Thugamar Féin an Samhradh Linn–“We Have Brought The Summer With Us.” It’s Bealtaine, one of the four major Celtic fire festivals, so Joe and Katie dig up joyful tunes and songs dealing with Bealtaine, the first of May, and the coming of summer. During Bealtaine, the Celts would (and still do) build bonfires, then drive their cattle between the fires for luck. Granted, this is not something we should do in the pine forests and sagebrush of the High Sierra, but it was certainly a way for ancient Celts to connect to nature and the coming of summer. For us modern folks, we can revel in the delightful music inspired by the festival of Beltaine.To help bring in the month of May and the first whispers of Summer, we play tracks from Kevin Crawford, Mick Conneely & David Munnelly, John McSherry, Zoë Conway, The Here & Now, Lá Lugh, Lúnasa, James Keane, The Bothy Band, Kevin Burke, Mick O’Brien, Martin Quinn & Angelina Carberry, The Alt, and Becky Tracy.
Playlist:
# | Track | >Artist | Release |
1 | Queen Mary (Queen of May-Tom Dowd’s Favorite-Nautghton’s) | Kevin Crawford | Carrying the Tune |
2 | The New Mown Meadow-Big John MacNeill-The Silver Spire | Mick Conneely & David Munnelly | ‘Tis What It Is |
3 | Sunrise at Bealtaine | John McSherry | The Seven Suns |
4 | Butter and Peas Fahey’s The First Month Of Summer | Zoë Conway | Zoë Conway |
5 | Summer Fly | The Here & Now | Ladybird |
6 | Bealtaine Song | Lá Lugh | Senex Puer |
7 | Bealtainne | Lúnasa | Lúnasa |
8 | Paddy Taylor’s-The First Month Of Summer-Sporting Molly | James Keane | With Friends Like These |
9 | Tiochfaidh An Samhradh (Summer Will Come) | The Bothy Band | Old Hag You Have Killed Me |
10 | Untitled Reel-Queen Of The May-The Congress | Kevin Burke | Open House |
11 | May Morning Dew-Sporting Nell (Air, Reel) | Mick O’Brien | May Morning Dew |
12 | The First Of May-The Blackbird | Martin Quinn & Angelina Carberry | Angelina Carberry & Martin Quinn |
13 | One Morning in May | The Alt | The Alt |
14 | John Henry’s Reel-First Month of Summer-Bean A Ti Ar Lar-The Wild Irishman | Becky Tracy | Evergreen |
15 | The Gleanntán Reel/The Sandymount Reel/The Beauty Spot/The Ravelled Hank Of Yarn/The Midnight Reel | Mícheál Ó Raghallaigh, Paul Doyle, Michelle O’Brien, Troy Bannon & Cyril O’Donoghue | Geantraí |