IrishMusicInfo
The Sunday Tribune Weekly Traditional Music Column by Fintan Vallely
990523
IMRO is necessary for Traditional musicians and composers. But despite being in part owned and financed by them it has never sought their collective opinions, in spite of a pledge by director Hugh Duffy in 1996 to institute regional public hearings. And so a major deal struck on music performed in CCƒ premises should be welcome. A joint IMRO/CCƒ statement indicates the breaking of a CCƒ resolve which had (rightly) rejected IMRO's attempts to levy royalty taxation on the substantial portion of the music that is long out copyright. A past CCƒ national congress motion pledged non-involvement with IMRO under any conditions; CCƒ secretary, the late John Keenan, in 1996 dismissed IMRO as "an English import", but while holding that Traditional music "belongs to the nation", he believed that present-day composers deserve their dues. Only last summer director Labhr‡s î Murchœ spoke strongly against licensing in Treoir magazine. The terms of the IMRO-CCƒ deal are astonishing. CCƒ will relent, and pay IMRO an annual licence of £1,000 to cover its own venues for the playing of both old music ('Trad Arr.') and new tunes. They will also support IMRO on the new Copyright Bill. In return, IMRO give CCƒ £375,000 spread over five years. Hugh Duffy will neither confirm nor deny this, but since it is to be paid for by the labour of (unconsulted) Irish composers, why the secrecy? The deal also specifies that IMRO refer all future requests for Traditional music funding to CCƒ. Hardly democratic, but Duffy denies it, saying instead "whatever is currently being given to any group is unlikely to change". The TDs who have already made the mistake of thinking that a 'G'wan ya boy ya!' slap on a senator's back is appropriate medium for public responsibility surely realise now that Traditional music's executive incentives are way beyond ass carts and Mother Machree. De Dannan's new album How the West Was Won includes one of the enigmas addressed by all of this: its Humours of Galway is 'Trad Arr Gavin/Finn/McDonagh'. But it contains, uncredited, Ed Reavy's reel Maudabawn Chapel, which is within copyright. While this is likely a record company oversight and will all be sorted out afterwards, it could lead to misdirection of royalties - especially on radio plays - and suggests that perhaps musicians have a responsibility to look after each other's interests too. This does not diminish a superb collection by De Dannan, field leaders in the commercially-successful presentation and definition of Traditional music since 1974. A striking piece of nostalgia with such singers as Dolores Keane, Mary Black and Maura O'Connell, it also charts the course of a sharp music intellect which has preserved a tough, intuitively-traditional sound (Gavin's fiddle) through pastures no other player could navigate. This maestro's county Fleadh is at Oranmore today, the Kilkenny is at Mullinavat and Monaghan's at Carrickmacross. .
©Fintan Vallely, IrishMusicInfo.com
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