The Songman – A Journey in Irish Music
by Tommy Sands, inscribed and signed on front page
The book features a unique look at the great Tommy Sands, plenty of charm and biographical details, hard to find title, will look great in your collection.
‘With a Fenian fiddle in one ear and an Orange drum in the other’, singer Tommy Sands was reared in the foothills of the Mourne mountains, where he still lives. As a child, he was immersed in folk music – his father played the fiddle, his mother the accordion. The kitchen was where Protestant and Catholic farmers alike would gather for songs and storytelling at the end of a day’s harvesting. During the sixties and seventies Tommy was chief songwriter for The Sands Family, who played wherever they were welcome, from local wakes and weddings to New York’s Carnegie Hall; his songs have been recorded by Joan Baez, Dolores Keane, Dick Gaughan and The Dubliners. He tells of his family’s traditional way of life; of the turbulent days of the civil rights movement; The Bothy Band brawling in Brittany; encounters with Alan Stivell, Mary O’Hara and Pete Seeger; Ian Paisley on his radio show Country Céilí; and a ‘defining moment’ during the Good Friday Agreement talks, when he organized an impromptu performance with children and Lambeg drummers. The Songman is a memoir replete with warmth and wit.
Copyright 2005
Pages: 266 pages
Publisher: Lilliput Press
The book measures approx. 9 by 6 inches. The softcover is nice with some gentle wear and rubbing. The spine end is good with some light wear. The boards and corners are in good shape. The hinges and binding are tight and strong. The pages are good with some light wear, book is nice. Shipping weight is 4 pounds
Inventory: 0523CI149