‘Derry Feis 100’ – the musical soundtrack of the last century is now on sale

With the much anticipated centenary of Feis Doire Colmcille now just a few weeks away, a CD of songs that have been feis standards over the past 100 years is now on sale.

Simply titled, ‘Derry Feis 100,’ the CD is a 19 track album performed by some of Derry’s foremost singers and accompanists.

The album is the brainchild of Pat MacCafferty, the Music Secretary of Feis Doire Colmcille.

“With the centenary of the feis coming up, it occurred to me that it would be great to preserve some of the well-known and much loved songs that were always performed there since the feis began in 1922," Pat said.

"We have a wealth of talent at hand in this city to perform them and all of those who took part in this recording have in common the fact that they all performed at the Feis."

Performers such as Margaret Keys, Mairead Carlin, Doreen Curran, Andrew Ferry, Robert Kelly, Wendy Ferguson and Trevor Burnside have given their time and talent to ‘Derry Feis 100’.

Tracks on the album include ‘I Will Walk with My Love’, ‘The House and the Road’, ‘The Salley Gardens’, ‘The Spinning Wheel’, ‘Buachaill an Eireann’, ‘She Moved Through the Fair’, ‘Wee Hughie’ and ‘The Sea Wrack’.

Also featured is a performance of ‘Fainne Gael an Lae’ (‘The Bright Ring of the Day’) from a musical arrangement by the late James MacCafferty, the legendary Derry musical figure whose name remains synonymous with Feis Doire Colmcille. 

Also featured is ‘Airdi Cuainn’ with an arrangement by Paul Cutliffe and performed by Triur Dhoire.

Pat MacCafferty continued: “This whole project has been a labour of love from everyone involved as has been reaching the centenary of Derry Feis.

"Many thousands of competitors have passed through the Feis in the last 100 years and this recording is also intended to be a valuable memento not only for them but to all those who have attended and watched these songs being brilliantly performed.

“The album is bound to bring back many great memories of past nights at the Feis as well as hearing these beautiful songs brought back to life yet again by our contemporary stars. It’s also proof that great music is timeless and these songs have most definitely stood the test of time.

“Thanks go not only to all of the performers involved but to Charlotte Logue and Trevor Keys for their magnificent musical accompaniment and to Eoin O’Callaghan who’s technical and production brilliance brought it all together. 

"Sincere thanks also go to Derry Credit Union and to E&I Engineering for their sponsorship of the project and without them this just would not have been possible.”

‘Derry Feis 100’ is now on sale at Cool Discs in Foyle Street and at Henderson Music on Bishop Street priced £10.