Tommy McCarthy: Handing Down the Tunes (new documentary)
The programme covers the life of Clare born musician Tommy McCarthy, from his early days growing up on the family farm and learning to play music, to his years spent in London, and his return to live once again in Clare. The themes of music, emigration, and in particular the handing down of the music to his children and grandchildren are central to the narrative, and many of Tommy’s contemporaries, such as Joe Burke, Noel Hill and Reg Hall, pay tribute to the man and his music.
Not really new, the official première was on 13 September 2008 and it has been shown since at a NPU Tionol and several film and music festivals.
Ken Lynam did a great job putting it together. Lovely sensitively handled film that catches the spirit of it’s subject perfectly. Highly recommended.
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Below is some of what I wrote elsewhere, on 16 sept 08, a few days after seeing the film:
The film has been eight years in the making, starting out as a project capturing how music is passed on between the generations, taking Tommy and his family as an example of the process. Ken Lyman met Tommy and his family in London and started learning the pipes from Tommy at the Camden Irish Centre and it was at that time the idea for the film came into being. When the film was in it’s preliminary stages however Tommy was diagnosed with cancer and the subject centred more on him.
Tommy himself was filmed only in two sessions, one at the home of his daughter Jaqueline and Tommy Keane and one final one at his homeplace in Kilmihil where he visited his brother and played a few tunes with his son, young Tommy. The day after that particular recording he left for Lourdes where he died, the film capturing the last music he ever played.
Having seen the film I must say Ken did a lovely sensitive job telling the story and it captures the process of handing on tunes as well as Tommy’s personality very well.
Telling the story Ken uses interviews with friends, family and fellow musicians and a great deal of archive material, film and photos (including I am happy to say a few of my own). Something very positive speaks from the whole film and there’s great humour in it. I found watching it a very moving experience.
Or has Dublin slipped into another time zone along wi d Euro?