Episode 1 Féilte is Fleadh

APPLAUSE

-So, just a wee...

-That'll be grand.

-So, Thursday week?

-Thursday week.

-That's grand. See you. Bye.

LOW CHATTER

Marketing is a big...

a key issue.

TRADITIONAL MUSIC PLAYS

-I'm from the Acosta School of Music in New York.

-Wonderful!

'They've been very open and honest, the people that we've met.

'They let you know. You could get a picture that it's all great'

and there's no problems,

but when they tell you such and such a thing might happen

or, "This was a disaster," or, "I wish you hadn't done that,"

that makes a wild difference.

They had a problem with some of the campsites,

so hopefully we won't have that in Derry.

We've been ahead of the game, cos we've known we're getting the Fleadh,

to think out the possibilities of where we could have the campsites.

So, overall, it's just getting an opportunity to be here at the Fleadh,

here, and see, overall, all the things we have to do next year.

ROCK MUSIC PLAYS

MUSIC: "The Sash"

So, what we're going to do tonight, we're going to make a presentation

on some of the history and the culture

of the marching band tradition

but concentrating on the flute bands,

to give people a better idea of a tradition

that sometimes, as we would say, can be misrepresented.

Over the last couple of months, there's been an engagement with the Fleadh.

I suppose, in our community,

the Fleadh is one of these things that's been...

It's almost like a lot of people think it should be avoided

and protested against, or whatever,

but I mean we've begun to understand it's big music,

and our bands are big music.

I can hardly get the high notes on it.

-You have to bring it in a bit.

-That's what I was going to tell you,

but you already know. I don't need to tell you.

I think we're starting to wake up to the fact

-that we are much more the same than we are different.

-Aye.

And that's a direction I want to take.

-I'm open to taking...

-That's unbelievable.

I'm a member of the Pride of the Orange and Blue Auld Boys in Newbuildings.

I'm also a committee member of the Londonderry Bands' Forum,

and I can see nothing but positivity coming out of this

for the Fleadh, plus ourselves. And I think that,

if it happens, it'll be a good thing for the city, on the whole.

We have been in possession of the Galway hooker for quite a few years,

but it's been out of the water for several years, lying in dry dock,

so we're hoping to secure the funding before the Fleadh to make the boat seaworthy again.

So I'm in the process of getting quotations and then sending off an application

with the aim to getting the Galway hooker into the water

for around May or June, so we can use it during the Fleadh

to sail up and down the Foyle,

more as a visual spectacle, to enhance the overall festival.

It won't be open for passengers,

but there will be people sailing on the Foyle.

First impression is it seems to have dried out a lot

since the last time I saw it.

You can see the cracks straight on through, which is the problem,

because it's been out of the water so long it's dried out,

and it's all separate planks. They're all contracted,

so that means it leaves these gaps that open up in between...

which means that if it goes in the water, water will get in,

so it will need to be corked up and put in the water so it can expand

and close again. So, obviously, here...it's pretty rotted,

so this will all need to be replaced.

You can just hear... That's completely rotted through, that one.

It'll all have to be taken off and replaced.

The company that's supposed to be fixing the boat up

have another few orders in before us, so we've been delayed in them,

so that's pushing us back,

so something needs to be decided in the next week or two,

whether they can do it within the timeframe or not.

We'll have to look at other options.

Hopefully, this Friday, they're getting back to me,

to say whether they can do it or not.

CHEEPING Ooh!

# No dear, I don't know why

# No dear, I don't know why. #

Aw, he's so cute!

Can I pet him?

He's just a wee bit feared, that's all, but touch him.

CHICK CHEEPS

This is the second year of the festival

and there's a range of events on -

concerts and workshops.

We've got a double-headline performance tonight

with Dave Munnelly and Morga,

and Steve Cooney's joining us.

Steve's actually here doing a guitar workshop,

as are a number of other well-known musicians.

They're tutoring workshops. Lisa Kelly's doing the harp.

It's my first time here. It's a beautiful building.

I'm highly impressed with the architecture.

I've heard great reports about this room, acoustically.

The acoustics are supposed to be very good,

so I'm looking forward to testing that out tonight.

Ready...and...

Last year's numbers were good,

but I can see the increase in the numbers in the workshops

and the fact that tonight's concert, the tickets are all sold out as well,

so it is taking on a bit of momentum from last year,

because you have a good experience and know what to expect -

they're going to come and get great workshops, great music,

so I do notice an increase in numbers and that's what you want,

so we're happy with that as well.

MAN LILTS

LILTING CONTINUES

LILTING RESTARTS

GUITAR PLAYS

# Mary, dear... #

I was playing, the year before last actually, at the Cavan Fleadh

and I think Martin Donoghue did a great job there in Cavan

over the last two years,

particularly getting musicians from different disciplines in.

I did a lot of cross-border cross-cultural work.

There was one great evening with Willie Drennan playing the Lambeg,

and a gang of musicians from Antrim,

and the bringing together of the different cultures

I thought was very successful.

I think Martin has put a lot of work into that,

so I think he's raised the game,

and it'd be interesting to see now how Derry delivers

and the surprises that are in store. I'm sure there'll be great things here.

# But how cruel me father will be

# To banish me darling

# Far away from thee

# And I'll leave them all

# And I'll go with thee

# Me bold, undaunted soldier... #

Brilliant.

APPLAUSE

This is Kevin's birthday.

And he loved his birthday. And he loved...

APPLAUSE

He loved a real excuse to have all his friends

and family all together

and have one big session,

so this weekend has been one big session...

'The Fleadh, obviously, is the big event of this year,

'and it's really down to Kevin

'because he was the one that spearheaded us all'

to just keep going for it.

But we're looking towards the legacy.

The legacy's what this year's all about,

and the legacy's what we were going to do next year,

so the Fleadh will definitely be growing for next year,

so whilst the Fleadh's here, and it's great,

we've other things that we intend to grow on

throughout the years ahead.

I remembered that among the people that Kevin

brought to Derry on a regular basis was Len Graham and Joe Holmes,

and they actually performed their last concert together here in Derry

just after Christmas, I think it was 1977,

and this was one of the songs that they used to sing.

I'll just give it a quick burst.

# Here I am amongst yous

# And I'm here because I'm here

# And I'm only 12 months older

# Than I was this time last year... #

HE LILTS

AUDIENCE JOINS IN

APPLAUSE

We're trying to get as many people across to Derry as we can.

I feel like I'm the Fleadh coming over the border.

It's so positive in so many different ways.

I mean, it's just one of those things that maybe might have been unheard of

a few years ago, the All-Ireland Fleadh,

and I think it's just a great thing for everybody involved.

We're good.

You know, if I say so myself.

Subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing by Red Bee Media Ltd