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Marty Cullen continues his song-filled odyssey around Ulster, this week in County Tyrone. He meets emerging traditional singers with a passion for local ballads.

Marty Cullen continues his song-filled odyssey around Ulster to the land of ghosts and giants - County Tyrone. A walk down history's path would show that producing talented singers has never
been a problem for the patch of land that stretches from Lough Neagh to the foot of the Sperrins. With no need for strings or flutes, their voices flow as clear as their waters and as lofty as their mountains.

Traditional songs breathe life in the physical world. Songs were written for walking to work. Songs were written to plough the fields, milk the cows or to weave at the loom. Songs were written to mourn the losses of a community and to help struggle against life's foul misfortunes. Although they were written to be sung unaccompanied, they were never written to be alone. Be it the birds in the bushes. Be it the factory's bell. Be it the rain bashing off a winter's window, the songs were not accompanied by strings, but by life.

From Lough Neah's shore to Dromore's red bogs, the singers in this series step outside the studio and sing to their hearts' content in a spot that bellows fire to their song. Let's hear music naturally in the world, instead of mixed in a vacuum.

30 minutes

Last on

Tue 27 Feb 2018 19:30

Broadcasts

  • Sun 21 May 2017 12:30
  • Thu 25 May 2017 19:30
  • Sun 25 Feb 2018 18:30
  • Tue 27 Feb 2018 19:30