Songs # 56 - 60 - Songwriter Showcase with Christy Moore

This Songwriters Showcase is a new collaboration with the legendary Christy Moore. Providing an outlet for composers and writers is an essential goal of Tradconnect and it is hoped that this showcase will highlight some great new writers and performers. We are honored to have Christy listening to this material and giving his support.

Other recording artists that follow this campaign may pick up on some of this new material and possibly record it. Submitted songs must be in the folk and ballad tradition. Songs should be presented a cappella or with as little as possible in the way of background accompaniment. The use of a single instrument such as guitar or piano would be preferable to full band backing.

Christy Moore for his part, is excited by the prospect of discovering some great new material and will be listening to all the submissions. He has also kindly offered an award of €500 for a song and writer that stands out. While we have a desire to uncover songs that deal with "modern day emigration" we will accept all songs in the folk and ballad tradition as set out in the link below.

The Showcase is now closed to submissions

Previous Submissions

Song #56 - Paddy Canavan / The Dubliners

My name is Paddy Canavan. I live in Carrickmore Co. Tyrone. I have been writing songs for the past few years and I like to keep true to my Irish Ballad roots where I grew up listening and singing songs by the Dubliners, Dublin City Ramblers, Christy Moore, Finbar Furey as well as other well known Irish folk bands and Ballad singers. I have fronted a few Irish Folk and Trad bands in the past but now I want to promote my music and let people here my songs.

Song #57 - Dave Reynolds / A Toast to Christmas

My name is Dave Reynolds and I live in the Chicago area. I’m a session guitar player with a background in folk and bluegrass music. I started writing songs about two years ago. I have qualified, performed and lost in the original song competition at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2013 and 2014 (Derry and Sligo).

I wanted to write a new Christmas song that would be appeal to session players and their audience. I’m not sure if the world needs a new Christmas song but the result is “A Toast to Christmas”. Cheers!

Song #58 Malachy Costello / The Magpie is A Clever Bird

For the past thirty years I have been a visual artist, a painter, mainly of the landscape around where I live in Roscommon, and of the landscape of the neighbouring counties of Sligo and Leitrim. I started taking guitar lessons about three years ago just because my young son was taking them at the time and found that I really liked it. Then as the lessons progressed I tried my hand at writing songs.

This song is about how the beauty of the Magpie masks its true character as an opportunist and a predator, and draws a comparison with its nature as a thief and that of a beautiful woman, who has bewitched the singer by her beauty and who has, like the Magpie, stolen something precious, in this case his heart.

Song #59 - Sean Fegan / Lost

“Lost” written and performed by Sean Fegan attempts to challenge the prevailing attitudes of society around people who find themselves homeless. Our own reluctance to engage with Homeless people may be born of fear, thoughtlessness or a lack of understanding. We may admire the work of Focus Ireland, De Paul, Merchants Quay, Fr Peter McVerry and others but the attitudes we each hold can dictate national policy and reveal whether the plight of the Homeless can ever change.

“Lost” tells it from the standpoint of the another human being coming to terms with the realities of being homeless. We are reminded that those unlucky enough to be sleeping rough are real people. People like us - just unlucky. Enjoy

Sean Fegan from Co. Cavan is a new song writer. A busy life to date dictated that he never had time to promote his songs and he remained happy to maintain a low profile. Circumstances have changed and “Lost” is the first tentative peer out to the world of music.

Song #60 - Vince Keehan / I Got To Dance With The Rose of Tralee

My name is Vince Keehan, from Shanaglish, County Galway. I have been living in San Francisco since 1982. I have been fortunate to continue to share Irish music in San Francisco, as the bay area is home to many Irish players from all counties. Most of us play just for enjoyment, performing at benefits, charities and nursing homes. I have written a series of songs over the past ten years based on memories of home and more recent travels. I wrote this song,"I Got To Dance With The Rose of Tralee" from the perspective of a lad's nostalgic memory of an important dance. The song was inspired by the fact that my own daughter Rosie, represented San Francisco in the 2014 Rose of Tralee.