I have found a whole new music genre to enjoy

Published: Sat 13 Apr 2024, 9:00 AM

Bernie Comaskey - You can't be serious

I regard it as a freak of nature that I cannot sing. I love music. The music is in me; it’s there from my toes as far as my chin, and from the top of my head as far as my nose… but it won’t come out of my mouth!

(Mind you, this very same affliction doesn’t stop my otherwise multi-talented sister-in-law, Joan… who loves going to Mass, because it is the only place that no one tells her to shut up when she sings!)

I was brought up listening to music: there was a gramophone in our house and our English and American visitors were constantly adding to our stack of records.

Until I reached my mid-teens, I honestly believed that the only real musical instrument was the accordion. In fact – and proving the above – I can rasp out a tune on either a button-key or piano-accordion – or on the mouth-organ; which is, I suppose, the poor man’s accordion! The wireless highlights in the house of my youth were ‘Dinjo’s Take the Floor’, ‘Ceili House’, ‘The Vincent Lowe Trio’, ‘Jimmy Shand’ and the ‘Gallowglass Ceili Band’.

Then when my good-looking aunts came home from America and England, there were late night house parties with live music. The orchestra consisted of Mickey Reilly and Renzie Ivory on accordion and my father joyfully belting out all of his frustration on his beloved bodhrán!

The ‘bit of brass’ was my next big fix. Working in Merlehen’s pub in Delvin, one night there was a trad-jazz band playing on BBC and suddenly they struck up a jazzed up version of ‘It’s a long way to Tipperary’ and I was hooked. ‘The Merry Minstrels’ became my first pin-up heroes, blasting out their signature tune; ‘There’ll be a hot time in the old town tonight!’.

‘The Clipper Carlton’ and ‘Maurice Mulcahy’ turned me on big time… and then came ‘Rock ‘n Roll’. Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard. Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins – and not forgetting our own great stars like ‘The Drifters’ and ‘The Capital’… we could go on. Funny, but I was never a Beetles fan; Give me ‘Creedence Clearwater Revival’ any day.

For my 60th birthday, Mrs Youcantbeserious surprised me with a round trip, taking in Memphis, Nashville and New Orleans. Don’t start me… it was magic.

I love real country music. I am a big fan, and also there is something exceptionally inspirational in Southern Gospel music. If I was pushed into a corner though, I would have to come down on the side of ‘Dixieland Jazz’ as my favourite music. Sadly that genre has faded in popularity outside of New Orleans.

By the way, I will always remember the day I got married because Louis Armstrong died the same day. (Ahem…)

Music cuts across linguist and cultural barriers. It has the power to move people, tell stories and evoke strong emotions. We have mentioned here previously how people with Alzheimer’s and Dementia will respond with pleasure on hearing a tune they know. My brother, Sean, takes his vast array of music and his ‘turn-table’ to St Camillus Nursing Centre, two days a week. Sean has an amazing rapport with the residents and they just love his two hours of playing their favourites.

We are spoiled now by how easy it is to access any tune we want. Back in the day, you had to listen to a whole record or tape, waiting for your favourite tune. Now ‘Alexa’, or her cousin will bow to an instant request for any song; and even then, if it doesn’t do it for you, all you have to say is ‘Alexa… next!’.

It is the car radio that has recently given me a window into a whole new music scene. Before that, can I tell you how irritating I began to find a lot of the drivel that passes for entertainment on radio. So much of the time is taken up with listeners wasting airtime with comments that few would give two hoots about, and often drawing even more fatuous waffle from the presenter.

And then I found a station that doesn’t ever irritate. It might not have you jumping up and down or pounding the steering wheel; but it is always soothing, relaxing, sometimes beautiful – and best of all, it won’t annoy you. Actually, I first tuned into RTÉ Lyric FM in the sauna; but now it is my front seat passenger – except when the news is on or sports reporting.

My dear friend, Eamonn Lawlor, launched RTÉ Lyric FM in 1999. I suppose it is fair to call its content ‘light classical’, but you can also sometimes be treated to an old Irish air or a popular melody from any generation. Eamonn made the station and it is still in pretty good shape. Entertaining without irritating!