Are ye right there Michael?

What am i on about - you may well ask?

We finally had our first proper public performance this week since December, and it was quite an eclectic mix of pieces in an after dinner performance for the folks of The Percy French Society at their annual dinner in North Down.

Even if you don't recognise the name, you should most definitely recognise at least one of Percy's most famous songs, 'The Mountains of Mourne'?

For me, it brought back childhood memories of playing an old 78 rpm record on a small record player that belonged to my grandmother which featured the songs of Percy French sung by Brendan O'Dowda - a famous Irish tenor, who became closely linked with French's songs, releasing albums and touring his own one man show centered on the life and work of Percy French.

The songs are perhaps not to everyone's taste, but French became famous for his comic folk songs such as Slattery's Mounted Fut, Abdul Abulbul Amir and Are Ye Right There Michael, Are Ye Right? - a song ridiculing the state of the irish railway system in rural Co Clare.

So if you like a bit of a laugh and a catchy folk tune - go onto google and try Percy French and indeed Brendan O'Dowda and have a listen to or see some great performances of some of Ireland's most memorable folk tunes! IMHO

DT