On the approach to his 77th birthday, Irish folk legend Finbar Furey announces his new album ‘Moments in Time’.
I recently re-shared on our socials the Tommy Fegan documentary ‘Coppers and Brass‘, a film about the piping tradition among members of the Irish Travelling community. In that film, Finbar Furey, a singer, multi-instrumentalist and exceptional uilleann piper, is interviewed, and he talks with deep knowledge and passion about what is undoubtedly a golden age of Irish Traditional music. Music was in the blood, as evidenced by The Fureys (featuring Finbar and brothers Eddie, Paul and George), while Finbar’s father, Ted Furey, played fiddle, described as a ‘solid institution in O’Donoghue’s Bar’ whose playing inspired many; when we interviewed the English folk singer Anne Briggs, she recalled spending time with them in Ireland, along with the legendary Felix Doran:
“I knew and was often in the company of Ted Furey, another traveller with a good repertoire, and his two sons, Finbar (Irish pipes), and Eddie, who sang, and who had learned to play the guitar, which was really unusual for travellers of that era. There was also another piper called Felix Doran who was occasionally around in Dublin, but I believe he was largely based in England at this time.”
As mentioned in these pages, Finbar has been called a Renaissance Man, celebrated worldwide as one of the great folk icons. He has also been at the forefront of musical change, his successful career and extensive touring introduced a whole new audience to his music and instruments, and he advocated for changes to allow pipes to become more accessible to young musicians. He has championed plenty along the way as well, such as Clare Uilleann Piper Blackie O’Connell. In Colin Harper and John McSherry’s book: The Wheels of the World: 300 Years of Uilleann Pipers, he describes Blackie O’Connell as “…the next generation that’s going to hold this instrument together”.
Finbar has been bringing his unique artistry to generations of fans around the world for over over 55 years now, so it may come as no surprise that, on the approach to his 77th birthday, he has decided to call time on touring and performing live in order to devote more time to his family and friends…and to the golf course. However, he is still busy writing and recording and will continue to do so into the future.
‘Finbar is the jewel of Ireland. A rough cut, perfectly polished, precious, invaluable treasure of ours.’
Imelda May
Moments in Time
For his new album, ‘Moments In Time’, which will be released Friday, 29 September 2023, he will showcase a collection of his own compositions and four well-known traditional songs; ‘Kitty’, ‘The Rocks Of Bawn’, ‘Slieve Gallen Braes’ and ‘The Parting Glass’. What I love about Furey is that while his voice has changed over the years, he has a beautiful, gentle tone that grabs you. There’s a magic in his heart that hasn’t dimmed at all. You can hear it in the opening of Slieve Gallen Braes that he performs in this album introduction video.
As with his previous songs, which have covered causes close to his heart, including homelessness and human rights, there are songs with a more profound message on Moments in Time. ‘Music’s Door’ is Finbar’s ode to music, but there is a poignancy to it as well; in September 2022, he recorded this duet with his friend, ‘Jump The Gun’ singer Roy Taylor to raise awareness for Motor neurone disease (MND) which Roy was suffering from. Sadly he died in June 2023. While ‘September Said Goodbye’ is an emotional cry for a lost loved one in the 9/11 tragedy.
There are also upbeat moments. ‘Wild Horses’ is a joyful and carefree instrumental, and ‘Blue Jewel In The Sky’, a song Finbar released in 2020 with his daughter Áine Furey, alerts us to the impending horrors of climate change. We premiered the video for the song here, and Finbar shared:
‘I wrote Blue Jewel in the Sky at the end of the ’90s about the madness of man’s inhumanity to man. When the opportunity arose to make a music video with the documentary filmmaker Dearbhla Glynn, I didn’t have to think twice. She is respected at her craft, working with an open heart, but not shying away from tough subjects. Dearbhla’s footage from Palestine and Eastern Congo help to shine a light on the suffering we know is going on, so we can all think about making changes in our daily lives in order for change to happen’.
Finbar Furey
Finbar draws inspiration from the world around him. His passion for music and the plight of the underdog has always underscored his work. He has honed a talent for finding the soul of a person, a place or a time through his music.
‘Moments In Time’ reflects the artist looking back at the vagaries of life, completing the album with the timeless ‘The Parting Glass’. However, he is also looking forward; emboldened by his music, he embraces and celebrates life and, most of all, love.
Finbar says, ‘Shane MacGowan asked me specially to sing ‘Kitty’ for his 60th birthday event in the National Concert Hall Dublin in 2018. It was one of his mother’s favourite traditional Irish songs. It’s a beautiful song which I love singing, and when I added it to my concert setlist it always got an amazing reaction from the audience.’
‘Finbar Furey proves that he is not just a massive force in Irish music’s heritage, he is a massive force in shaping its future as well’
Shane MacGowan
Moments in Time Tracklisting
- Moments In Time
- Sliabh Gallen Braes
- September Said Goodbye
- Blue Jewel In The Sky
- She Wants To Ride Horses
- Kitty
- I’ll Take A Glass
- The Rocks Of Bawn
- Wild Horses
- Music’s Door
- Thank You For Everything
- The Parting Glass
You can PRE-SAVE’ Moments In Time’ here.