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It’s more than just the jigs, reels, and hornpipes. It also includes marches, slides, polkas, flings, waltzes, barn dances, and airs played on the fiddle, pipes, flute, accordion, tin whistle, concertina, piano, and bodhran. Far from being limited to the Irish, this music has been adapted and played by the country dance community for all people dancing contra and square dances. Similar to most emigrants, the Irish brought with them their music along with their sports and stories and literature. Two events that had a profound effect on the spread and popularity of Irish music occurred in America. One was the publication in 1903 of the massive collection of tunes by Capt. Francis O’Neill in Chicago. The other was the recording of traditional Irish musicians Herborn and Wheeler in New York City in 1916 by Columbia. Irish immigrant musicians in New York City in the first half of the 1900s such as Coleman, Killoran, Morrison, Conlon, Quinn, the Flanagan Brothers, and the McNulty Family made most of the recordings and were the best anywhere. The popularity of the recordings from both large labels as well as smaller Irish only labels, helped to spread the music here and also back in Ireland. Events in Ireland in the mid 1960s created a dual path for traditional music. Classical musician and composer Sean O’Riada took the music out of the kitchen and dance hall and put it on the concert stage. His group was the first to play arrangements of dance tunes for listening. After his early death, some of his musicians continued as the Chieftains, a concert group. The Irish, like others, formed many organizations to preserve and promote their culture and sports. Most of the clubs however, especially the county clubs, were social in nature, organizing dances, dinners, and concerts. Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, formed in the 50s in Ireland, came to New York in 1972 and was organized by Bill McEvoy. There are now nine branches of Comhaltas in New York State promoting the music, song, dance and language of Ireland. Five branches are in the Northeast region and four in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Comhaltas has replaced many of the earlier social clubs as the predominant Irish cultural organization. Comhaltas branches have all or some of the following activities: jam sessions; céilís (organized dances with a caller); concerts; classes; annual cultural days; local radio shows; instrument loan programs; and archives. Ted McGraw, Comhaltas North American archivist, has a large personal collection that is open to researchers by appointment. There is no charge. [Summary written by Ted McGraw.] Artists: Brendan Brown Brian Conway Dady Bros. Joanie Madden, of ‘Cherish the Ladies’ Cathy McGrath, of ‘Cuisle Mo Chroi’ Ted McGraw Ben MacInTuile Jayne Pomplas, 9-year-old prodigy who has appeared with the Chieftains John Ryan Nick Tiberio

Wren Day, at Carroll’s, December 26, 2009. Photo by Cathy McGrath Read more about Irish traditional music in NY State here: “The Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Archive of Traditional Irish Music” byTed McGraw, in Voices 29:3-4, Fall-Winter, 2003. Download PDF of article here. “Our Own Little Isle: Irish Traditional Music in New York” by Rebecca S. Miller, in New York Folklore 14:3-4, 1988 “Cherish the Ladies” by Mick Moloney, in New York Folklore 25:1-4, 1999 “Una Ban: An Irish Song and Story” by James O’Beirne, in New York Folklore Quarterly 2:4, 1946 “The Scotch-Irish and the British Traditional Ballad in America” by William H. Tallmadge, in New York Folklore Quarterly 24:4, 1968 “Narratives Associated with Irish Fiddle Tunes: Some Contextual Considerations” by Michael Stoner, in New York Folklore 2:1-2, 1976

The steel guitar is well-known in the country and western tradition, but is very rare in African American church services, with the exception of the House of God steel guitar tradition. The House of God Keith Dominion Church is a Holiness-Pentacostal denomination that started in the South around 1903. The tradition of playing steel guitar in worship services started with a young man, Troman Eason, in Philadelphia who liked the sound of Hawaiian steel guitar coming over the radio in the 1930s, learned to play the instrument, and began playing it at House of God services in Philly. Soon he was asked by the Bishop to join the Gospel Feast Party Band, a group of musicians and preachers based in New York that regularly traveled to Florida. Musical traveling like this kept this tradition alive amongst House of God churches in disparate areas, and developed a strong communal tradition despite the geographical differences. Troman and his brother Willie were the early pioneers of the sacred steel guitar tradition, clearly drawing from an African American musical heritage in the way they incorporated call-and-response type stylings, mimicked the sound of gospel choirs and even imitated the vocal yells and shouts of field hollers. Henry Nelson, a bishop’s son from Florida, and Calvin Cooke, based in Detroit, are some of the other well-known masters of the tradition. Born to a New York state Bishop of the church in Rochester, Chuck Campbell became proficient in steel guitar during his teen years, and was one of the first to play the pedal steel guitar in the House of God Keith Dominion. He is known as an innovator of the tradition, having mastered the styles of Calvin Cooke and Henry Nelson. He continues to innovate with his brothers in the Campbell Brothers Band, using distortion, complex chords and fast picking. Lonnie “Big Ben” Bennett was the son of a minister in the House of God Church in Rochester, and grew up with the sounds of sacred steel guitar. He saw Calvin Cooke in a live service, and ever since strived to play like the master. He continues to play with his sons in Rochester. Musicians such as these continue to meet and be influenced by each other—despite geographical differences—through sacred conventions and meetings. The tradition has been spreading and gaining popularity in recent years thanks to the release of sacred steel recordings, put out by Arhoolie Records, and live performances outside of a sacred setting. Artists: Charles T. “Chuck” Campbell Lonnie “Big Ben” Bennett and family The Campbell Brothers

Chuck Campbell plays “Jump for Joy” at the Sacred Steel Convention, Sanford, Florida, 2001. Photo: Robert Stone Read more about House of God steel guitar here: “Sacred Steel and the Empire State“ by Robert L. Stone, in Voices 28:3-4, Fall-Winter, 2002. Download PDF of article here. “A Joyful Noise” by Jim Markell and Jeff Truesdell, published in Orlando Weekly, 3/29/01

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