Some of you may recall that Leo O’Kelly and Sonny Condell, better known as the Irish folk music duo Tír na nÓg, began touring in England again last year. They were formed in 1969 and their progressive folk music was deeply influenced by their own Celtic roots. They released three studio albums between 1971 and 1973 and broke up in ’74 reforming later in 1985. Three live albums followed: Hibernian (2000), Spotlight (2001) and Live at Sirius (2010).
Well the good news is that they are to release a new 7″ EP I Have Known Love on the vinyl-only specialist record label Fruits de mer Records (June 2014). It features four tracks one of which, The Angelus, is our Song of the Day. Sonny Condell told Fruits de mer Records about the track:
The ringing of the Angelus is broadcast every day on Irish national radio, a sound that some people take as an insult in this secular country we now proclaim, but to me as a child working in my father’s fields it was an excuse to unbend my aching back and watch my fellow slaves stand to recite their prayers.That’s the chorus, the verse is about the seasons and their impact on our avian friends. The afterlife is the slender thread that tries to marry these themes.
And for those that are not familiar with the band here they are performing Time Is Like a Promise in 1970:
