Local Ground

Local Ground is the ninth studio album by Irish folk music group Altan, released in March 2005 on the Narada label.

Local Ground
Studio album by
Altan
Released1 March 2005
RecordedSummer 2004
StudioWestland Studios in Dublin, Ireland
GenreCeltic
Length46:42
LabelNarada (VERTCD069)
ProducerAltan
Altan chronology
The Blue Idol
(2002)		 Local Ground
(2005)		 25th Anniversary Celebration
(2010)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [1][lower-alpha 1]
musicscotland.comvery favourable[2]
Amazon.comvery favourable[3]
Tom HullB[4]

Recording

For the recording of Local Ground, Altan invited a few of their friends in music to play on the album. Former Bothy Band founder Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill plays piano on guitarist Dáithí Sproule's composition "The Roseville", a kind of a slip-reel. Steve Cooney guests on bass and Dónal Lunny adds guitar. Altan have asked Galician piper Carlos Núñez to contribute some gaita (Galician bagpipes) to two tracks. Bodhrán maestro Jim Higgins provides the rhythmic pulse on many of the tracks while Graham Henderson adds some touches of keyboard colour to a set of reels.[2]

Artwork and title

The cover art is a reproduction of a painting by Kilkenny-based artist Bernadette Kiely. The album title "Local Ground" comes from the painting title.[5]

Critical reception

Local Ground received a very positive review from the musicscotland.com website, describing it as «an album of beauty, energy, grace and finesse, retaining the enthusiasm that originally shaped [Altan's] music.»[2]

The album also received a warm review from Amazon.com website's critic Christina Roden, stating: «For [Local Ground], the veteran Irish ensemble has gathered 13 traditional and newly composed tunes. [...] The set list includes several of the jaunty dance tunes that are the soul of Irish music. [...] Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh's fragile, girlish soprano creates many of the album's most memorable moments [such as] "Adieu My Lovely Nancy" and [the] lullaby "Dun Do Shuil". [...] The entire album has home-town warmth to it, a sense of achieved heritage that is at once soothing and invigorating.»[3]

Track listing

Source[6][7]

All songs, medleys and tunes are traditional, except as indicated.

No.TitleWriter(s)TypeLength
1."Éirigh's Cuir Ort Do Chuid Éadaigh" Song #13:18
2."Tommy Peoples/The Road to Cashel/The Repeal of the Union/Richie's Reel"Charlie Lennon ("The Road To Cashel") / Ciaran Tourish ("Richie's Reel")Medley #1 (4 reels)3:46
3."Is the Big Man Within?/Tilly Finn's Reel" Medley #2 (2 reels)3:48
4."Adieu, My Lovely Nancy" Song #23:15
5."Bó Mhín Na Toitean/Con McGinley's Highland/Seanamhach Tube Station"John Carthy ("Seanamhach Tube Station")Medley #3 (1 march, 1 highland, 1 jig)4:01
6."Amhrán Pheadair Bhreathnaigh" Song #33:54
7."The Roseville"Dáithí SprouleTune #1 (slip-reel)2:21
8."As I Roved Out" Song #44:20
9."Spórt"Peadar Ó RiadaTune #2 (1 jig)3:02
10."The Humours of Castlefin/Nia's Dance/An Dúidín"Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh ("Nia's Dance")Medley #4 (3 reels)3:26
11."The Wind and Rain" Song #5 (song & jig)4:03
12."The Silver Slipper" Tune #3 (1 jig)3:32
13."Dún Do Shúil" Song #63:56
14."Andy Dixon's/Ril Chois Claiding/The Swilly Reel (Bonus Track for Japan)" Reels3:29

Personnel

Altan

Adapted from the AllMusic credits.[8]

Guest musicians

Production
  • Alvin Sweeney – engineer
  • Bernadette Kiely – artwork[9]
  • Édain O'Donnell – photography

Track notes
  1. "Éirigh 's Cuir Ort Do Chuid Éadaigh": guitar – Dónal Lunny; percussion – Jim Higgins; the title of the song means "Arise now and dress yourself quickly"
  2. "Tommy Peoples/The Road to Cashel/The Repeal of the Union/Richie's Reel": bodhrán – Jim Higgins; keyboards – Graham Henderson
  3. "Is the Big Man Within?/Tilly Finn's Reel": bodhrán – Jim Higgins; whistle, bagpipes (Galician gaita) – Carlos Núñez
  4. "Adieu, My Lovely Nancy": bass – Stephen Cooney; percussion – Jim Higgins
  5. "Bó Mhín Na Toitean/Con McGinley's Highland/Seanamhach Tube Station"
  6. "Amhrán Pheadair Bhreathnaigh": bass – Stephen Cooney; translated by Proinsias Ó Maonaigh
  7. "The Roseville": percussion – Jim Higgins; piano – Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill
  8. "As I Roved Out"
  9. "Spórt": percussion – Jim Higgins
  10. "The Humours of Castlefin/Nia's Dance/An Dúidín": bass – Stephen Cooney; percussion – Jim Higgins
  11. "The Wind and Rain": bass – Stephen Cooney; bodhrán – Jim Higgins
  12. "The Silver Slipper": percussion – Jim Higgins; whistle, bagpipes (Galician gaita) – Carlos Núñez
  13. "Dún Do Shúil": backing vocals – Ciaran Tourish, Dáithí Sproule, Mark Kelly; keyboards – Graham Henderson; translated by Proinsias Ó Maonaigh; the title of the song means "Close Your Eyes"

Live performances

Altan played live in concert the following tracks:

  • "Is the Big Man Within?/Tilly Finn's Reel"
  • "The Roseville"
  • "As I Roved Out"
  • "The Humours of Castlefin/Nia's Dance/An Dúidín"
  • "The Silver Slipper"
  • "Dún Do Shúil"
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References

Notes

  1. Allmusic errenously refers to 'Maighread' as the lead singer/violinist; they are mistaken and may have misspelled actual bandmember Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh's name. This is the case with many Allmusic reviews of Altan's music - other errenous 'variants' include 'Maircad Ni Mhaonaigh', 'Maighread Ní Mhaonaigh', and 'Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill' [a wholly different person].
  1. Monger, James Christopher. Local Ground at AllMusic
  2. "Altan – Local Ground". musicscotland.com. 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  3. "Local Ground Audio CD – Altan". Amazon.com. 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  4. Hull, Tom (May 2005). "Recycled Goods (19)". A Consumer Guide to the Trailing Edge. Tom Hull. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  5. "Local Ground". altan.ie. 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  6. "Altan – Local Ground". Discogs. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  7. "Album Details for Local Ground by Altan". irishtune.info. 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  8. "Local Ground – Altan | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  9. "Bernadette Kiely". aosdana.artscouncil.ie. 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
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