Music from the heartland
Tape Review
Freedom's Dawn
Price £7.99.
From the opening track with the sound of a British chopper and a
republican fife and drum band, through a number of songs paying
tribute to local heroes, this tape expresses the staunch
republicanism of County Derry, Southwest Antrim and North Antrim.
Fine musicianship and singing feature throughout. I was
particularly impressed by Nuala Donnelly's voice in Irish Ways
and Irish Laws, one of the best versions I have heard. It was
good to hear Ann Brolly of that famous musical family, singing a
fine song, the Ballymaguigan Martyrs, about Volunteers Jim
Sheridan, Martin Lee and Johnny Bateson. She also has a song
about one of the republicans executed at Drumbo by the Free State
in 1922, Seán Larkin.
Pól MacAdaimh plays a range of instruments including uileann
pipes and has a very powerful song Seven Day Arrest which
deserves to become a standard.
A mix of balladry, country rythms and traditional sounds lends
variety to this cassette which is certainly a fine showcase of
local talent as well as a political expression. The area is to be
commended for producing it and it is an example others should
follow.
BY MICHEAL MacDONNCHA
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)