Music is child’s play in an area steeped in tradition
JUST to underscore the wealth of talent there is in the locality the teachers and pupils of Cullen National School recently showed that, in their school, making great music erally was just childs play.
And so they gathered together - ní neart go chuir le cheile - the very considerable ensemble of musical ability readily available in the school and decided it would be a good idea to imprint their very own CD.
The Banks of Brogeen, Haste to the Wedding, The Shores of Lough Bran, agus Cad Atá sa Mhála are just some of the headliners from ‘A Medley of Music and Song’ - the very wonderful CD recorded by the talented children of Cullen National School and released as summer was breaking.
The 12 track album offers an eclectic mix of great songs and traditional music pieces - with all of the children in the school taking part. As US president Barak Obama said: ‘Yes, we (all) can’; and they did.
Yet, in many ways, this CD stems from an area rooted in a long lasting tradition.
“We in Cullen National School are very aware that music enriches our lives,” school principal Hannah Kelleher noted. “When we were discussing our new CD, pupils listed some of the benefits of learning and performing music. Among the many strengths of musical education they listed is the fact that they are constantly using their memory in order to perform.”
And, so, young talent was merged with an educational opportunity.
“We endeavour to continually improve as we play together, with some pupils injecting harmony and often disharmony, as we try to polish our work,” added MsKelleher.
“Pupils who learn music feel proud of their achievements, when even the smallest goal is reached,” Hannah continued.
And there’s a greater wisdom to be extrated here, too. “Music fosters emotional development,” added Ms Kelleher. “To quote a child in Third Class: ‘I think that if you are ever sad and lonely, when you play music you forget about the sad thoughts’.
“I think music is strong and passionate. Music is full of life,” said a Third Class pupil while a Sixth Class pupil remarked: “We had great ‘ceol is craic’ as we learned music in school.
They say you can’t put an old head on young shoulders - but a community can pass on a wealth of tradition to the next generation, and that’s certainly here in Cullen.
The Cullen NS CD, A Medley of Music and Song, which was produced by Old Road Studios in Ballydesmond, will hopefully be a fruitful fundraiser for the school and can be purchased at O’ Flynn’s Shop in Cullen.