Details of Marie’s Jan 24 concert are available on the Marie Reilly gigs page!

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CT Post-Chronical

HAMDEN – Marie Reilly, a premier Irish fiddler who recently released her new album “The Anvil,” will perform at Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum at Quinnipiac University, 3011 Whitney Ave., Thursday, Jan. 24, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

Reilly, who is from County Longford, performs with a unique and distinctive Leitrim fiddle style passed down through eight generations. She was born into a family steeped in Irish traditional music; her grandfather, father and uncles were all distinctive fiddle players.

“The Anvil,” which is dedicated to Reilly’s father, Michael Reilly of Drumreilly County Leitrim, is a collection of some of the rarest and most delightful tunes of South Leitrim and Longford, a region with a distinctive fiddling tradition. Marie Reilly learned to play many of the tunes from her father, a fiddling blacksmith, hence the CD’s title.

During her career, Reilly has competed in and won numerous championship competitions at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, which is Ireland’s premier music competition, Fleadh Great Britain and a myriad of festivals throughout Ireland, England, Scotland and the United States. She has appeared on national television in Ireland, performed in concert at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Dublin, Glucksman Ireland House at New York University, the Lincoln Center’s OurLand Festival, New York, the Irish Repertory Theatre, New York, the Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts at Sacred Heart University and the Cell Theatre, New York.

Reilly studied classical music and graduated with first-class honors from the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin. While living in England, she taught music in Birmingham and London. Along with teaching, she was a leading member of the folk group, ‘The Battering Ram.’

Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of visual art, artifacts and printed materials relating to the Irish Famine. The museum preserves, builds and presents its art collection in order to stimulate reflection, inspire imagination and advance awareness of Ireland’s Great Hunger and its long aftermath on both sides of the Atlantic.

The collection focuses on the famine years from 1845-52, when blight destroyed virtually all of Ireland’s potato crops for consecutive years. The crop destruction, coupled with British governmental indifference to the plight of the Irish, who at the time were part of the United Kingdom, resulted in the deaths of more than 1 million Irish men, women and children and the emigration of more than 2 million to nations around the world. This tragedy occurred even though there was more than adequate food in the country to feed its starving populace. Exports of food and livestock from Ireland actually increased during the years of the Great Hunger.

Works by noted contemporary Irish artists will be featured at the museum, including internationally known sculptors John Behan, Rowan Gillespie and Eamonn O’Doherty; as well as contemporary visual artists, Robert Ballagh, Alanna O’Kelly Brian Maguire and Hughie O’Donoghue. Featured paintings also will include several important 19th and 20th‐century works by artists such as James Brenan, Daniel MacDonald, James Arthur O’Connor and Jack B. Yeats.

The museum is open Wednesdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursdays 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sundays 1 to 5 p.m.

For more information about Reilly’s performance, call 203-582-6500.

Read the original article at ctPostChronicle.com

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How It’s New York: Marie Reilly is the Protocol Officer of the Irish Consulate in NYC.
How It’s Irish: Reilly is from County Longford, and the tunes on the CD are trad but relatively uncommon.

Dan Neely attended the launch of Marie Reilly’s CD The Anvil a few months ago, and reported on the launch and the very unusual and fascinating CD, which he calls a “delight”:

Comprised of tunes from South Leitrim and Longford, much of the music was taken from manuscript collections compiled in those areas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.   which captures tunes Marie learned from her father.

Marie will be playing at the Concert for the Mercy Centre, which will now also benefit victims of Sandy in the Rockaways, on Monday, Nov. 19 at the Irish Arts Center.

In New York City, we’re privileged to have strong institutional support for traditional music.  Organizations like Irish Arts Center, Glucksman Ireland House and the New York Irish Center, for example, each do myriad things for the advancement of the traditional arts in New York City and their work is of great benefit to the community at large.  Another such entity doing great work is the Consulate General of Ireland in New York, led by Consul General Noel Kilkenny and his wife Hanora O’Dea Kilkenny.  Since arriving in New York in 2010, the Kilkennys have shown an unusual commitment to Irish music and dance by opening wide the Consulate’s doors to the community countless times.

One such moment occurred at the Consulate on April 25, when they hosted the launch of Consulate Protocol Officer Marie Reilly’s new CD,  The Anvil.  The launch drew people from all over the tri-state area, including Reilly’s friends and family and a phalanx of musicians.  People like Tom Dunne, Don Meade, Cillian Vallely, Marie Barrett, Desi Groarke, Marie Reilly (who also plays fiddle, and would be known for her work with her brother Martin and with Cherish the Ladies), Marian Makins, Donie Carroll, Niall O’Leary and Dan Milner (to name several, but not nearly all), proved an engaged audience and – after a few short speeches and a brief spotlight performance from Reilly and Gabriel Donohue – all took part in a lively session that lasted well into the evening.  The goodwill in the room was palpable.

I spoke with Reilly a few days after the event about her life in music, and her album.  Born into a musical family in County Longford, she began playing the fiddle at six years of age and learned from her father Michael, who in addition to being a musician (and the album’s dedicatee), was also a blacksmith.  His work is an important detail here: as a child, Reilly would spend time with her father as he worked at the forge.  There, they would “perform” together – he would whistle tunes and she would lilt along with them.  At the end of every tune, he’d tap the anvil with his hammer.  The sound of her father’s anvil is one of Reilly’s dear memories, and the inspiration behind her album’s title.

Unfortunately, her father died when she was a young woman, and in time she drifted away from her instrument.  She missed it, however, so once her family was grown she found her way back into playing – a process she found thrilling and immediately rewarding.  She credits her friends at the Doonbeg Social Club (a group of over 250 members that meets at the Kerry Hall in Yonkers, and which just celebrated its 50th anniversary) with providing the support and encouragement she needed to not only get back to the music, but to pay tribute to her father’s memory with an album.

The Anvil is a delight.  Comprised of tunes from South Leitrim and Longford, much of the music was taken from manuscript collections compiled in those areas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Although some of the tunes will be familiar to experienced listeners, Reilly’s versions all have delicate touches that many will find pleasantly surprising.  Several of the tunes, however, are rare and unusual, and will likely be unfamiliar to even experienced listeners!

Reilly’s playing on the album sensitively demonstrates the “slur-and-cut” style of bowing she inherited from her father.  In combination with Gabriel Donohue’s nuanced backing, Reilly has yielded an album of light, flowing music that bounces along with a pleasant gait.  The CD’s final three tracks – archival recordings of Reilly’s father Michael playing – complement the package perfectly and help make The Anvil a wonderful tribute.

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HDF Mercy Center Bangkok

Rescued from the streets of Bangkok these children have been spared a life of misery and hopelessness. Among the musicians taking part this year are recently crowned All-Ireland Button Accordion Champion Martin O Connell, Legendary piper Ivan Goff, Professor Mick Moloney, Caitlin Warbelow, Gabriel Donohue, Dan Neely, Marie Reilly, Martin Daly, Donie Carroll, Victor Cuneen, Johnny Jackpot, and a host of others.

Sean Nos Dancer Megan Downes and Friends will also appear as well as Mairteen De Cogain who is one of the best Story Tellers around and some surprise guests. The show which will be compered by well known entertainer Cathy Maguire will be preceded by a reception at 7.00pm all for the admission price of $50.00.

Tickets can be purchased by calling Donie Carroll at 917 723 7488. Tickets are not available at the Irish Rep.

Related show

• Artist: Marie Reilly
• Date: 19 Nov '12
• Time: 8:00am
• Venue: Irish Repertory Theatre
• City: New York
• Country: US
• Admission: $50
• Age restrictions: All Ages
• Box office: 917 723 7488

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Siobhán Long, read the original article at IrishTimes.com »

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Fiddler Marie Reilly released The Anvil this spring, an eighteen track tribute album jam-packed with rare and ancient folk songs whose roots lie in southern Leitrim and Longford. It is a lively and sentimental collection, paying tribute to her late father, Michael. A debut album, it carries a wealth of traditional tunes and echoes the sounds of a Longford style that is too often overlooked. The final three tracks on Anvil were recorded by the late Michael Reilly himself.

Reilly’s transitions throughout the album’s medleys are flawless. “The Vermont & The Friendly Visit” hornpipes are a particular highlight early in the collection, toeing the line between the kinetic fiddles energy and the sullen tone of a hornpipe rather masterfully. Reilly seems most at home, however, with her reels; attacking the notes without the hesitation that can at times overshadow a debut release. Overall, The Anvil is a gentle collection. With simple and modest production, it is a “living room” record–a perfect soundtrack to a Sunday afternoon.

— Tara Dougherty

Read the original article at IrishAmerica.com

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Sometimes you don’t have to dig too deep to find musical inspiration. For Marie Reilly it was very close to home indeed. The music of South Leitrim and Longford was handed down by her late father Michael Reilly. The main source of the material for the recording was the newly discovered manuscripts of Stephen Grier (late 1880’s) and Alex Sutherland (early 1900’s). Marie has recorded 15 tracks for this album with an additional three tunes played by the late Michael Reilly at the end of the album. In addition, there are meticulous track notes provided which gives real context and background to the album.

Marie adopts a very solid and expressive style in her playing. With echoes of Kathleen Collins or Josephine Keegan she plays sets that you may not have heard on the session circuit. Hornpipes like The Vermont/The Friendly Visit, schottisches like The Silver Bells/The Strathbrook, and Durang’s jig. All make for a new experience and for any aspiring fiddle players, Marie’s approach in both speed and ornamentation is a delight. This is leisurely paced music that is very well suited to this collection. The Low Level/Floods’s hornpipes is also a beautiful set taken from the Sutherland collection. She picks up the pace on the more well-known Greg’s Pipes/The London Lasses where she uses the scordatura fiddle tuning EAEA to give it the droning effect of the bagpipes. This tune it appears became the basis of other well-known tunes like the Bucks of Oranmore and the Foxhunter.

Maybe this could be the start of some more concept albums or regional albums celebrating the music of various areas. Either way the discovery of the above manuscripts has resulted in some outstanding new music played in a restrained yet refreshing manner. With some great accompaniment throughout, especially on keyboards and piano by Gabriel Donohue it is well worth the investment.

Read the original article at TradConnect.com »

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Over the years I’ve attended countless functions at the Irish Consulate in New York, but never one as lively as the CD launch night for fiddler Marie Reilly from Longford.

The reception room was filled with musicians, friends and well-wishers for the popular member of the consulate staff, who happens to be a very good traditional fiddler as well. This is very much in evidence with the release of her first solo recording Anvil.

The album sheds light on the fiddling style of the Leitrim/Longford area of fiddle playing as revealed in manuscripts and music associated with Marie’s late father Michael Reilly, a blacksmith who also played the fiddle and taught Marie how to play and encouraged her music from an early age.

Recorded and produced by Gabe Donahue in his new Philadelphia Cove Island Studio, it is an example of a home-made recording now possible without trying to please more commercially minded companies.

This allows the artist to tailor their music to their personal choice and purpose, in this case to share some lovely undiscovered tunes and settings that were unique to the area where Reilly was reared.
As such and with diligent liner notes, we come to know more about the musician and their music and to put it in a wider context.

Research at the Irish Traditional Music Archive aided Reilly in producing this CD as well. This coming Friday, the last Blarney Star concert before the summer break will put the spotlight on Reilly and her violin as Donahue accompanies her as he did on the recording.

The mews house setting will be ideal to listen to Reilly tell us about the music and the chunes influenced her life, and also the opportunity to listen to her in a quiet setting.

It starts at 9 p.m. at Glucksman Ireland House in Manhattan at 1 Washington Mews, just half a block from the Washington Square on Fifth Avenue. Visit blarneystar.com for more details.

Read the original article at IrishCentral.com »

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Photo by James Higgins

Fiddler Marie Reilly, 58, clearly has much to be grateful for, not the least of which is a much praised new album, “The Anvil,” her first, created after a 23-year self-imposed pause from playing. Irish Echo reviewer Dan Neely, for example, called the new album “a delight,” noting that “Reilly’s versions all have delicate touches that many will find pleasantly surprising.”

During her musical exile, which she says ended in February 2010, she raised her two children, Gearoid Keogh, 25, and Grainne Keogh, 23, a champion step-dancer.

Reilly grew up on the family farm, in the townland of Glannagh, Ballinalee, County Longford. She has dedicated her album to her father, famed Longford fiddler Michael Reilly, who happened to be a blacksmith as well as an exceptionally talented and learned fiddler, farmer and father of four.

Her father died in 1967 at the age of 46. Five years later, age 18, Reilly left Ireland, living eight years in England, where she taught music and performed with a folk group called Battering Ram. In 1980, she immigrated to the United States. She has resided in Yonkers, N.Y., a suburb of New York City, for the past 28 years.

Mindful of the imminence of Fathers Day, we e-mailed Reilly some questions about her father, and his imprint on her life.

The Wild Geese: Marie, what inspired you, after decades as a world-class fiddler, to finally undertake the work of producing your debut album? What was the impetus? How long has this project been in the works?

Marie Reilly: What was the incentive, you ask? I decided to undertake the work of producing a debut album to preserve the music for posterity. I think it is very important to convey invaluable insight into a unique style of fiddling, the less well-known south County Leitrim repertoire of tunes to a younger audience. Along with the motivation to share such rare music, I thought it would be a shame to give up my special talent.

I took a break from playing for a while because of family commitments and now that I have extra time I decided to take up music again, something I love doing. My father was a very well known and respected fiddle player, originally from Drumreilly, County Leitrim. From a young age, he instilled in me the importance of sustaining the musical traditions of the Reilly family, and I thought making a CD in honor of him was the perfect way to keep his music “alive.”

The project started over a year ago when I learned all of the new material, perfected it and started recording last November, (in) 2011.

The Wild Geese: Tell us a bit about your childhood — did you take immediately to the fiddle, did your Dad place it in your hands early on, or did you simply find yourself drawn to it? What age were you when you began playing?

Reilly: A word to describe my upbringing is that of a humble one, but I can honestly say I had everything I needed. I enjoyed my childhood, growing up on a farm, I never came short of excitement. I loved animals and in particular horses. We had a Connemara pony, named “Molly.” I loved to ride her through the fields and I tried my best to master the art of jumping. More often than not, I found myself on the ground — not everyone can be as successful as [multi-National Hunt champion] Pat Taaffe! Molly was a prize-winning pony, taking first place at many agricultural shows throughout Ireland along with our Irish setter, Florrie. We also had a forge, and I was completely fascinated with it, especially the anvil — hence the CD title. After a day at school, I spent a lot of my time in the forge with my father, lilting, singing, and trying to help him. We both enjoyed each other’s company.

From the age of 4, as soon as I was able to hold the fiddle, my father introduced it. He purchased a beginner fiddle, small in size. I used to sit on his lap, he would place the fiddle under my chin and begin to play a tune. It took some time before I was able to play a tune, but I’ll always remember the first tune I learned was “Three Blind Mice.”

The Wild Geese: How many hours a day did it take to gain your level of mastery? Were your brothers and mother supportive, or were there some sibling rivalry, teasing and such as many of us experienced growing up?

Reilly: I progressed quickly — with an hour or two of practice every day. Before I knew it, I was playing tunes with my father. My mother, a lovely singer and dancer herself, was very supportive of my music. She would sit, listen, and critique my playing. My older brother, Desmond, was playing music at the same time and we would practice together. This worked well if we were on good terms, otherwise it was a disaster — [then] no progress was made and the practice came to an abrupt end!

The Wild Geese: What was your father’s style of both parenting and instructing – very hands-on, demanding or more laid-back, encouraging, nurturing, or none or all of the aforementioned? Tell us about your relationship with your father, both with a fiddle in your hands and without.

Reilly: All of the above! He was a very loving man, always encouraging us to reach our full potential. While he was supportive, he could be very demanding at times – at least when it came to music. There was not much play until our school homework was complete, tunes were practiced and up to his standards, which at times were a little high! I had a great relationship with my father. If I am being honest, I was his favorite. (I am sure my siblings would not like to hear that). Wherever he went, I was there, too. Along with taking me to Fleadh Cheoil and Feiseanna, we performed together at local concerts and appeared on national television.

The Wild Geese: Your father clearly had an outsized influence on your life, your values. With Fathers Day nigh, If your father were able to read this, to hear this, what would you say to him?

Reilly: I love you, Dad, and a huge thank you for steering me in the right direction! I was blessed to have you in my life, not only for the fiddle tradition you instilled in me, but the strength you gave me to pursue my dream. You were and still are my inspiration, and I am sure so many others would say the same.

The Wild Geese: And by the way, who has your Dad’s fiddle now? And his anvil? Both would seem like valued, emotional touchstones for you.

Reilly: My younger, brother, Micheal, an all-Ireland champion, has my father’s fiddle. This is definitely an heirloom; it belonged to my grandfather, Terence Reilly. The prized anvil is in the possession of my little sister, Colette, who currently resides in [Drumshanbo,] County Leitrim. WG

Read the original article at TheWildGeese.com »

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