The Wedding Above in Glencree is the much anticipated fourth solo album from Dublin’s own Daoirí Farrell – recorded & engineered by Trevor Hutchinson (Lunasa / Waterboys) – with a guest appearance from Nashville’s Jerry Douglas on dobro.
‘Sonny’s Dream’ is the first single to emerge from his upcoming fourth album, ‘The Wedding Above In Glencree’, due for release on 24th February. The track is a perfect example of the focus on the song – voice, words and the art of storytelling – which is at the album’s core.
Written in 1976 by Ron Hynes from St. John’s in Newfoundland, Canada, the song tells of the hopes and dreams of a young boy whose lot in life is to work the family farm and support a lonely and ailing mother while an absent father remains at sea. Perhaps a parallel to be drawn with the familial and enforced ties that bind many of us in contemporary society.
“I first heard Ron’s version of the song five or six years ago from Dublin guitarist Tony Byrne,” says Daoirí of a song which sees him on his signature bouzouki and vocals, accompanied by Manus Lunny (guitar), Pat Daly (fiddle and harmonium), Trevor Hutchinson (upright bass) with a tastefully warm cameo from one of the world’s greatest bluegrass dobro players, Jerry Douglas.
Daoirí’s last album, A Lifetime of Happiness, was released in 2019. The album was reviewed for Folk Radio by Neil MacFadyen, who declared it as an album that “delights on every level”, while Johnny Whalley announced him as “a force to be reckoned with on the Irish music scene” following the release of his 2016 second album True Born Irishman (he also reviewed his debut ‘The First Turn’ here).
Daoirí Farrell’s fourth solo album, in his own words, ‘combines the rawness of my first album, the impact of my second album and the beauty of my third album.’ The culmination of those three albums and over a decade of recording and touring, ‘The Wedding Above In Glencree’ is a landmark album for Daoirí; Crafted and honed over two and a half years, it is the work of a mature artist who has succeeded in taking on the challenge of recording an acoustic album that heads deep into the heart of the songs.
Not tempted to latch onto musical trends, Daoirí has instead trodden his own path, founded on a deep respect for folk music’s oral tradition with a number of the songs on ‘The Wedding Above in Glencree’ collected from long-time members of Dublin’s, An Góilin Traditional Singers club.
The album’s traditional songs are complemented by original works from Pecker Dunne, Ron Hynes, Paddy Ban O’Brien, as well as Canon Charles O’Neill’s ‘The Foggy Dew’, the latter initially appearing as his contribution to the RTE One TV production, ‘Ireland’s Favourite Folk Song’. Also featured is the first self-penned tune by Daoirí, a track called ‘Damien Walsh’s.’
Daoirí is joined on the album by a stellar cast of musicians that includes Manus Lunny (guitar, bouzouki and bass bouzouki), Paddy Kiernan (5-string banjo), Mark Redmond (uilleann pipes and whistles), Pat Daly (fiddle and harmonium), Trevor Hutchinson (upright bass), Robbie Walsh (hand pan and bodhran), Alan Doherty (whistles), Geoff Kinsella (tenor banjo)and a special guest appearance on ‘Sonny’s Dream’ by internationally renowned bluegrass dobro player, Jerry Douglas.
The album was made possible with the support of the Arts Council of Ireland.
Pre-Order ‘The Wedding Above In Glencree’ – https://ffm.to/theweddingaboveinglencree
Daoirí Farrell UK Dates April / May 2023
Wednesday 19 April – Cramlington Folk Club
Thursday 20 April – Square Chapel Arts Centre, Halifax
Friday 21 April – Folk at the Meadows, Belper
Saturday 22 April – Talbot Theatre, Whitchurch Leisure Centre
Sunday 23 April – Temperance, Leamington Spa
Thursday 27 April – Calstock Arts Centre, Cornwall
Friday 28 April – Pound Arts, Corsham
Saturday 29 April – Devoran Village Hall, Falmouth
Sunday 30 April – Topsham Folk Club, Devon
Tuesday 2 May – Quay Arts, Newport, IOW
Wednesday 3 May – The North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford
Thursday 4 May – Rope & Tackle Arts Centre, Shoreham by Sea
Friday 5 May – Kings Place, London (Daoiri Farrell Trio)
Saturday 6 May – Forest Arts, New Milton
Sunday 7 May – Hitchin Folk Club, Hitchin, Cambs.
Tuesday 9 May – Norwich Arts
Wednesday 10 May – Lakeside Arts, Nottingham
Thursday 11 May – Cast, Doncaster