Duke Special returns to Sligo with album inspired by poetry
FANS of Duke Special will be delighted to hear that he will return to the Hawk’s Well Theatre on Saturday the 15 th of October. Duke has just finished his latest studio album, ‘Hallow’.
“It’s based on the poems of Michael Longley who’s a poet and a friend of Seamus Heaney. I heard him speak and I just fell in love with his words, based on his poetry,” Duke, real name Peter, told The Sligo Champion.
Poetry is just one of the mediums from which Peter finds inspiration for his song writing.
The name, ‘Duke Special’, is something he has adopted as part of his performances: “It’s kind of weird going on stage, it’s not a normal thing. It’s weird to go out and entertain people and sing songs that have a personal meaning to you. So having a name, it’s part of being on stage.”
Music has been in Peter’s family for generations. It is natural to him. As Duke Special, he has been performing for nearly 16 years.
“Music is like a language, I’ve always enjoyed it. I can express myself. Music is very natural to me. It’s always been around.
“I love playing with an orchestra. You have 60 or so people playing, it’s a huge landscape and spectacle and you are immersed in that.”
Many people are aware of Duke’s platinum album ‘Songs from The Deep Forest’, and the hit song ‘Freewheel’, but many may be surprised by the cultural breadth of his other work.
His creative talents have seen him involved in projects as diverse as writing the theme tune for the Irish Sesame Street to writing the music for and appearing in Deborah Warner’s critically acclaimed 2009 production of Bertolt Brecht’s ‘Mother Courage and Her Children’ at London’s National Theatre.
He has presented a documentary on the life of ‘50s megastar Ruby Murray, has been commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to write a series of original songs based on photographs for their exhibition of the photographers Stieglitz, Steichen, and Strand.
He has performed with orchestras such as the Ulster and RTE Concert Orchestras and has finished an unfinished musical by Kurt Weill based on Huckleberry Finn.
“I’ve done a lot with the RTE Concert Orchesta and the Dubai Philharmonic Orchestra. That was quite something,” he added.
As time has gone on, Peter has realised the importance of having roots. Now based in Belfast, he would prefer not to be on the road touring 12 months of the year.
“I used to be on the road a lot but I’m trying to be smarter about it now. I’m more self aware now and I’m more aware that I need roots. It’s a way of life for some, some people live on the road. I did it, but I’m more content with just touring in bursts.”
Tickets for this event are €16/8 u18s. An additional €1 Development Fee will also be added to the price of all tickets which are available from the Hawk’s Well Theatre Box Office on 071 916 1518 or www.hawkswell.com.