BBC Radio 4 visits the Glens of Antrim (and a Session)

Trad Irish Music
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I posted this in the whistle forum yesterday before realizing that it’s probably not supposed to be there… so i figured i’d put it here, and then it’ll be in the right place! (i hope!) :slight_smile::slight_smile: apologies to anyone who already read it over there!


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Original post:

Hi all!
just thought i’d mention this for everyone- Radio 4’s Open Country program (which you can listen to online) just visited the Glens of Antrim in the last 2 weeks’ programs. The first episode
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/opencountry_20071006.shtml
has only a very little bit of music= a few snippets and a pretty bit of whistle, but the program is fantastic for its graphic description of the area and the interviews with some locals of interest.

the SECOND episode, however,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/opencountry_20071013.shtml
actually spends quite a bit of time interviewing some people at a local bar in Cushendall during a session, learns from a traditional storyteller exactly why it’s important to have round pillars, not square, on your house… as well as visiting a hurling game and more.

Great music, great people, and a really neat program to listen to- especially these two episodes!
(here’s a bit of the description from the website:
“Helen drops in on a session at McCollam’s bar (known locally as Johnny Joe’s) where she meets up with musicians Kieran Dempsey, his son Rory Dempsey and Helen O’Kane who describe how traditional Irish music, singing and dancing still remain the heartbeat of the Glens. Another musician, Feargal Lynn demonstrates the playing of the Irish drum the bodhran.”)

OH! and if you are fond of the Open Country program, this link here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/opencountry_20060225.shtml
will take you to an old version of the site that still has links (in the right hand column) to about two hundred past programs- several of which are from places in Ireland.

OK- hope this excites a few of you!
btw- you can listen to the show simply by clicking the “listen to this programme in full” button front and center on the websites… smile)

~Z

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I heard 'em both and they were very nice. You may have to be quick if you want to listen to them again as they usually only stay up on the site for a week (unless I have my info wrong).

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you’re sure right, steve! the new website has only a short list of recent programs, tho i’m finding that they don’t ALWAYS deactivate old pages… so if you have the links above, you may still be able to access the sites later. the link to the old site, with the long list of 200 or so past programs , has been active for many months. i’m hoping they don’t realize that they’ve left it up! :slight_smile::slight_smile:

also, steve, have you looked at that old site? there are quite a few episodes that were done in cornwall…!
~Z