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Mary Bergin with Dordan
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Was it auspicious that our filming began on Friday the 13th, on a day of a full moon? The moon seemed astonishingly large, nearly full, in the dark, predawn sky over Dublin at 5:30 am on Friday morning, October 13. We watched the sun rise as we headed west, on our way to Spiddal, Co. Galway, to visit Ireland's most celebrated tin-whistle player, Mary Bergin, Irish Artist of the Year, 2000. Her group, DORDAN, (Irish for drone or hum) includes Kathleen Loughnane on harp, Dearbhill Standun on violin and Martina Goggin on drum and voice.
We met up with Martina, who also fills the role of group manager. She led us up over a very long narrow road through the vast headlands, where Dearbhill's family has made their home over the past five years. Surrounding the main house, overlooking breathtaking views of Galway Bay, bogs and lakes and distant forests, are several old thatched cottages in various stages of restoration for use as music workshops etc. We were invited into one of the cottages, fully and beautifully restored, where a great turf fire was blazing away and tea was on the table waiting for us.
The women played their beautiful music and sang for us in front of the fire, all of which was filmed. Then we recorded the women having a terrific group discussion of their personal histories, praising the music they play, both classical and traditional, and revealing how their lives are wrapped up in it all. Mary believes it is a tragedy that many women give up playing music when their children come along. Hear! Hear!
Joe, our cinematographer, spent quite a bit of time filming the exotic environment around the cottages and in the distance. Ben, our sound engineer, recorded the ambient sounds, while I sat for awhile, with my cup of tea, studying the fire. I hadn't seen a turf fire for a long time. |
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