Christy Moore’s search for new songwriting talent

Folk music legend Christy Moore has teamed up with musicians’ site Tradconnect in a project to help the next generation of songwriters.

The ‘Songwriter’s Showcase’ provides an opportunity for new writers and performers to gain some exposure.

Christy Moore's search for new songwriting talent

Moore will listen to songs by the artists and offer support. He says he is excited at the prospect at discovering some great new material.

He has offered an award of €500 for a song or writer that stands out.

It is also possible that current recording artists may follow the campaign and be inspired to record some of the material they hear.

It is preferred that singers present their songs a cappella or with as little musical accompaniment as possible. A single guitar or piano is preferable to a full band.

Entrants can present songs from all aspects of the folk and ballad tradition, but the organisers are particularly keen to uncover some great ‘modern day emigration’ songs.

The first five artists have already submitted their songs to the Tradconnect website.

1 Ronnie Moore – ‘Carolina’ – Ronnie said: “The subject matter of my songs are wide and varied. This one, Carolina, is a laid back emigration song.”

2 Randall Stephen Hall – ‘Patrick Is My Name’ – Randall says his song: “looks at immigration through the name Patrick. All leaves from one tree. All falling and landing on different soil.”

3 Peter O’ Malley – ‘Night Time in Montreal’ – Peter’s band The O’Malleys have played all the main venues in Ireland and appeared on several TV shows.

4 Rich McMahon – ‘Ten Thousand Miles’ – Rich says: “The song I’ve submitted for the Songwriter Showcase is called ‘Ten Thousand Miles from Dublin’, and it concerns the latest wave of emigration, post-Celtic Tiger, from Ireland to Australia.”

5 Mick Ryan – ‘Rags to Riches to Rags’ – Mick says: “The song “Rags To Riches To Rags” is an emigration song that covers three periods in Irish history when emigration was at a high level i.e. the fifties/early sixties the nineteen-eighties and the present day.”

For more information about the Songwriter’s Showcase visit the Tradconnect website

To submit a song, follow the instructions at this link

Published
Categorized as Blog

By Michael Kehoe

Michael Kehoe is a writer for Irish Music Daily and Ireland Calling. His favourite Irish Music bands are Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys.