having checked, in the Summer of 2005, you can find this recording for less than a tenner, US dollars or UK pounds. I got mine new for around a fiver awhile ago. It's an enjoyable earful...
"Meiteal"
Séamus Begley - melodeon, vocals
Stephen Cooney - guitar, bass, keyboards, bells ~ & producer
Kells Music, 1996 KM-9504
http://www.kellsmusic.net/ = http://www.regorecords.com/
http://www.regorecords.com/begcoonmeit.html
Named the best album of 1996 by the "San Francisco Gael "
Séamus Begley is known for his sean-nós singing, hailing as he does from the Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht, both he and Stephen Cooney are well established in that part of Kerry. There are three songs in the Irish demonstrating his lilt and way with them on this CD. Séamus is also a damned fine melodeon player in the Kerry way and this gift, along with the talents of Stephen Cooney for accompaniment, age given wing on the ten other instrumental tracks of dance music.
I'm not sure what happened in the studio, or between there and pressing, or possibly between the US company and maybe a difference in the spin on our stereos in Europe, but the tracks, for example #2, slides, are a whole step up, sharp ~ that much faster than what would likely have been the original recording. With track #2 that meant the key of B Major for "The Kings of Kerry", that's five sharps, instead of the usual key of A Major, three sharps. As with many tunes in A it is also played in G Major, and vice versa. Even if it were a box in the old tuning, that tends to mean about a half step sharp, D to Eb, not usually a full whole step.
At the moment, having checked, in the Summer of 2005, you can find this recording for less than a tenner, US dollars or UK pounds. I got mine new for around a fiver awhile ago. It's an enjoyable earful...
# Posted on July 28th 2005 by ceolachan