The Sings of the Eagle - WordPress.com
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/Tnr$ilc$ oF Encrr i tl[ti$ fiddles and flutes andvoices fromthe heart, a14th sutavern By TOi| O'l{Ettl I s night descendson the ll meat-packingdistrict at Tlthe far western reaches of l4th St., the crorvd in the backroom of a lveathered longshoreman's bar sits hushed, listening to a Kerry man raise his voice in a cen- turies-old Irish ballad. Sittingalone at a tablc, his eyesare closed, his shoulders rise and fall with the swell of his thickly broguedtenor. A tew lisleners, familiar witn the tune, hum alone. Upon finishing, he bows h-is h-ead and takes a long drarv from his mug ofGuinness. The clowd bursts into aD- plauseand immediately acrois t]le room a fiddler starts up a raucous inshumental joined by orhe$ who, if they don't have instruments,pound on the tables, clap their hands and stonlp their feet - Weleome to llonday Night Sersiu'n at the Eagle Tavern "Americans go to Ireland looking for this and never find it," shouts Terry, a plurnber from Limerick who just moved to Nerv York. Seisiu'ns * a Gaelic tvord flor the ancient lrish custom ofgathering friends and rela- tives for informal sing-alongs - were brought to America by immigrants,and originally held in family parlors. When the Irish neighborhoods broke up in the '50s, the sei- siu'ns moved to the only suit- able qlternative location - the bars.The Eagle's seisiu n. begun in 1975, is considered by many to be the finest irr America. By 10 p.m.,the boekroom of the Eagle (355 W. l4th St., no cover) is overflowing with revelers from all walks of sional musicians - or for that matter even Irish - they play and sing with a passion and beauty that often takes the breath away. Besides the fiddles and flutes, the instruments at the seisiu'n could be museum pieces. The Celtic heirlooms - bodrans, concertinas, me- lodeans and mandocellos - are played with an expertise that belies their anaehro- nism. Therc is no amplifica. tion or stage, everyone sits at scatteredtables in the wood- paneled room. - "We're not a set group, there's no announcetients. nothing's organized, we don'i even Isrow each otler's last names," says old-timer Leo Hardiman. "But," he adds,..ev- eryone that walks in here as strangers walks out as friends." lleter Dolan, the son of plrish immigrants, is rhe I president of the EaAte Sissiu'n Society. "We encoir- age who€ver comes in to par- ticipate." Leroy Lessan, a 4?-year-old Harlem-born African-Ameri. can, bears out Dolan as he raises the roofwith some reb- el songson his banjo. even a Mexican and Creole number. "It's legitimate as long as it's sung from the heart." says Dolan. The president of an insur- revives thecenturies-old Irish seisiu'n TRADlllol{AL vlouillST paddv Reynords soros at the spirited Monday night sing-atongs. ttttt irotlt ance company!Kevin Brooks takes refuge from work at the seisiu'n, even scheduling business trips around them. Touring musicians will also come a few days early or stay a few days late to drop into the Eagle. Bobby Clancey of the Clan- cey Brotlers ('The band who sparted the lrish music rcvival in the '609" says Dolan) wan- den in at I am., after a perfor- mqnce at Uncoln Center. For librarian SuzanneCor- rigan, a dream comestrue to- night when she sings a duet with Clancey. It is 4 a.m. when the sei- siu'n finally ends. When asked about the late hour- and the possibility of a wor- ried wife in Brooklvn. Leo Hardiman smiles ar.id says, "She knows. On Mondav nights there are no clocks." - (Tom O'Neill is a !'reelnnce urxter.) rrilOtfOOOI! a giant wind-up telkitrg bird, whieh drove his showman friend P.T. Barnum mad with enrry. He'd come in to see the bid snd chide himself for not having scooped Macy. Macy's introduced themetic exhibits. During the Christ- mas season, the work was so intense that employes stayed until ll p.m. By the early 1880s, the dis- plays were automated and the staff less stressed out. Dolls, propelled by steam me- chanics, danced in windows now brilliantly illuminated with electricif. (Hope Cooke h o citA hi.stori- an and.wg.lktrq-tafi guidp), . . ! ! r . J j ! | t ! r r . r! hs slie6r [uilding at 56 W. I 14tr St is the last surviv- I ing remnant of the firrt Macy's, which opened herc in 185& Above the door is the faintly lettered star and logo - the st rffmm R.H. Maq/s whal- ing days in Nantucket Today, bargain signs plas- ter the discount stores on the street level of t}le old Macy's buildin8 - a direct tie with the past Macy's was the city's first store to offer sales. Macy was also an innovator in advertising and window displays. His love oftheatries Doc.rlor U. $tt life. While most aren't profes- Garolfst oin professional singers and musicians for the t frfth annual Carolfest West at 3 p.m. at the origami tree in the Amedcan Museum of Natural History. Carolondo^m Columbus Ave.to LincolnCenter ptaza forthe lighting of the hotiday tree by\tynton Marsalis, star of "A Classical Jaz Christmas." Catl (2L2\ 877-7272tol information. INSIDE crils$rm I ?d .Te".h'"""i9'. lll.1'' " 9u* Nil. ESIfiT
Transcript of The Sings of the Eagle - WordPress.com
/Tnr$ilc$ oF Encrri
tl[ti$ fiddles and flutes andvoices from the heart, a 14th su tavernBy TOi| O'l{Ettl
I s night descends on thell meat-packing district atTlthe far western reachesof l4th St., the crorvd in thebackroom of a lveatheredlongsho reman ' s ba r s i t shushed, listening to a Kerryman raise his voice in a cen-turies-old Irish ballad.
Si t t ing alone at a tablc, h iseyes are closed, his shouldersrise and fall with the swell ofh is th ick ly brogued tenor. Atew l is leners, fami l iar wi tnthe tune, hum alone. Uponfinishing, he bows h-is h-eadand takes a long drarv fromhis mug ofGuinness.
The clowd bursts into aD-plause and immediately acroist]le room a fiddler starts up araucous inshumental joinedby orhe$ who, if they don'thave instruments, pound onthe tables, clap their handsand stonlp their feet- Weleome to llonday NightSersiu 'n at the Eagle Tavern
"Americans go to Irelandlooking for this and neverf i nd i t , " shou t s Te r r y , aplurnber f rom Limer ick whojust moved to Nerv York.
Seisiu'ns * a Gaelic tvordflor the ancient lrish customofgathering friends and rela-tives for informal sing-alongs- were brought to Americaby immigrants, and originallyheld in family parlors. Whenthe I r i sh ne ighbo rhoodsbroke up in the
'50s, the sei-
siu'ns moved to the only suit-able q l ternat ive locat ion -the bars. The Eagle's seisiu n.begun in 1975, is consideredby many to be the finest irrAmerica.
By 10 p.m., the boekroom ofthe Eagle (355 W. l4th St., nocover) is overflowing withrevelers from all walks of
sional musicians - or forthat matter even Irish - theyplay and sing with a passionand beauty that often takesthe breath away.
Besides the f iddles andflutes, the instruments at theseis iu 'n could be museumpieces. The Celtic heirlooms- bodrans, concertinas, me-lodeans and mandocellos -are played with an expertisethat bel ies their anaehro-nism. Therc is no amplifica.tion or stage, everyone sits at
scattered tables in the wood-paneled room.- "We're not a set group,
there's no announcetients.nothing's organized, we don'ieven Isrow each otler's lastnames," says old-timer LeoHardiman. "But," he adds,..ev-eryone that walks in here asstrangers walks out as friends."
lleter Dolan, the son ofplrish immigrants, is rheI president of the EaAteSissiu'n Society. "We encoir-age who€ver comes in to par-ticipate."
Leroy Lessan, a 4?-year-oldHarlem-born African-Ameri.can, bears out Dolan as heraises the roofwith some reb-el songs on his banjo. even aMexican and Creole number.
"It's legitimate as long asit's sung from the heart." saysDolan.The president of an insur-
revives the centuries-old Irish seisiu'n
TRADlllol{AL vlouillST paddv Reynords soros at the spirited Monday night sing-atongs. ttttt irotlt
ance company! Kevin Brookstakes refuge from work at these i s i u ' n , even schedu l i ngbusiness trips around them.Touring musicians will alsocome a few days early or staya few days late to drop intothe Eagle.
Bobby Clancey of the Clan-cey Brotlers ('The band whosparted the lrish music rcvivalin the '609" says Dolan) wan-den in at I am., after a perfor-mqnce at Uncoln Center.
For librarian Suzanne Cor-rigan, a dream comes true to-night when she sings a duetwith Clancey.
It is 4 a.m. when the sei-s iu 'n f inal ly ends. Whenasked about the late hour-and the possibility of a wor-ried wife in Brooklvn. LeoHardiman smiles ar.id says,"She knows. On Mondavnights there are no clocks."
-
(Tom O'Neill is a !'reelnnceurxter.)
rrilOtfOOOI! a giant wind-up telkitrg bird,whieh drove his showmanfriend P.T. Barnum mad withenrry. He'd come in to see thebid snd chide himself fornot having scooped Macy.
Macy's introduced themeticexhibits. During the Christ-mas season, the work was sointense that employes stayeduntil ll p.m.
By the early 1880s, the dis-plays were automated andthe staff less stressed out.Dolls, propelled by steam me-chanics, danced in windowsnow brilliantly illuminatedwith electricif.
(Hope Cooke h o citA hi.stori-an and.wg.lktrq-tafi guidp), .
. ! ! r . J j ! | t ! r r .
r! hs slie6r [uilding at 56 W.I 14tr St is the last surviv-I ing remnant of the firrt
Macy's, which opened herc in185& Above the door is thefaintly lettered star and logo -the st rffmm R.H. Maq/s whal-ing days in Nantucket
Today, bargain signs plas-ter the discount stores on thestreet level of t}le old Macy'sbuildin8 - a direct tie withthe past Macy's was the city'sfirst store to offer sales.
Macy was also an innovatorin advertising and windowdisplays. His love oftheatries
Doc.rlor U. $tt
l ife. While most aren't profes-
Garolfstoin professional singersand musicians for the
t frfth annual CarolfestWest at 3 p.m. at the origamitree in the AmedcanMuseum of Natural History.Carolon do^m ColumbusAve. to Lincoln Center ptazaforthe lighting of the hotidaytree by \tynton Marsalis, starof "A Classical JazChristmas."
Catl (2L2\ 877-7272tolinformation.
INSIDE
crils$rmI ?d .Te".h'"""i9'. lll.1'' " 9u*
Nil. ESIfiT
