Altan's Frankie Kennedy dies _________________________________________________________________ By Fintan Vallely ONE of Ireland's leading traditional flute players, Frankie Kennedy, died in the early hours of [September 15, 1994]. He was 38. Frankie Kennedy was also one of traditional music's most exuberant personalities and had continued playing almost to his final moment. Such was his spirit that among his music associates there was never a clear picture of his state of health - news of his being in treatment was constantly outdated by that of his taking the stage again with his band Altan - keeping alive the hope that, in pursuit of his great passion for music performance, he would somehow survive. Frankie Kennedy was born in Andersonstown, Belfast, in 1955. He was a late arrival to traditional music, converted by listening to Horslips and Planxty at the age of 18. In Gweedore, Co Donegal, he met his companion and eventual wife - the singer and fiddle player Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh - so beginning a partnership which was to become the romantic idyll of the music world in Ireland. "They had a wonderfully cheering light and a warmth - Frankie's ready wit, Mairead always laughing" , 1980s music organiser Renee Lawless recalls. Teaching national school by day in north Co Dublin, Frankie and Mairead recorded and played all over Ireland and in Brittany. Matt Molloy of the Chieftains first met him at a masterclass in Gorey: "Being modest and unassuming, despite his talent, was part of the character of the man. A truly great musician." Finbar Boyle, organiser of the Tradition Club in Slatterys, Dublin, looks back on Frankie and Mairead's performances: "He was a very accomplished flute player, but any time he was with us, I was laughing." Throwing light on this seeming contradiction himself in a Folk Roots magazine interview earlier this year, Frankie explained : "We take the music seriously, but we take ourselves very light-heartedly." "He had an extraordinary sense of purpose, a perfectly clear vision of what he wanted Altan to do and to be," says long-time friend Cathal Goan of RTE. Despite his long illness, his death has still shocked: "We have lost a great Northern voice," Dr Micheal O Suilleabhain, professor of music at the University of Limerick, said yesterday. "It is a consolation to many that the energy of his playing has been captured on the recordings of that great contemporary band, Altan." Guided by Frankie Kennedy's vision, Altan developed from a duet in the 1980s to become a top traditional band with a high profile in the US; they produced five albums for the Green Linnet label there. Green Linnet's director, Wendy Newton, said yesterday: "Frankie has been a member of our family, personally and professionally, since 1985. He was a superior human being and a giant of a musician." This sense of loss re-echoes again and again from all parts of Ireland and elsewhere. Frankie Kennedy's talent was expressed largely in his band-arrangement and organisational expertise, his own music voice heard typically as a core, anchor sound within dance music, as a deeply emotional solo in slow airs: "His full potential was far from realised - we hadn't the chance to evaluate him in the normal way as a soloist", says the fiddle player Paddy Glackin. The removal of the remains will take place at noon today from Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital to the Mooney home in Gweedore, Co Donegal. Funeral service is in Derrybeg church, Bunbeg, at 11 a.m. tomorrow. The family have requested that in lieu of floral tributes, monies be donated to a cancer research fund. _________________________________________________________________ The flute-player Frankie Kennedy, of the traditional group Altan, was buried yesterday after a concelebrated Mass in Derrybeg Church, Gaoth Dobhair, Co. Donegal, attended by hundreds of musicians from Ireland, Britain, the Continent and North America. The prayers were led by Father Gary Hastings in a Mass sung by members of Cor Chuil Aodha, led by Peadar O Riada. Raidio na Gaeltachta broadcast the Mass live, with overlays of the flute-player's music. Matt Molloy of the Chieftains led the communion with a slow air; Altan members Daithi Sproule, Paul Kelly, Dermot Byrne, Ciaran Curran and Ciaran Tourish blended with mazurkas from fiddler Johnny Doherty, and Paddy Glackin and Donal Lunny concluded on fiddle and synthesizer playing "Paddy's Rambles in the Park". With his flute on the coffin, Frankie Kennedy was saluted by Altan's playing of his own reel, "Harvest Storm". Among the mourners who followed the cortege to the remote cemetery on the edge of the Atlantic were Davy Hammond, Liz Doherty, Dermot Diamond, Angela de Burca, Briona MacDermott, Tony McAuley, John Kelly, Josephine Ni Bheaglaioch, Brian Mullins, Enya and Maire Brennan, Brid Rodgers, Dinny McGinley TD, Seamus Rodgers, Ben Lennon, Frances Black, Mairtin O'Connor, Sharon Shannon, Maurice Leyden, Maire Bhreathnach, Tommy Hayes, Jane Cassidy, Dinny McLaughlin, Maire Ni Chaoimh, Jean Butler, Eithne and Brian Vallely, Gerry O'Connor an Eithne and Padraigin Ni Uallachain. In brilliant sunshine. Cathal O Searcaigh read Maire Mac an tSaoi's translation of Shakespeare's Fidele, and the Voice Squad sang "The Parting Glass". Frankie Kennedy is survived by his wife, Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, his mother Agnes, sisters Geraldine, Ann and Ursula and brother John. Source: Irish Times - 22nd September, 1994 Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 14:21:43 -0700 From: Gerard Manning Subject: Re: Frankie Deborah's idea of a common tribute from the list had also occurred to me. I have set up a new email account - tribute@celtic.stanford.edu - to which list members can send messages, which I will print out and forward to Mairead. Like Deborah, I never met Frankie, and don't really know Mairead, so it's a bit uncomfortable to send condolences. However, we have all been touched by their gifts of music, so I think anything we can send, just to know that there are those who remember him and share the loss, would be worthwhile. I got two bits of information from rec.music.celtic. One is that Mairead has asked for contributions to a cancer research fund (I don't know which one but I'll try to find out) in lieu of flowers etc., and the other is an address for those who would like to write directly [address is outdated and has been deleted]. I will send in a contribution when I find out what the details of the fund are. If people want to send a joint contribution from the list, I would be happy to co-ordinate it. Let me know if the idea is worthwile (by direct email or to the list) and I'll get back to the list in the next day or two if their is support for the idea. Le cobhro/n, Gerard Manning. ------------------------- Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 01:52:28 -0500 From: Lawrence E Mallette Subject: Frankie Kennedy Anecdote Mick Mulcrone asked for Frankie Kennedy anecdotes. In March 1991 I was a beginning whistle player attending the flute workshop at the North Texas Irish Festival. The workshop was to be taught by Cathal McConnell, but he invited Frankie Kennedy to come along. They did the workshop essentially by playing tunes in unison (chosen to illustrate different points about the instrument or the music.) What a great sight: two of the world's great flute players, one playing left handed, one right, ripping through tunes literally right and left. They took turns suggesting sets of two or three tunes to play, and when Cathal suggested what I remember as the last set of the workshop, Frankie looked puzzled by the last title. Apparently here was a tune he didn't know. But he said for Cathal to go ahead and play the tune and he would just listen in. They played the first tune in unison, then when the tune new to Frankie came along, he simply took down his flute and listened to the first run-through. On the second run-through he began to play, doing the ground note of each measure or half-measure. Then on the third run-through, he played the tune, note for note in unison with Cathal, and up to tempo! His A2 was cleaner than his A1, of course, and the same for B, but _he had the tune_! I think not many in the workshop audience realized what they had seen. With just two listens, Frankie had gotten the shape of both A and B, the "chord progression" and the details of the melody and ornaments. This takes me hours (though it used to take days), but never in my wildest dream could I imagine learning a tune that fast. Frankie was indeed a great musical talent and, judging from what I saw of the way he interacted with the people at the festival, a great warm and friendly human. He will be badly missed. Mick, Feel free to use this anecdote in your newsletter. Larry mallette@bcm.tmc.edu ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 04:13:02 -0400 From: Deborah Simon London x4394 Subject: Frankie Just a thought -- I never met Frankie or Mairead -- so I solicit the opinions of people who do know them. But what do you guys think of sending a group card to her and the family. Maybe we could find someone near her who could print out mails from us and give them to her (or send them). I know from experience that people grieving sometimes enjoy hearing about how much their loved-one meant to so many people -- even to people who didn`t know them. I think she may be pleased to hear how much he meant to so many people. I`m not Irish and don`t know the customs -- i.e. what would be nice and what would be offensive -- this is just an idea. -Deborah ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 11:34:45 METDST From: Han Speek Subject: Re: Frankie > > Just a thought -- I never met Frankie or Mairead -- so I solicit the > opinions of people who do know them. But what do you guys think of sending > a group card to her and the family. Maybe we could find someone near > her who could print out mails from us and give them to her (or send them). > I know from experience that people grieving sometimes enjoy hearing about > how much their loved-one meant to so many people -- even to people who didn`t > know them. > > I think she may be pleased to hear how much he meant to so many people. > I`m not Irish and don`t know the customs -- i.e. what would be nice and > what would be offensive -- this is just an idea. > > -Deborah > Well, as the original poster said, I never met them in person, even though I saw them play live once (This was at a big festival in Dranouter, Belgium, last year. Boy, oh boy did they get that audience going !). But I always enjoyed their music - I have all their albums - and I was really shocked when I heard the news last night (it was officially announced on a folk music program on the German radio, after they played a beautiful slow air by Frankie). So I feel that if we can do something to support Mairead, we should. As for the how-part, I'm open for suggestions. Han. +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ Ing. H. Speek E-mail: han@ice.el.utwente.nl, University of Twente H.Speek@el.utwente.nl The Netherlands +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 10:03:43 -0500 From: Edward A Beimborn Subject: Frankie, cards. *sigh*. It really is a hard thing to take, isn't it? When you hear a musician that expressive, you feel as if you know them, have spoken to them... in a way, we have all heard his voice through the music. It reminds me of the time they played in Madison a few years back- between sets, our local promoter/man-in-charge accidentally locked them in their dressing room. When they finally came back out, Frankie thanked him for the introduction, calling him "turnkey". I sent an email to Green Linnet asking for an address to send cards to- I will post it as soon as a reply comes. 38! Dan Beimborn@csd4.csd.uwm.edu --------------------------------- Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 18:28:53 +0100 From: Deborah Schaeffer Subject: FRANKIE I too am sadden to hear of Frankie Kennedy's passing. I have had the good forturne to see Altan in concert and thought he was wonderful. Thanks to Dan for trying to obtain an address to send our sympathy. I also would like to ask those who are collecting info for various columns to share this with the list. I really don't know much about Frankie and would like to. I am sure there are others who would be interested, too. Deborah Schaeffer dschaef@calstatela.edu ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 14:59:24 -0700 From: Roger Fulton Subject: Irish Times article on Frankie Kennedy For a great on-line article about Frankie Kennedy from today's "The Irish Times," see http://granuaile.IEunet.ie/ois/irishtimes/database/ 1994/09/20/HOME_NEWS/Altan's_Frankie_Kennedy_dies (Note that the above two lines should be concatenated into a single line for the correct address.) For those without WWW access, send me your e-mail address and I'll send a clear-text version of this article to you. I would post the article here, but it's copyrighted. -- Roger Fulton roger@wrq.com From: rm4@st-andrews.ac.uk (Rosa Michaelson) Newsgroups: rec.music.folk Subject: Frankie Kennedy Date: 23 Sep 1994 12:46:31 GMT Organization: University Of Dundee Frankie Kennedy, Born September 30 1955; died September 19, 1994. Frankie kennedy, who has died of cancer, had no interest in Irish music until on a sixth form trip to Donegal Gaeltacht he heard traditional music in its natural setting. It changed his life. He took up the flute, met Gweedore's Mooney family, began an association with the great fiddler and singer, Mairead Ni Mhaenaigh, and learned Irish. In Dublin tunes learnt form Mairead's father Francie, and other Donegal musicians, led to Ceol Aduaith (Music from the North) a record of Frankie and Mairead's fiddle and flute duets and Gaelic songs later voted one of the eighties' 10 best traditional albums. Their brand of Ulster music grew in popularity in Dublins' pubs and small concert halls and they married in 1981. Frankie gave up his day job and they formed Altan, a group named after a loch below Mount Errigal in north Donegal. Four more albums followed, together with awards, and tours of Britain and America. Earlier this year Altan played for Bill Clinton at the White House St Patrick's Day celebrations and with Dolly Parton at Dollywood in Tennesse. Frankie was superb on the blackwood timber flute. His tone was exceptional and it was always a delight to hear the drive of his reel playing. I last saw him play in that hotbed of fiddlers, Glencolmcille, south west Donegal. It was where we first met, a little village on the Atlantic coast, surrounded by green granite mountains. Joe Crane Obituary, The Guardian, Friday, September 23 1994Rosa Michaelson From: Lori Cole Newsgroups: rec.music.folk,rec.music.celtic Subject: Frankie Kennedy tribute Date: Wed, 21 Sep 1994 09:59:15 -0400 Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA I guess this a tribute to both Frankie and Mairead: I've known of Frankie and Mairead's music since it was just the two of them coming over on brief tours in the mid-1980s. I watched Frankie grow musically from someone who -- at least musically -- initially stood in Mairead's shadow to an outstanding musician in his own right. In the end, in fact, I found myself more stirred by his music than hers. But more to the point, what I found astonishing about the both of the, is that, despite their rise to "superstardom" in the traditional music world, they never developed the attitude that I've seen with some traditional musicians who "made it." This was particularly evident in their attentiveness to novice or intermediate musicians when they were on tour, particularly in places where the Irish music scene was not all that active or rich. You must bear in mind that, in every city they performed in, there were local musicians who were hot to play in a session with them -- and not strictly because they were stars. Rather, it's an essential part of the learning process to have the opportunity to play with people who are better than you and, in many parts of the U.S., Altan concerts were the only chance musicians had to do that. Not always that much fun for the great musicians though, to play with people who aren't really in their league. Yet more than any of the stars/bands I can think of, Frankie and Mairead made the effort, no matter how tired they were (and you can imagine how tired one can get on a tour, especially when everyone wants you to stay up all night playing tunes) to at least play a few tunes with people. They also seemed to really make an effort to remember faces and names of local musicians in the places they played. I was always _so_ impressed by their friendliness and generosity with their music. The last time I saw them (in May at the Wolftrap Irish Festival, when Frankie looked terrible but was so obviously delighted to be able to come and play and see friends and Mairead was so flabbergasted and delighted that he felt up to it), Mairead talked about how important it was to her to have the support of many loyal friends and family members -- and, as she put it, "my second family": the band. All the more important then, as we send messages and tributes (and contributions to whatever cancer fund is established in Frankie's name) that we continue to support and find venues for Altan. Lori Cole new e-mail address: lcole@torrey.umm.maine.edu (Where the local McDonald's sells lobster sandwiches) (Mairead: If you see this, I'm the concertina player who used to live in Pittsburgh.) From: kelley@ede.sanders.lockheed.com (Sean V. Kelley) Newsgroups: rec.music.celtic,soc.culture.celtic Subject: drochsce/al Date: 19 Sep 1994 16:23:25 GMT Organization: Lockheed Corp. X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Le/igh me/ e/ seo ar G-L: A chairde, Inniu cailleadh beirt cheolto/ir iontach de chuid na t/ire seo, mar at/a Niocl/as T/oib/in, amhr/ana/i cumasach o/ Ghaeltacht na Rinne i mPort L/aire, agus Frankie Kennedy (38) o/n ngru/pa Altan. D/eanfaimid comh-bhro/n le muintir na beirte, agus go ha/irithe le Mair/ead N/i Dhomhnaill bhocht a chaill a fear chomh ho/g. Ar dheis De/ go raibh a n-anamacha. AB Na/r liachtai gra/inneacha ghainimh na tra/, Na/ po/igin/ni/ dru/chta ar bharr an fhe/ir, Na beannachta De/ le h-anamacha do Mharbh. Ta/ bro/n ormsa, Sea/n ============================================================================= Sean V. Kelley ________ __o B'aite liom fe/in bheith ar Lockheed Corp. _____ _`\<,_ thaoibh mhalai/ shle/ibhe, kelley@ede.sanders.lockheed.com ___ (*)/ (*) Agus caili/n gaelach a bheith 'mo chomhair From: finbarg@hpwala.wal.hp.com (Finbar Gallagher) Subject: Re: drochsce/al Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 12:27:41 GMT In article <35ldf8$42s@freenet3.scri.fsu.edu>, stanlem@freenet2.scri.fsu.edu (Martha Stanley) writes: >Thank you for that lovely posting. I wonder why there are so few >responses??? Could it be something to do with the spelling?? >Martha:) >-- >++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ >++ stanlem@freenet.fsu.edu The best way to have a good idea ++ >++ Martha Stanley is to have lots of ideas first! ++ >++ Tallahassee, Florida ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ Well, Martha:), here's a translation for you: { I read this on G-L [Gaelic-L mailing list]: Friends, Today this country [Ireland] lost two amazing singers, Nioclas Toibin, a traditional singer from the Rinne Gaeltacht in Waterford, and Frankie Kennedy (38) of the group Altan. We express sympathy to the families of both of them, especially to poor Mairead Ni Dhomhnaill who lost her husband when he was so young. May they rest in peace. AB [poem expressing sympathy in the loss of loved ones which I won't try to translate] I am sad ...... } Sean I hope you don't mind my translating your post. I'm sure you could do much better! Finbar Gallagher finbarg@wal.hp.com From: niall@bnr.ca (Niall Gallagher) Newsgroups: rec.music.celtic,soc.culture.celtic Subject: Re: drochsce/al Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 13:05:53 -0500 Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa, Canada In article <35kdtt$5vv@info.sanders.lockheed.com>, kelley@ede.sanders.lockheed.com wrote: > A chairde, > > Inniu cailleadh beirt cheolto/ir iontach de chuid na t/ire seo, > mar at/a Niocl/as T/oib/in, amhr/ana/i cumasach o/ Ghaeltacht na > Rinne i mPort L/aire, agus Frankie Kennedy (38) o/n ngru/pa Altan. > D/eanfaimid comh-bhro/n le muintir na beirte, agus go ha/irithe le > Mair/ead N/i Dhomhnaill bhocht a chaill a fear chomh ho/g. Ar dheis > De/ go raibh a n-anamacha. > Conas a fuair siad b/as? Ni/or chonnaic me/ sce/il futhu san "Irish Emigrant" -- Niall Gallagher niall@bnr.ca From: siwasaki@tcd.ie (Si.) Subject: Frank Kennedy R.I.P. Sender: usenet@news.tcd.ie (TCD News System ) Organization: University of Dublin, Trinity College Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 13:18:38 GMT Hi, This morning Frank Kennedy passed from this life. He was only 38, but had achieved and done so much in his life. I was fortunate to have Frank as a teacher in 6th class in Primary school, over 7 years ago, and he was just brilliant, he made school enjoyable for us kids... never held a grudge, never lost temper, was always understanding to every individual pupil class and not a bad musician as well. He and his lovely wife Mairead who was also taught in the same school, two of the nicest people you could meet would hold mini concerts for their classes, and they made one appreciate the beauty of celtic music. I have loads of fond memories of him and school, and all the outside-class activities he would help organise... Even though I hadn't seen him in 7 years, I feel that something is gone from my life. He was just a wonderfully nice gentleman,a talented musician , and a brilliant teacher. May he rest in peace. Simon Iwasaki.