Returning Light

On March 7th, the first Wednesday of the month, was episode three in the Ghostlight Sessions series, held in the beautiful Balor Theatre in Ballybofey, one of my favourite venues in the country (I’m more of a theatre lover than a big arena type). The attendees arrived early to get inside out of the freezing temperatures. With the strong night of original music ahead, the attendees were hoping to have their ears and toes warmed by the three marvellous acts lined up for the evening.

Michael & Zara, a Donegal based two-piece, kicked us off with intimate and stripped-back renditions of tracks from their 2016 EP ‘Blackbirds’. They also treated us to a few never-before-heard tracks, to the delight of us listeners. Michael, with his quiet, haunting voice and folk finger-style guitar playing, and Zara, with her exquisite classical vocals and piano accompaniment, were a great complement to one another. In particular, the arrangements which stood out for me were ‘With Blackbirds’, a euphoric slow-build track on the EP, which was translated perfectly to the theatre, and ‘White Tiger’, reminiscent of the folk guitar styles of Josh Ritter. From the charming harmonies to the between-song stories, Michael & Zara weren’t long in taking our minds off the brisk evening cold!

Barry Jay Hughes, having just released his album ‘Acoustic Live & Honest’ on Spotify last year, graced the stage as the penultimate act of the evening. A singer-songwriter based out of Monaghan, with just his voice and his guitar, filled the theatre with a warm, attentive atmosphere. Drawing the crowd in with solemn, quiet tones, Hughes would raise us up with powerful vocals and rhythmic guitar styles, to then lower the watchful once again with enchanting chord sections. Hughes’ mélange of folk and alternative rock, having raised raised the tempo with his rhythmic pulse, made for a pertinent lead-in to the final act.

The evening ended with an impressive indie trad-folk four-piece, Billow Wood, who made the trip from Mayo to play to the Balor crowd for was the final date of their ‘Can You See Me’ EP Tour. Between the four members, two ladies and two lads, they really do bring a lot to the musical table. Blending traditional Irish instruments like harp, accordion, tin whistle, flute and bodhrán, with influences from the sounds and structure of mainstream pop and folk. They opened with ‘Hello Hello’, the opening track on their EP, and set the tone for the rest of their delightful performance. Four-part harmonies, soft acapella, full instrumentals, finger-clicking and crowd-whooping excitement. This was some of what the audience was to expect from the quartet. Their setlist also included their track ‘Turn out the Light’ which they wrote to shed light on the important issue of mental health in young people. We all called for more the end, and they thankfully obliged… The first official Ghostlight Sessions encore. Fantastic end to a fantastic evening!Throughout the night the crowd were incredibly attentive and appreciative towards all of the artists. Speaking to them after too, the artists felt the same towards the crowd. It was all smiles as the post-show conversations between performers and listeners discussed how they felt and why they loved each set. One of the main things I took from the discussion was how people, particularly the performers, loved just how well run the whole event was.

The whole event is organised by Dean Maywood, also the master of ceremonies and a musician himself. He set up The Ghostlight Sessions to give an outlet for original artists to play their own music to audiences and earn some money for their craft. By no means a small feat, but Dean has done a stellar job in getting solid original acts and making the whole thing a positive experience for those on, and in front of, the stage.

Quick aside, I just need to mention how immaculate the sound was set up in the venue. It was super clear and flawless the entire evening.

Anyway, The Ghostlight Sessions is a great event, well organised, and a great way to spend a Wednesday evening. I couldn’t recommend it more. If you’re looking to hear original music from some of the best our small green island has to offer, you’ll find there. It’s a monthly event, the first Wednesday each month, so the next one will fall on April 4th. It boasts a strong lineup of bands, including Darren Doherty & The Heathen Choir, D-Day, Those Ghosts, and Blackbird and Crow. I’ll definitely be there again myself, so bring a few friends and I hope to see you all there 🙂

Photographer on the night was no stranger to Returning Light Michael Gillespie at MDG Photoworks