sligo for all-ireland? - Comhaltas Archive

RAYMOND ROLANDANARTIST AND A CRAFTSMANThe sad news of Raymond Roland's untimely death spread quickly among manythousands of people in London and in his native Galway. And sad though it was, atleast to them his death was not altogether unexpected. Even those who heard himplaying with flair and vigour together with his beloved friends Liam Farrell andRoger Sherlock, a matter of weeks before his death, must have been aware that hisplaying was soon to become a memory and that what they were hearing was A LastHurrah - a gifted musician who knew that his time was limited, leaving a finalmusical testament and in his totally unpretentious way celebrating the gloriouscreativity of life on the very edge of extinction.But his death came as a great shockto many people in Ireland who had seenhim a year or so previously on the ComhaltasTour when he teamed up with hislife-long friend Paddy Hayes and hadthe apFearance of good health and tonone more than to the many people inCounty Wexford who regardedRaymond's annual arrival in theirCo unty as the high point of theirSummer. Not many people would associatehim with Wexford but he spentsome time there every year on his wayto Galway and on his way back to London.Here he had a dedicated band offollowers and these included not onlythe musicians and afficionados but completenon-experts who responded asmuch to his exuberant vitality as theydid to his playing. It was great news tothem to hear that the Galwayman withthe solemn husky voice and rogueishsmile was back again and with his inimitablekind of traditional music- a fullbodied blend of accuracy , wildness andsensitivity that was vaguely reminiscentof many brilliant Western players yetcompletely personal and distinctive. Hecould hardly escape greatness. In hisearly boyhood, he spent years of unforced listening to the fiddle playing ofhis parents and often recalled minutelyfor us the frequent visits of Joe Cooleyto their Ballyshea home whose playingaroused in him an intense interest in theaccordion. J oe responded to this zealby regularly leaving his accordion withhim so that he could learn to play. Heabsorbed advice eagerly and quicklymastered the technicalities of the instrumentwhich, however, could only be ofuse to one destined to become an eminentlyproficient accordionist anyway.H is greatness as a traditionalmusician stemmed from the fact thatRaymond was both an artist and acraftsman. The distinction between thetwo lies in the creation, invention ordevelopment required by the artist ascompared with the skill or dexteritywhich are alone required by the craftsman.The one reaches a certainstandard through copying, over imitatingor mere execution; the other creates,invents, improvises and somehow findsin a basically simple traditional tune thetreasure which he gives his listeners.The technical skill can be taught andmust be learned by every musician. Thecreative power and inventiveness isalmost an environmental gift whichbegins developing at a very early age andcan never be taught though in a sense itis learned from every sight, sound andfeeling; but this supreme art is learnedunconsciously and few like Raymondhave the power to learn the lesson. Hehimself admired this creative power inmany of the musicians with whom heplayed McGuire, McGlinchey, Casey,Burke, Carthy, Fahy to mention but afew, his brother Oliver and, of course ,his great friend and golfing companionFinbar Dwyer.The people who came to hearRaymond in Wexford , Ross, Foulksmillsor Duncannon admired not onlythe music he made with such expertisebut also his willingness to join in withmusicians with more modest claims tofame than his. They appreciated that aman of almost legendary reputationshould be so unassuming and so willingto be part of their own music making.One night in Ross as peofe attentivelysavoured Raymond's playing, BrendanMulkere astutely observed how his sheerlove of traditional music shone throughevery note he played and how hisfeeling for his immense repertoirepassed on an emotional impact to hisaudience.23His recordings except those surreptitiouslyobtained in the fisties and sixtiesdo not demonstrate fully his truemagnificence. These were his golden ·years when he was being hailed by authoritativecritics asoneo! the mostoutstanding traditional musicians of anyera. Raymond's close friends in Wexfordhave their personal memories but eventhose less well acquainted with him andwho knew only the music, can recapturesomething of his spirit by listenting toone of his recordings, perhaps "TheBucks", that quintessentially westerntune which he played with such elanand heart. Listenting to it they can fanthe embers of memory and reliveglorious nights of music.Ta focal iontach as na Spainnigh arnhinionn go beacht tn\ith amhciin abhain le Raymond Roland. Tugann siad" duende" air agus is deacair e a aistriu.Baineann se le duchas ach teann sethairis sin ; baineann se chomh maith lehiogaireacht a chuireann an duchas ata induine ag obair ar chomhluadar nachdtuigeann an duchas sin. Deireadh anfile Lorca nach bhfuil " an duende" seo ingach ceolt6ir is cuma ce chomh foirfeis ata se; is bua e nach feidir a mhlniu.Bhi se go laidir i Raymond. Chuaigh achuid ceoil, a phearsantacht ceoil, ibhfeidhm ar gach aoinne a chuala e, isli diarnharach eigin nach dtuigim fein.Braithfunid uainn e, Gura moide teaghlachDe a imeacht uainn.F. M.