Launching It All Works Out: E. Conway Qtet & St. Colmcille's School
I hope you're all keeping well as things cautiously begin to open up.
Delighted to launch our work with children from St Colmcille's School. Our "little song that could"......Produced in lock-down and despite the hard-drive with all the soundfiles getting lost in the post, this song and video made it to launch for Saturday June 13, Cruinniu na nOg!
Fifth and sixth class children from St. Colmcille's Senior National School Choir and Grúpa Ceoil join Emilie Conway and her quartet in a song that affirms, even if you have a disability, or you don't quite fit in in school, or a pandemic turns the world topsy turvy, with a little kindness and creativity, it all works out!I
It all began when my beady eyed 4th class teacher, Mr Murphy of St. Colmcille's, Knocklyon, (from way back in nineteen hundred and eighty-hmmmm"!! ), now dep. principal, spotted my name in relation to this year's Sightsavers children's art competition. Mr Murphy contacted me to ask me to give a talk to the children about my music and etc. I decided to put my "talk" into a song and so I wrote, It All Works Out.
Well, the school and children loved the song .. and we began some very excited talks back in early February about recording together with the school choir and grupa ceoil. With the arrival of Covid, hope of recording together looked dashed, until we began to think a bit more creatively!
And so here we are! It All Worked Out - in lockdown!
I sent the children their parts by email and which they learned and then recorded at home. The sound of all those little voices coming into my inbox over those locked down weeks and then the artwork pouring in made it the most heart-warming project I've ever done. Huge thanks is due to Mr Murphy and all the teachers for agreeing to and facilitating the whole thing. At one point, Mr McGowan, principal, quoted my song back to me !( which was around the time the hard-drive had gone missing but I didn't tell him that!)
Please give it a look-listen. It's 3.5mins long and it will brighten your day. You'll also hear my wonderful musicians, Johnny, Barry and Dominic, the studio mastery of Dave McCune and video editing of Richard Lennon, who were all super duper to work with in very strange times.
A wee side-story....back in 4th class, Mr Murphy remembered me most forwas reading. He had brought back a set of Laura Ingalls Wilder books from a sports scholarship in America and I was entranced, obsessed. The books were meant to be read in school but I rememberpleading and being allowed to take them home with me!....Here's the thing, ... he STILL HAS THOSE BOOKS! Over twenty years on and he brought them in the day I gave the school talk !! (Please see photo above.)
Well there you go! i'd love the song to get to radio especially for the sake of this year's 6th classes who are missing all the end of primary school graduations - so if anyone out there knows anyone - shout!
Warmest wishes,
Emilie