HOUSE CONCERT WITH JESSE SMITH, SEAN GAVIN & JOHN BLAKE

Just before Christmas 2014, our young neighbour James Carty who is also a proficient traditional Irish musician had been chatting to Jesse Smith, another fine fiddler from Baltimore USA about the House Concert phenomenon in the USA.

Jesse was surprised that there were none in Ireland, especially when the Rambling House had been such a part of the social life in Ireland up to the 1960's.
James remarked that his neighbours had a fine room which was well versed in the art of partying and that we were keen on traditional music.  The dye was cast, and Jesse contacted me with the notion.  Nothing ventured; nothing gained…. we decided to give it a go.  Despite my physical frailty, I make a good Armchair Director!  We determined a date and the multi talented John Blake and Sean Gavin from Chicago made up the musical trio.

In a fit of self-doubt I contacted Keith Conroy a Sound Engineer from Boyle and we collared John Carty & our Sarah to test the acoustics of the room.  Not many artists can boast that a Gradam Ceol holder did their sound check!  Keith christened the duo ‘The Knockroe Rousers’ and decided to elevate their position with a rostrum whist our Conor swiped the Christmas lights from the attic to light up the proceedings.'The Knockroe Rousers' deemed the room 'Sound' so and secure in the knowledge that our musical guests were ‘top shelf’ we extended personal invitations to our home.

'My Reason For Living' assisted with parking whilst the rest of the household did meet, greet and seat.  Our friends and friends of friends gathered with bits to eat and a little libation;

Well…… not since I was a small child did I hear or see such a spectacle! Jesse, Sean and John took to the stage and immediately sensed the air of expectancy.  The audience knew what they hoped to hear and the aura was so strong that it took our musicians aback .  John explained later that at a concert venue one prepares a running order but because the audience is a little distant, the musicians have to work hard to set the tone.  In this instance, the audience were almost sitting on their laps, knew the music, were prepared for greatness and could put names on places and origins of tunes.  Within minutes our room became a sanctuary.  Every variation of a tune was met by a resounding sigh, hup or gentle acknowledgement. Banter was exchanged, locations of tunes were identified and we rollicked the house for an hour and broke for a libation.

One of our young guests is a dancer but he was wearing soft shoes.  Undaunted, Maureen Carty propositioned every male with brogues until she got a pair to fit Ryan Owens and off we went again.  Young Ryan acquitted himself well despite the fact that he was on a dangerously polished floor. 

The second half of the proceedings commenced with gusto.  Sean played the illuainn pipes which proved difficult because of the heat rising in the room. Windows were opened but the effect was worse, to sympathetic and understanding chatter the pipes were abandoned and it was at that point I realised that there were 27 musicians in the audience! To my knowledge we had Connaught and County Champions from All Ireland Fleadhs together with two Gradam Ceoil Winners sitting in the front row.

Jesse Smith introduced a tune; he believed it came from near Killaville, Bernard McGuire identified it as from Henry’s Cross at Doocastle and then explained to the two ‘Yanks’ that they were only 15 miles from the location and off they went again to rapturous applause.

All the while John Blake sat, master of all he surveyed as he led, followed and worked his keyboard like a spider creating a web, completely unobtrusive yet leaving a masterpiece behind him every time.

As the music soared and swooped throughout the house, every foot tapping and the little rostrum bobbing from the vibration I thought to myself of the 46 musicians in my ancestors home in Doocastle and vowed I'd make a brave attempt to match the sentiment of Arthur O'Neill  At the hour this hospitable gentleman's customary meeting was finished, some guests contiguous to their own places went away, but those who lived some miles off remained ; and in order to accommodate them Mr. and Mrs. Irwin lay on chairs that night in the parlour. For my own part I never spent a more agreeable night, either in bed or out of bed."The Memoirs of Arthur O'Neill (1734-1818)