Tommy Sands (born 19 December 1945) is a Northern Irish folk singer, songwriter, radio broadcaster, and political activist. He performs with his three siblings as The Sands Family; solo as Tommy Sands; and with his son and daughter as Tommy Sands with Moya and Fionán Sands. Tommy was the prime songwriter for The Sands Family,…
Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted orally, music with unknown composers, or music performed by custom over a long period of time. It has been contrasted with commercial and classical styles. The term originated in the 19th century, but folk music extends beyond that.
Sir George Ivan Morrison OBE (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans six decades. He has won two Grammy Awards.
Born in Dublin, Wally Page is a singer and songwriter whose songs are characterized by articulate lyrics and concise intelligent use of imagery and language. Well traveled and schooled in a myriad of contemporary musical styles from Country, Calypso, Eastern and Rock and his Celtic roots.
William Butler Yeats (13 June 1865 – 28 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, prose writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. A pillar of the Irish literary establishment, he helped to found the Abbey Theatre, and in his later years served two terms as a Senator of the Irish Free…
“Annie Laurie” is an old Scottish song based on a poem said to have been written by William Douglas (1682?–1748) of Dumfriesshire, about his romance with Annie Laurie (1682–1764). The words were modified and the tune was added by Alicia Scott in 1834/5. The song is also known as “Maxwelton Braes”. William Douglas became a…
William Hargreaves (1880–1941) was a British composer, mainly of songs for the music hall. His most famous composition was “Burlington Bertie from Bow” in 1916 but he also wrote “Delaney’s Donkey”, “I Know Where the Flies Go”, “PC 49”, “We All Went Marching Home Again”, “They Built Piccadilly For Me” and “Give My Regards to…
William Rooney (Irish: Liam Ó Ruanaidh; 29 September 1873–6 May 1901), also known as Fear na Muintire, was an Irish nationalist, journalist, poet and Gaelic revivalist. Along with Arthur Griffith and Denis Devereux he founded the Celtic Literary Society, and with Griffith founded the first Cumann na nGaedheal.
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, who is one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His music, including songs such as “This Land Is Your Land”, has inspired several generations both politically and musically.
