NEWS

May 2008

IN PRAISE OF CONNEMARA

Helene Dunbar meets Bill Whelan and finds out that his latest work explores a deeper side of his psyche.

Bill Whelan's name is, of course, synonymous with "Riverdance", the seven-minute composition written for the interval of 1994's Eurovision Song Contest that went on, as a full-length production, to take over the world of musical theatre. And it would be easy, 24 years on now, to fill a book about the impact that the show has had on the worldwide perception and popularity of Irish music and dance.

But Whelan, who has played keyboards with Planxty, produced records for the likes of U2, Kate Bush, and Patrick Street, written award-winning theatrical, film, and television scores, and composed a slew of highly acclaimed orchestral works, views his seminal show as simply one step on his musical journey.

His newest work, "The Connemara Suite" (Tara Records) is performed by the Irish Chamber Orchestra conducted by David Jones and features Zoe Conway (solo fiddle), Morgan Crowley (vocal and lilting), Colin Dunne (dance percussion), Fionnuala Hunt (solo violin), and Michelle Mulcahy (harp) . "From a personal perspective it doesn't represent too much of a shift since many of the things I've done since the late 1980's onwards would have had an orchestral aspect to it," explains Whelan. "For me to move towards chamber music was somewhat accidental but when I did get connected to it, I began to enjoy it."

Setting out to "write for traditional musicians within the framework of a chamber orchestra" Whelan admits, comes with intrinsic challenges. "There are always problems that apply when you work with traditional instruments and an orchestra. For instance, if you involve the pipes even the best piper in the world is bound by the fact that his instrument will only play two octaves. In 'The Connemara Suite', I worked deliberately with instruments that weren't subject to those constraints. Zoe plays traditional fiddle but she is also a classically trained musician who can move in and out of the tradition. Michelle plays Irish harp - it's not a concert harp so it's not as flexible – but she plays melodic and accompanies herself in a unique way so that at times she sounds like two harpists, or a harpist and a guitar. Most interesting is Colin Dunne – He is probably one of the most extraordinary Irish dancers in that he is very much rooted in the tradition but is not afraid to move out and have a look at what's going on elsewhere."

That philosophy is something that Whelan also tries to exemplify, particularly in the second of 'The Connemara Suite's three pieces, Errisbeg. "It uses pieces of the Irish tradition but I've also tried to flex some slightly different muscles in terms of my own writing," he explains. "It's probably not as accessible as other parts of my music. But, I feel that this album, even though it's got none of the pizzazz of "Riverdance", or none of the big orchestral power, has strengths in other ways that are moving slightly more towards a darker side of my own emotional expression."

Additionally, Whelan is also working on another piece of music theatre. He has been asked to create a work for New York's Metropolitan Opera. "I got a call asking if I would write 'a musical or an opera'. Its wide open and this was the spirit of the whole adventure and indeed it is an adventure for everyone involved. They've asked people like myself, Wynton Marsalis, and Rufus Wainwright to write – which a leap of faith on the part of (Met's General Manager) Peter Gelb and (Lincoln Center Theatre's Artistic Director) Andrea Bishop that they wanted to stimulate some new writing and see what comes out of it. But as to what it is, and what it will be, it's early to say."

To Whelan, his focus on a more classical style is a return to the path that the success of 'Riverdance' diverted him from. "As with many people in Ireland who came through the music industry in the 70's and 80's I kind of had to do everything to survive. And I'd made a decision that that was getting me nowhere and that I was only going to write." Out of that period grew "The Seville Suite" which Whelan wrote for the celebration of Ireland's National Day at Expo '92 and "The Spirit of Mayo", performed in 1993 in Dublin's National Concert Hall. And then "Riverdance".

"'Riverdance' was a massive rock to throw into the water and it created quite a splash in the personal lives of those involved and by 'personal' I include the artistic life." says Whelan. "It gave me a certain amount of financial comfort which was a completely new experience. But on the negative side …we developed more shows, took the show to America, developed a second company. I spent a number of years, it seems, auditioning new musicians, going to Australia, Japan, doing press. When I look back, I wonder, what would have happened had I had the confidence to say 'it's up and it's running, goodbye.' Yes, 'Riverdance' made a big difference. But while not many people would have sympathy with me because I have done very well out of it, I also have to live with myself personally and there are times I have wondered 'if it hadn't been there, would I have done something else less interesting financially and in terms of global impact but artistically interesting for me? Would I have done a show with puppets in Paris or something?'

"But in a way," he laughs. "'Get over it Bill'. I like what's happening now. The Connemara Suite is almost like a centering, a reconnection with where I want to go musically. I'm glad I did it and certainly the thing here at the Met is right."

"But at times both the size of 'Riverdance' and eventually the expectation for me to do another 'Riverdance' became somewhat of a weight. I felt we did it and it would be dishonoring where it came from if I tried to do it again and to cash in on it. 'Riverdance' didn't cash in on anything that was already there. It was something that came out on its own. I remember Fintan Vallely, who was writing, I think, in the Irish Times, said that whatever he felt about the show and he had critical things to say about it, he did not look forward to the outpouring of imitators and copiers that would follow. I remember reading that and saying 'that is not going to happen.' And it did unfortunately."

About the new crop of Celtic music shows Whelan says wryly "Well, they all have the word 'Celtic' in them. I don't really want to get involved in a commentary about any of them frankly, I can only speak about the show that I know and that is 'Riverdance'. To many people 'Riverdance' may have seemed like an explosion on an evening. To those of us 'involved with it, and to me in particular, it represented a stage along a track. Now it was a very lucky stage and a very important stage but it nevertheless came out of something. I called it 'Riverdance' because of its connection to 'Timedance' which I wrote in 1981 with Donal Lunny. I made that connection deliberately because to me it was a continuance of that work; it was a continuance of my work with 'EastWind' (Andy Irvine/Davey Spillane); it was a continuance of my work with 'Seville Suite'; it didn't just happen. It came out of somewhere."

"And that somewhere," muses Whelan, "was really pre-Celtic Tiger Ireland, which is another Celtic that I have quite a bit of issue with. I'm not sure if I understand the Ireland that is painted as the Celtic Tiger Ireland. It's not one that I personally relate to even though 'Riverdance' is often used as its cultural icon. I reject that absolutely and I'm sorry if people say 'tough luck that's what it is.' But we never saw it becoming what it became. I would put my hand on my heart and say that 'Riverdance' had nothing to do with a cynical attempt to make money."

He continues, "You know, Michael Flatly did his own show and if anyone had a right to try to do another Irish dance show, he did. He was absolutely in his rights to do it and I have no problem with that. But it's something about what it says about ourselves. Irish people should be a little more confident than feeling 'look, we're just going to get one shot here – let's really milk this thing.' We should say 'we're going to do something different now. We're going to take them all a little bit by surprise and instead of doing the same thing; we're going to do something quite a bit different.'"

As for traditional music, Whelan says "I sense it's in some kind of pause. I think it's currently healthy but that people are regrouping, having a think about where next to go with it. There's a lot of interest in it still, a lot of young people taking it up. The work of Comhaltas, the Fleadh in Ireland, and the Willy Clancy School - these are all fantastic things and should be minded and guarded and we'll always have to go back to these things to move forward – little touchstones of the purity of the tradition."

Growing up in a home with not only traditional music but also everything from Verdi, to Glenn Miller, to Elvis Presley, Whelan believes in both the purity of tradition and that things must keep moving forward in new and unexpected ways. "I think it's important to keep your ears open. I believe that every kind of music has its own truths and its own abilities to communicate and if you stay with it long enough you'll find it. There are things there that are part of Jewish Klezmer, and Eastern European music, and Argentinean Tango that are available to speak to all of us. Why should a guy from Brazil connect to Irish music? Because anyone can. It's everybody's music really. Even though we make it for ourselves, it belongs to the world."

Interview by Helene Dunbar
Reprinted courtesy of Irish Music Magazine and taken from June issue 2008
www.irishmusicmagazine.com