Need a Few Irish songs for Senior Living Gig

[cliff_the_stiff]

I heard an ensemble playing “Black Velvet band” in Clifden Ireland a few years ago. I picked up this book in Galway.

[generalliamsayn]

Originally Posted by frankmcr

No Pogues . . .

Gotta disagree here...ever hear "Lullaby of London"? It's a gorgeous, mellow song that I've always gotten a great response with when I have performed it.

A very underrated Shane McG song, IMHO.

[JERZEY]

Londonderry Air, The South Wind, Whiskey in the Jar, The Parting Glass, Whiskey Before Breakfast, Hard Times Come Again No more, Down By The Sally Gardens. All songs anyone will know in most countries.

[mawmow]

Maybe you could find some on Will Fly's website.

I would suggest some songbooks I bought :

Fingerpicking Celtic Folk (in the series "Fringerpicking..."; all in standard tuning EADGBE)

Celtic Music for Guitar by Allan Alexander

50 Easy Irish Favorites for Classical Guitar by Jerry Willard (standard tuning and drop D)

Glenn Weiser's :
Celtic Harp Music of Carolan and others for Solo Guitar (standard tuning with some in Drop D)
Celtic Guitar Encyclopedi (standard tuning and drop D)

Stefan Grossman also publlished some songbooks with reknowned players :
World of Celtic Fingerstyle Guitar (in DADGAD and other altered tunings)
Mel Bay's Complete Celtic Fingerstyle GuitR Book (mostly in altered tunings)

Hope it helps !

[donlyn]

Need a Few Irish songs for Senior Living Gig

Most of my playing (and participation) songs have already been covered, but I'll re-cap those here:

Whiskey in the Jar
Danny Boy
the Rising of the Moon
Wild Rover
Wild Mountain Thyme
Finnegan's Wake
- and
I'm Shipping Up To Boston (a huge local favorite).

Don
.
PS > A fingerpicked 12 string tuned to DADGAD can add a lot to some Irish songs.
.

[fitz]

Galway Girl - best Irish song ever by a non Irish person.

[moosedog]

I am assuming you are in the US? I find that a lot of people do not know the more traditional Irish songs like Four Green Fields or From Clare To Here or even Black Velvet Band but with the right intro (a little background) you can capture their attention. You might want to throw in a few more “American Irish” songs like When Irish Eyes Are Smiling or Too Ra Loo or Rose of Tralee and definitely Danny Boy which they will know. They will remember Bing Crosby doing these songs and for many folks of that age group these are what they think of for Irish songs. There is also a nice song that Johnny Cash wrote in the 50’s called Forty Shades of Green. Good luck and have fun!

[Brushwood]

How about From Galway to Graceland by Richard Thompson? An Irish Elvis song...how can you miss?
Btw, in the 2nd verse I’ve heard Richard Thompson sing “She sang love me tender...that’s the song she liked best.” instead of the often sung “She was humming Suspicion...that’s the song she liked best.” I like the former version myself...more romantic for the story imho.

[filmdscotland]

Spent my life playing in the Irish bars in Edinburgh and over in Dublin.

Top tracks :

I used to Love her - Saw Doctors
N17. - Also Saw Doctors
Green Fields of France - The Fury's
Grace - Christy Moore
Dirty Old town - Pouges
Streams of Whiskey - Pouges
Las Vegas in the hills.. - Goats don't Shave
Fields of Athenry - Various (highly political over here)
This is - Aslan
Galway Girl - Mundy version
--------
Then your usual stuff -

Irish Rover, Whisky in the Jar, Dirty old town, etc etc..

If it's for old folks, just do some Foster and Allen, Christy Moore, and Daniel O'Donnell....

Boom baby

[texastengu]

Crooked Jack

[Jim Comeaux]

I noticed that someone listed Kevin Barry as a tune. If you are going to play that one, you might as well add in The Jolly Plowboy and a few more IRA marching songs.

[6L6]

Here ya go:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c95TtyqbRhE