Seán’s Christmas concerts mark launch of new CD set

Caherlistrane singer Seán Keane is celebrating the launch of a new three-box CD set, featuring 45 of his favourite songs with a national tour which sees him play the city’s Town Hall Theatre this Friday and Saturday night, and Clifden’s Station House Theatre on Sunday, December 15.

Along with many familiar songs, the release contains six new tracks including the title track, Never Alone, which he first heard Colm Kirwan play in Nashville for a couple who were celebrating their wedding anniversary.

The album marks Seán’s lengthy career which began at the age of seven when he won his first All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil title and as such, it features songs like May Morning Dew and O’Reilly, which he learned as a child at home. These are mixed in with songs which he has gathered over the years and some which are new to him, most notably beautiful versions of Bob Dylan’s Make You Feel My Love and Beyonce’s Ave Maria.

“I love them. And from now on, any song I come across that I love, I am going to sing it and record it and do it my way,” he laughs.

“The way I see it the songs find me,” he says, adding that’s what happened with Never Alone – he just happened to hear it in Nashville and knew right away he wanted to record it. 

Kentucky writer Arthur Leroy Phipps’ song, Beautiful Star of Bethlehem is among the new songs as is Bury Me Beneath the Willows, which both reflect Seán’s ongoing relationship with Irish music in America.

Seán is giving 22 concerts countrywide between now and the middle of January to coincide with this new release. He’s being joined on stage by band regulars Pat Coyne and Fergus Feely on guitar, mandcello and vocals, as well as Stephen Doherty from Foxford on accordion, flute and keyboard and Úna McLoughlin from Moycullen on fiddle, cello and violin.

Fourth, fifth and sixth class children from various schools locally are also taking part in all the concerts – fourth, fifth and sixth classes from Bullaun near Loughrea  on Friday night and from Castlehackett Saturday night. In Clifden, the choir will be from Tullycross School.

The idea of getting children involved in his shows first struck Seán during the Gathering when he went to local schools, Belclare and Castlehackett and saw the amount of talent and enthusiasm among young people.

 “It’s great to get them involved, to get them hearing the music and becoming familiar with it,” says Seán, explaining that he has been visiting the various schools and rehearsing with the children for the concerts. “I get a lovely buzz out of their energy and enthusiasm,” he adds.

The youngsters will be seated in the audience for the part of the show they aren’t involved with, so that they can listen to the performance. It’s all part of allowing them to enjoy the concert experience.

Seán’s New Year’s Eve concert promises to be a special one, as he and the band will perform on the Jeannie Johnston replica famine ship, which has a capacity of just 65 people.  Then it’s off on a boat of a different kind early in the New Year, on a cruise out of Florida, specialising in Irish musical acts, with Ronan Tynan also included in the line-up.

• Tickets for Seán’s Town Hall show are €20 from tht.ie, 091-569777 and from the box office. For the Station House concert contact 095-30303.