Thank you Jed and Frank for your kind comments. As you both know, from your own work on The Streets of Fall River and The Nenagh Singers CDs, there is a fair amount of preparation and resultant nervous energy that builds up just prior to the CD release. One thing that's always tempting is to speculate on how the recording will be received. In this instance, the Launch being made in Ireland first, then the USA, Bob Conroy and I will be having fun seeing how right or wrong we were for a couple of months yet.

Frank, one of our hopes about Ireland is that Irish in America will catch the imagine of people there, many of whom have relatives in the U.S. It is a great story and, we think, the songs are equal to it. Bob and I are very happy that the work of Jimmy Carney and Michael Sullivan, to name just two of the composers, is finally being heard in their homeland.

Jed, I started writing tunes for traditional songs about 2 or 3 years ago. By all reports, the melodies sound traditional and that, of course, is just what I had hoped for. What I think has helped me is that I now no longer listen to other kinds of music so I believe that, musically, I believe I think only in a traditional idiom. Anyway, I'm delighted to hear you will be singing "The Sons of Liberty." I take it as a compliment. Thanks.

I'm very sorry neither of you can join us on May 4th at The Blarney Star in New York City. We'll be having the USA Launch with Brian Conway, Brendan Dolan and with many of the musicians and singers who're on the CD getting up to join us during the evening. It would be great to see you both there.

On Saturday morning, April 28th, at 10am New York time, Bob and I will be interviewed by Kathleen Biggins on WFUV (Fordham University Radio - 90.7FM in NYC). The program is also simulcast over the net at WFUV. That is... http://www.wfuv.org/index.htm

All the best,
Dan Milner