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Christy Moore + Grehan Sisters

Venue: St Joseph's Hall
Town: Boyle
Date: 26/6/14
Website: http://www.christymoore.com/

Approaching the hall on the balmiest of evenings, it was obvious to all that this gig was a sellout. Organised as a fundraiser for a memorial to John Reilly, a local songmaker and collector, it brought together two giants of the Irish music scene for the first time in several decades, united in homage to a man who provided them both with a fount of song.

Following a short preamble about John Reilly's life and work from one of the organising committee, who also said there would be no interval, The Grehan Sisters walked on stage to a tumult of applause which really took them by surprise. Beginning their set with a song I hadn't heard in decades, My Uncle's in the Dáil, the lyrics showed just how alive and well political jobbery STILL is in this country. A thread of protest and subversion pervaded their set, but nicely balanced with humour, in song delivery and content. Some beautiful baroque style mandolin from Marie underscored the fragile harmonies of The Wind That Shakes The Barley. In deference to John Reilly, Helen sang The Captain, a heartwrenching song of blighted love which was listened to in such respectful silence.. The sisters might not be well known for their songwriting talents these days, but Where the Soldiers Go, the story of girls of ill repute who follow the troops, written by Helen, is as fine a song of this kind as I've heard. It wasn't by any means the end of the story, but when they left the stage, following a rousing rendition of The Banks Were Made Of Marble, a standing ovation was the only fair outcome.

With no fuss at all, Christy came on stage, and wordlessly launched into Lord Baker. Sung acapella, this was breathtaking, and one knew, just KNEW, that the evening had taken on an even more exceptional patina. Silently, Christy had been joined by Seamie O'Dowd, and guitar and mandolin led off The Raggle Taggle Gypsies. The intersong chat was reverential in its regard to the late collector, and as Christy launched-solo- into the Well Below The Valley, the impact of the curator function undertaken by John began to unfold. Christy welcomed on stage Gerry O'Reilly, who talked about songmaking for a bit, and then performed an electrifying version of The Blue Tar Road, by Ballyfermot's Liam Weldon. Go!Move!Shift! followed, its restrained ferocity underlining its power further.

This, it was becoming evident, was not a Christy Moore who was out for the evening with the guitar and a few friends. This was a thorough examination of a man's roots and inspiration, performed without polemic, a considered and considerate, respectful look back at the people, and the songs, that had set him on his way. He may not remember this, but myself and my wife, then on our second date, saw his first solo gig after he left Planxty. What a difference the years bring. He introduced Fergus Russell, one of the mainstays of The Góilín Club, who sang his own song Rainey about the travelling people, storying in some welcome detail the effect their singing had on him as a young boy. Christy, with Seamie tastefully augmenting chords, sang The Travelling People, the Ewan McColl song made famous by The Johnstons, and Johnny Connors, co-written with Wally Page.

There was, of course, more, much more, including requests from his co-stars, but just to namecheck each one would do a grave disservice to the seamless nature of the evening. It is worth recording, that when he invited the sisters back on stage for a last roundup, that the resulting performances of Cricklewood, and Tipping it Up To Nancy, an Irish variant on Marrowbones, were in their ragged, unrehearsed, glory, just stunning. Just, says he, like the rest of the evening. Unforgettable.

Oliver P. Sweeney