[MUSIC PLAYING] Welcome to Tradfest, the Fingal Sessions, coming to you from this dining room at the Ardgillan Castle and Demesne.

Allison Russell is with us, along with Caoimhe Hopkinson, and Caoi de Barra, and Elenna Canlas, and Joy Clark.

It is so great to have you all here today.

Lovely to be here with you, Fiachna.

Finally meeting in person.

Finally meeting in person.

>> for the first time!

Yeah.

♪ In the blue camhanaich all shimmering still ♪ ♪ Dame Calluna, oh Lady of the Hills, cup of cold ♪ ♪ sun and a winterpill, send me back on my way.

♪ ♪ Seven black rabbits of Hy-Brazil, ♪ ♪ Twenty-one petals of daffodils, Thirteenth note ♪ ♪ of the blackcap trill ♪ ♪ I'll fly home today ♪ [drumming] ♪ My great-grandmother was a magic weaver ♪ ♪ Came across the water and caught the fever ♪ ♪ Wondered if her mother could hear her ♪ ♪ when she said the words she learned to say ♪ ♪ In the blue camhanaich all shimmering still ♪ ♪ Dame Calluna, low Lady of the hills.

Cup of cold sun ♪ ♪ and a winterpill.

Send me back on my way ♪ ♪ Seven black rabbits of Hy-Brazil ♪ ♪ Twenty-one petals of daffodils ♪ ♪ Thirteenth note of the black-cap trill ♪ ♪ I'll fly home today ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Down in the cradle, I could hear her ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ As I breathed my soul believed, if I sang those ♪ ♪ words I could leave there ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Leave my sorrow and pain ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Though my brittle body was caught in his snare ♪ ♪ My soul would learn how to travel where ♪ ♪ The eyes of the rabbits were gleaming there ♪ ♪ On the isle of Hy-Brazil ♪ ♪ Seven years we drown, seven years we rise ♪ ♪ Said the black rabbit with the ancient eyes ♪ ♪ You'll be free, oh lura lae, He cannot match your will ♪ ♪ In the blue camhanaich all shimmering still ♪ ♪ Dame Calluna low Lady of the hills ♪ ♪ Cup of cold sun And a winterpill ♪ ♪ Send me back on my way ♪ ♪ Seven black rabbits of high pursuit ♪ ♪ Twenty-one petals of daffodils,Thirteen note ♪ ♪ of the blackcap trill ♪ ♪ I'll fly home today ♪ ♪ Ah-Ah-Ah-ya ♪ [traditional music playing] ♪ Well, I drowned for 10 years, but I'm still rising ♪ ♪ Stronger for my pain and suffering ♪ ♪ My body was broken my heart's reborn.

♪ ♪ I'm freer than the sky!

♪ ♪ In the blue canhanaich shimmer still ♪ ♪ Dame Calluna, low Lady of the Hills ♪ ♪ Cup of cold sun and a winterpill ♪ ♪ Send me back on my way, Seven black rabbits ♪ ♪ of Hy-Brazil.

Twenty-one petals ♪ ♪ of daffodils.

Thirteen note of ♪ ♪ the blackcap trill, I'll fly home today ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey ♪ [clarinet playing] [clarinet playing] [clarinet playing] [clarinet playing ends] What a great way to kick off our show.

It's such a thrill to have you all here.

Tell me about the band.

We're more of a collective, I'd say, than a band.

Everybody is a multi-instrumentalist, is a songwriter, is a lead singer, is involved in multiple projects.

And we've been calling ourselves a Rainbow Coalition.

But really anyone who believes in communicating and treating others as the equal human beings that we are and fighting bigotry in all its guises.

Anyone who believes in that is part of the Rainbow Coalition.

So we're just one circle of it.

- Amazing.

- Yeah.

Joy Clark, if I may turn to you.

You're from what is probably my favourite city in America, New Orleans, and I haven't visited there in far too long.

- Yeah.

- It's just such a, It's so steeped in music.

Tell me a bit about where you, where your music has come from and where you've come to it.

You know, I grew up playing music in my dad's church.

A lot of it was really spiritual and playing music as people testify and as people pray.

Once I started to write my own songs, I started to just love myself and accept myself.

So a lot of that is just from self-actualization and freedom, I should say.

You're going to do a song for us today.

Yes, well my song that I'm going to do today is called "Lesson."

It's a song for my grandmother.

I would go and sit at her table and she would teach me all kinds of lessons.

She's such a wise person and she passed September 14th.

Oh, I'm sorry.

This song is fresh.

Yes.

And it's for Katherine Johnson.

I'm her granddaughter.

Passing the torch on.

Yeah.

Yeah.

She's still here.

She's still here.

She's in the room with us.

She is.

Yeah.

Well, I'd love it if you'd sing it for us.

Oh, I would love to sing it for you.

With all my friends.

>> With your friends.

You've got a great gathering around.

Yeah, really great gathering.

[ acoustic guitar playing ] [ Music ] [ Vocalizing ] [ Singing ] [ Vocalizing ] ♪ Sitting at the table, pouring out my day ♪ ♪ At the feet of an angel, she knew just what to say ♪ ♪ Eyes that knew freedom and sorrows unsaid ♪ ♪ She breathed out her wisdom and here's what she said ♪ ♪ She told me to be grateful ♪ ♪ She told me to be kind ♪ ♪ She told me to stand up for what is right ♪ ♪ Said there's a time for peace ♪ ♪ And Lord, help us ♪ ♪ There's a time for strife ♪ ♪ And she said, go and get your lesson ♪ ♪ You will find your blessin' ♪ ♪ Go and get your lesson ♪ ♪ You, you're going to find your blessin' ♪ [ Vocalizing ] ♪ Each and every good life , has seen the hardest of times ♪ ♪ But you just learn from it honey and hold ♪ ♪ and hold your head up high ♪ ♪ She told me to be grateful ♪ ♪ She told me to be kind ♪ ♪ And she told me to stand up for what is right ♪ ♪ Said there's a time for peace ♪ ♪ And God help us, there's a time for strife ♪ ♪ Well, she said, go and get your lesson ♪ ♪ And you will find your blessin' ♪ ♪ Go and get your lesson ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ You will find your blessin' ♪ ♪ Go and get your lesson ♪ ♪ You, you're going to find your blessin' ♪ ♪ Go and get your lesson ♪ ♪ She told me to be grateful, she told me to be kind ♪ ♪ She told me to stand up for what is right ♪ ♪ Said there's a time for peace, and God help us, ♪ ♪ there's a time for strife ♪ ♪ She said, go and get your lesson, ♪ ♪ and you will find your blessin' ♪ ♪ Go and get your lesson ♪ ♪ Telling you to go, you're going to find your blessin' ♪ ♪ Go and get your lesson' ♪ ♪ And you will find your blessin' ♪ ♪ Go and get your lesson ♪ Wow, Joy, thank you Thank you so much.

My goodness, what a beautiful, beautiful song.

Let's do it.

[ Applause ] [ Laughter ] Thank you.

Yeah.

I went somewhere else.

I just feel her in this room.

Yeah.

Katherine Johnson.

Katherine Johnson.

I'm saying her name in Ireland, which I do have some Irish blood in me, which I found out.

But so it's really serendipitous and sort of kismet to pay tribute to Katherine Johnson in Ireland.

This is my first trip too, so.

I'm so delighted that you're having that experience, because that's a beautiful thing.

It's pretty mind-blowing.

Yeah, that's amazing.

Well, Caoi de Barra Hey!

How are you doing?

Good, good.

It's great to finally meet you.

Yeah, I know, likewise.

I've been following your extraordinary progress when you had that beautiful song, "Treehouse," out some months ago.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And then you embarked on this, what I thought was the most incredible tour, on your scooter.

With a little guitar.

Just talk to me.

I remember thinking about you when you were out on the road.

It was pouring rain.

It was raining all summer.

I know, yeah.

To be honest, it was a scheme of mine for a while.

I've been driving scooters for years.

I always wanted like, to do a small tour.

And there's so many gorgeous locations around Ireland that I just think you can do the most magic, intimate show in nice, unique places, I suppose, that create a really memorable experience for everyone.

You get just such a lovely-- not unlike the atmosphere in here now, this nice, intimate feeling.

And so I guess doing the Scooter Tour warranted doing teeny weeny shows, which-- Yeah, I really enjoyed it.

And it was just a kind of self-directed adventure as well.

So yeah, it was pretty special.

But what about those moments?

I mean, there must have been moments when you're just there and the scooter's grinding-- Oh my god!

--grinding at maximum speed, and the rain is hitting you.

And the-- There was a few.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

--and it was just hailing.

I was like-- especially the first weekend I arrived into Waterford, and I was like a drowned rat.

And I took all my stuff in and just like opened my guitar cases and they were just like pshhh, just water all over the floor.

But you know, it's part of the charm.

[ Laughter ] It's part of the whole adventure for me.

And then those gigs end up being, you know, the best ever.

Once you get the feeling back in your hands, you're right.

So one of the guitars that I'm playing today, it just so happens all of my instruments are teeny weeny now, so that's, this guitar is no exception.

It's always great to scale things right down.

I mean, there was a time when I used to travel with about 15 guitars and it was just ridiculous, you know, now it's just two.

I think I got kind of allergic to it after gigging for so many years with Wyvern Lingo and at one point I had a setup like this at the front, a drum kit and then I'd come out and play guitar and then there'd be a whole, you know, gang of us which was amazing but then I was dreaming of my like self-contained little scooter tour the whole time.

So yeah, it was great to finally do it.

Will you give us a song?

I will.

We have never played this before but it's an "A".

And you know, let's see what happens.

Great, good on you Caoi.

Okay.

[ acoustic guitar playing ] ♪ I don't know how I thought I'd feel, I was supposed to be here ♪ ♪ sitting with you in the late spring blue ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I thought the coast might be clear ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ A window to your world so I could bear it ♪ ♪ Livin' a view, it's a hue, vacuum, all my life ♪ ♪ I've got an empty room ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Empty room, empty room ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Now it's just a relic in time ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Tea bags, bags by where we left them ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Those months ago when I held you close ♪ ♪ You know I had to let you go ♪ ♪ Let you go ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Let you go ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Ooooooh, ooooooh ♪ [ acoustic guitar playing ] ♪ I don't know what I thought I'd do ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I'd wander the streets to wait for you, ♪ ♪ or pay coffee cup rent ♪ ♪ in some old appraised gentrified establishment ♪ ♪ All the while, ♪ ♪ I dream of you ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I dream of you and what you'll do ♪ ♪ But did I miss my chance?

♪ ♪ I really really love you, with me ♪ ♪ And after all that past, ooooooh, ooooooh, ♪ ♪ I didn't know you if were disappearing on me ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ It gives me the moment that we need ♪ ♪ We look so strange crumbling together in the rain ♪ ♪ Ooooooh, ooooooh, ooooooh, ooooooh ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And I miss you ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ More than I care to let you know ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And I love you ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Hey, yeah ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ That's not a safe place to be ♪ ♪ Oooh, Oooh ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I don't know what I thought I'd do ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I was supposed to be here ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Sitting with you in the late spring blue ♪ [ guitar playing ends ] Caoimhe Hopkinson, Caoi de Barra, Elenna Canlas and Joy Clark, thank you so much and Alison Russell of course.

Go raibh míle maith agat for watching Tradfest The Fingal Sessions here from the Ardgillan Castle and Demense.

Thank you for tuning in.

Alison, what are we going to finish up with?

Leave us with, this is a song called "Super Lover."

I don't really know how to pray, I'm a hopeful agnostic at best.

But I pray through songs.

This is one that JT originally wrote for Birds of Chicago and I've added to it and we've been playing it every night on the Return Tour And it's really a prayer for peace.

I think if we held central the deepest truth that all children are our children, then we would not go wrong quite so much.

[Banjo playing] ♪ Tears of rage, tears of grief, Palestine, Israel to ♪ ♪ Tennessee.

We need a super love ♪ ♪ We need a super love ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Double Dutch and hula hoops ♪ ♪ All our fears in loops and loops ♪ ♪ We need a super love ♪ ♪ Need a super love, ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ the night, ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ so cold.

♪ ♪ Who among us dreams the dawn?

♪ ♪ Who dreamt us and oh, where have they gone?

♪ ♪ Who keeps a candle lit for their return?

♪ ♪ Who could count the flowers in your heart?

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Please let me die before my child ♪ ♪ Pray every mother far and wide ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ That's a super love ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I'm a super lover, you can feel it near and far ♪ ♪ It fades the moon and blinds the stars ♪ ♪ That's a super love ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ We are super lovers all night, ♪ ♪ so cold ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Who among us dreams the dawn?

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Who dreamt us and oh, where have they gone?

♪ ♪ Who keeps the candle lit for their return?

♪ ♪ Who could count the flowers in your heart?

♪ [ melodica playing ] [ melodica playing continues ] [ melodica playing ends] ♪ Believe what you will ♪ ♪ Believe they're gonna tell you ♪ ♪ It's naive to be a super lover ♪ ♪ But we are super lovers ♪ ♪ There's no God of fire and blood ♪ ♪ If there's a God, then God is love ♪ ♪ We need a super love ♪ ♪ We can be super lovers, ♪ ♪ oh the night, ♪ ♪ is so cold ♪ ♪ Who among us dreams the dawn?

♪ ♪ Who dreamt us and oh, where have they gone?

♪ ♪ Who keeps the candle lit for their return?

♪ ♪ Who could count the ♪ ♪ flowers in your heart?

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Tears of rage, tears of grief, Israel, ♪ ♪ Palestine to Tennessee ♪ [music fading out]