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Series 2, Programme 2: Frank Custy’s, Toonagh
By Paula Carroll | January 20, 2009
Frank Custy
What a night in Frank Custy’s in Toonagh Last Sunday. I think I experienced the full range of radio-producers emotions in just 2 hours. - from the need to be in control of a production to the euphoria of losing control and letting the show take its own course. We like to have around 8 core musicians, and weave the others in and out of the show. Last night we had about 19, I think - not counting listeners who whipped flutes out of pockets and sat in on the session towards the end. But once I gave up on the notion that I had any influence over them, and let them off, it was great!
And that was the way it had to be. When I asked Frank to would he host a Kitchen Session, he said he’d love to but it should be in his “real kitchen” in the Hall in Toonagh, where he taught school and music for decades to his own neighbours and friends and their children. Shortly after that he presented me with a list of people he’d like to invite to play at it. As long as your arm! I was lucky to get it down to a manageable nineteen!
But I love the way each show has a different shape according to the personality of the host. And it’s really nice to hand it over to them, and through them get a real feel for the community – musical and geographical – they belong to.
Sharon Shannon, Siobhán Peoples, James Cullinan…: There were many stars of traditional music who had their first taste of the music through Frank Custy in Toonagh National School, but as one man said to me – “What’s important about Frank Custy is not the musical geniuses who passed through that school, but all the ordinary people of North Clare, who can now pick up an instrument and knock a tune out of it, thanks to him.”
That’s Frank Custy’s gift to the people of his area. And that, I think, is the feel you’ll get off this show.
Bernie Whelan
Many memorable moments in this show too. One of the big discoveries for me was Bernie Whelan, “the last undiscovered brilliant fiddler in the country” as one man said (the same man who made the comment about Frank Custy above!) And listen to the blessed pairing of herself and box-player PJ King.
Tony Cullinan too, who arrived minutes before we were due to go live, with no time to tune up, not to mention decide what tunes he might play with Sean Conway. Their first attempt didn’t quite come off as intended. But Tony, a comic genius and master fiddler, wasn’t going to have that marr his night. He and Sean floored us with their final performance (unplanned and at 3 minutes to the end of the show). Such drive! There was no way we could stop that music just to say our thank yous! The musicians saw the look of consternation ( mixed with joy!) on the face of yours truly. And they knew what to do. With a minute to go about 18 of them just joined in and raised the rafters. Listen to it and have a giggle as you imagine the production team’s worried looks at the clock, and each other. Of course you can now hear it to the end – not cut off by the 7 pm news about more bank collapses…. If you listen really closely you might hear Tony Cullinan asking “Did we time it right now?!” at the very end!
Tony Cullinan and Seán Conway
Topics: Frank Custy, Toonagh, Podcasts, Series 2 |
January 26th, 2009 at 4:38 am
I live in the Philadelphia area and have been listening to these sessions. They are brilliant! I have a traditional Irish radio show on Sundays and I’ve been telling my audience to listen in. I come to the Willie Week every summer (as a setdancer) and spent a fair amount of time in Tony’s company this past summer in Tom Malone’s Markethouse in Miltown, where he held court. Keep up the great work, it makes me feel like I’m back in Clare!
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:40 pm
[...] highlights of the Toonagh show captured on video. The full audio podcast is here, and you can browse the photographs [...]