Review
A compendium of local musicians? Music to my ears, says Catherine McGrotty.
- City of Music: Derry’s Music Heritage
- (Guildhall Press)
Marching On
An ambitious undertaking by the local publisher, which succeeds remarkably well considering the diversity and depth of its subject.
Divided into sections by genre and roughly chronological, City of Music attempts to compile a history of the people who have impacted on the musical life of Ulster’s second city over the years.
From marching bands and balladeers, choral champions and pop idols, jazzmen and showbands, to opera divas and classical musicians - they’re all here. Legends in the ‘city of music’ range from the internationally famous (Coulter and Coyle – need one say more) to those whose contribution has been more low-key, though just as important for the people of the city. Guildhall Press invites you to ‘take a trip down through the years with Derry’s best-loved musical ambassadors’.
This treasury of Derry’s finest singers and musicians shines a light on the intercontinental Victorian stars who graced the stages of Derry’s old theatres and concert halls, charts the history of the marching-band tradition through the 20th century and recalls the influx of American GIs during WWII and the new music they brought with them. The essays contained herein are from a range of interested parties, including, but not confined to, the musicians themselves, as well as journalists, promoters and academics.
Discover the origins of Danny Boy and “all songs bright and beautiful”, share in the successes of local choirs in international competition, and take pride in the historic, and recent, achievements of local bands and singers.
From Phil Coulter to the Undertones, Nadine Coyle to Peter Cunnah, experience what it is like to be at the very top of the tree in the music business – although for denizens of Derry, it is the chapters on the specifically local stuff which look set to fascinate.
One of the great strengths of the book is an extensive collection of photographs and articles on those singers and musicians who have kept the Euterpean flame burning bright for future generations. One small criticism would be the lack of an index, making it difficult to search for specific references – perhaps something to include in future reprints?
