Roscommon-based band Gatehouse features John McEvoy on fiddle/mandolin/mandola, Rachel Garvey on vocals, Jacinta McEvoy on guitar/concertina and John Wynne on flutes/whistles. Along with a sprinkling of other influences, their songs and tunes are primarily based in the North Connaught traditions of Western Ireland.
They are, as you can see and hear for yourself below, unashamedly traditional, but their old-school approach is filled with an undeniable warmth and spirit that’s impossible to resist. Individually, they are each exceptional, but together, they genuinely excel. Their last studio CD was released in 2019, and they have a brand new album in the pipeline. If they are not on your radar, then they should be.
Watch them performing the traditional folk ballad ‘The Gyspies’ live. I love this version, inspired by Cathal McConnell’s gorgeous album Long Expectant Comes At last (Compass Records 2000).
The band’s Rachel Garvey said: “The Gypsies tells the tale of a rich lady who falls in love with a dark-eyed gypsy and elopes with him. We sourced this song from the wonderful singing of Cathal McConnell and when we heard it first, we fell in love with the air and the lyrics.”
Up ahead, as well as stepping up the touring schedule, they will be working, they say, “bit by bit” to record tracks with a view to releasing a new album for their 10th anniversary in 2024.
“The material will be a mix of instrumental pieces – reels, jigs, polkas and other dance tunes, all played with the standard Gatehouse swing,” said John Wynne. “There will, of course, be compositions by our fiddler John McEvoy, and we’ll continue to present songs in both the Irish and English language. The songs will all be drawn from the Irish, Scottish and English traditions.”
Video by LVD Films.
Find out more here: https://www.gatehousetrad.ie/