Episode 94: Nuala Kennedy Interview (Flute, whistle, singing)

An absolute stoater! A Great Session = 'The maximum fun possible, every night!' From Dundalk to Belfast, and finding freedom in Edinburgh. Hamish Henderson and the wild nights in Sandy Bell's. Mike One-Shirt and Luke Plumb; Deaf Shepherd and the great encouragers like Cathal McConnell. The consolations of music. House sessions in Venice Beach, meeting the daughter of the man who wrote Thíos Cois na Trá, and so much more. Awesome.

In this episode Nuala plays and sings...

Kitty Gone A Milking
Táimse Im' Chodladh
The King's House (Scottish retreat march)
The Flower of Magherally (from the singing of Cathal McConnell)
Onwards and Upwards
and
Thíos Cois na Trá

You can find Nuala's music here:
https://www.nualakennedy.com/store

And since we were talking about it - here's a link to Sandy Bell's in Edinburgh:
https://sandybells.com/

Nuala mentioned meeting the poet (critic and activist) Hamish Henderson there once night. Here's a great bio of him from the Scottish Poetry Library:
https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poet/hamish-henderson/

Maybe his best known work is The Freedom Come All Ye - a great (GREAT) anti-imperialist song. Peformed here by (who else) Dick Gaughan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nLGKFTH5sw

...So come all ye at hame wi’ Freedom,
Never heed whit the hoodies croak for doom.
In your hoose a’ the bairns o’ Adam
Can find breid, barley-bree and painted room.
When MacLean meets wi’s freens in Springburn
A’ the roses and geans will turn tae bloom,
And a black boy frae yont Nyanga
Dings the fell gallows o’ the burghers doon.

Dick Gaughan, who I once saw play in the old BBC concert hall at 5 Queen Street, Edinburgh. Around the time when Nuala was hanging out just across town in Sandy Bell's.

We seem to say this every week, but what a treat, this episode. Thanks Nuala.

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