Coleman Music Centre, Gorteen

I managed to get a ticket to the final summer sessions evening last night. What a marvellous evening! The music was beautiful and the dancing was fabulous. I can't wait to come back over to Ireland when things are more 'normal' and the sessions are more frequently available. If you get the chance to catch a session you should go!

This is the Michael Coleman heritage center in Gurteen Co Sligo dedicated to the memory of Michael and his famous fiddle playing, Michael Coleman (January 31, 1891 – January 4, 1945) was an Irish fiddle player from County Sligo, and a major exponent of the Sligo fiddle style. The farmhouse cottage is a replica of the original Coleman home, which will give visitors a unique insight into how people lived in the early twentieth century in Ireland. The building has three rooms, is constructed of red and white limestone and is roofed in traditional thatch. The cottage contains everyday cooking utensils, furniture, crockery and other artifacts, which date back to the 1920's. Thus to give the visitor a living representation of life during that time. Michael Coleman was born in Knockgrania, in the rural Killavil district, near Ballymote, County Sligo, Ireland. His father, James Coleman, was from Banada in County Sligo, and a respected flute player. Michael was the seventh child of James and Beatrice, and the surviving half of a pair of twins. As a child he learned step dancing and fiddle playing, and performed at local houses. His elder brother Jim had a high reputation but was never recorded. In his formative years Michael was influenced by Uilleann pipers (a type of bagpipe), including Johnny Gorman. He left school in 1908, at the age of 17. He competed at the Sligo Feis Ceoil in 1909 and again in 1910, and was placed joint third on both occasions. In 1914 he moved to Manchester, England to live with his older brother Pat, but returned home after several months. History and migration, In October 1914, at the age of twenty-three, Coleman sailed to America with his friend John Hunt. Initially he stayed with his aunt in Lowell, Massachusetts and joined the Keith Theatres vaudeville circuit. In 1917, he settled in New York City, and married Marie Fanning, originally from County Monaghan, Ireland. They had one child, Mary. Between 1921 and 1936 he recorded roughly eighty 78-rpm records for many record labels, including: Shannon, Vocalion Records, Columbia Records, Okeh Records, New Republic, Pathe, O'Beirne de Witt, Victor Records, Brunswick Records, and Decca Records. Some of these were re-issued under the Intrepid, Coral Records, and Ace of Hearts labels. He was mainly accompanied by pianists, but on three 1934 78 discs, he was joined by tenor guitar player Michael "Whitey" Andrews.[1] Coleman was the most famous exponent of what is today known as the Sligo fiddle style, which is fast and flamboyant, and heavily ornamented with fingered "rolls" and bowed triplets. James Morrison, Paddy Killoran and Paddy Sweeney were other famed Sligo fiddlers who also recorded in New York in the 1920s and '30s. While these musicians shared a basic approach and much common repertoire, there were noticeable differences in their playing. Coleman in particular employed extensive melodic variations, and his settings of tunes such as "The Boys of the Lough," "Bonny Kate" and "Lord Gordon's" have become part of the standard Irish fiddle repertoire. Some of Coleman's records were reissued on British labels and others reached Ireland as American imports, heavily influencing a new generation of fiddlers in Sligo and elswehere. Coleman died in New York City, and is buried in St. Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx. Michael Coleman 1891–1945: Ireland's Most Influential Traditional Musician of the 20th Century Remastered and annotated by Harry Bradshaw. Originally issued as Viva Voce cassettes, later (1992) as Gael Linn CD's. Rest in peace Michael and thank you for your music legacy,