Chief O'Neill & The Lost Tunes of Ireland

Description

Led by the same team that brought you Belfast to Bluegrass, Severin Behnen & Stevie Matier,  journey into the exploration of one of Ireland's most celebrated sons, Francis O'Neill. From Tralibane, County Cork, Ireland to the United States via Alexandria, Odessa and Constantinople, the admired Police Chief of Chicago devoted much of his private life to his intense passion for the traditional music of his native land. Revered as "the greatest individual influence on the evolution of Irish traditional dance music in the twentieth century," O’Neill collected thousands of pieces of Irish music and publications - sharing his vast collection through several published works between 1903 and 1924. Those historic publications, now considered the definitive playbook for all traditional Irish musicians, forever remain a foundational source for Irish traditional music world-wide.        

 In this brand new Big Top Original production, you'll dive deep into the remarkable and invaluable contributions O'Neill made to Ireland's music heritage, hearing many of the songs found in his collections. There will be music that you can't help moving to, stories that make you feel the magic of the Emerald Isle, and joyful songs that you never knew you knew! Featuring Behnen & Matier with Molly Otis, Nori Schwenzfeier, Andy Noyes, Karl Wallin, Tom Undine on pipes & whistles plus other special guests.