Faire Isle feels the luck of the Irish
Art teacher Micheal Guadreau and his band mate Roger recording music for their album. Their band Faire Isle plays Irish music.
Bodhran in hand, Michael Gaudreau shakes with nerves as he stands in front of the Irish festival ready to perform for the people who know his music the best, the Irish.
Three years ago, Gaudreau would never have imagined that one call from bagpiper, Andy McIntrye would lead him to be in an Irish band, called Faire Isle.
McIntyre originally called Gaudreau, a talented bodhran player (Irish hand drummer) to play at Have De Grace lighthouse with him. Before he knew it there were playing at more gigs and more musicians had entered. Soon enough the band Faire Isle had formed.
The formation of Faire Isle Gaudreau said, “Was just all kind of an accident never in my life have I dreamed I would be singing in an Irish band”. Gaudreau had always enjoyed Irish music but, never actually thought of be in an Irish band.
Faire Isle has been together for three years. All of the musicians have Irish and Scottish backgrounds. All of the musicians have something else in common, they are all teachers. They play classic Irish and Scottish music including, Star of the Country Down, and Flat River Girl. Gaudreau says “we still try to bring something new to the old music”.
Gaudreau says that they practice a few times a month and really enjoy learning new songs. Gaudreau and the band frequently play at his mother’s retirement home. The songs he sings his mother remembers from Gaudreau’s great grandfather form Ireland. The people at the retirement home really enjoy Faire Isle. And Gaudreau says they know all the words.
Faire Isle performs at weddings, Irish festivals, and more. They play about four or five times a year but, Gaudreau wishes they could play more often. Of course art teach Gaudreau got his artistic abilities added to the cover, he painted the album cover. The CD was released last year and you can buy it at Faire Isle concerts or at www.digsation.com. It took four months for the band to create the CD.
Faire Isle comes from a traditional Irish song called, St. Brendan’s Fair Isle which is featured on Faire Isle’s self titled CD.
You can see Faire Isle perform at their next performance on June 3rd at the Grand opening of the Rampant Lion Gallery in Have de Grace.
Courtney Wilson is a reporter for “The Patriot” and jcpatriot.com.