Frankie Gavin, Composer and Musician History and Education:
Frankie Gavin was born in 1956 in Galway, Co. Galway to Mary
Crehan and J.J. Gavin.
Both of his parents played traditional Irish music. He was
the youngest of a musical family of four.
All of the children entered numerous traditional music competitions.
Throughout his childhood,
Frankie Gavin consistently placed first in fiddle and whistle.
At the age of seventeen he placed first in the All Ireland
Fiddle Competition and in the All Ireland Flute Competition, both on the same day.
He received his Leaving Cert. from the Bish in Galway in 1973.
Frankie Gavin founded De Dannan in 1973, at the age of seventeen.
Recordings:
With De Dannan he has recorded fifteen albums. Their most
recent CD, "How the West Was Won," has been awarded a gold disc.
He has recorded six solo albums. He has recorded as
a guest on albums with The Rolling Stones on "Voodoo Lounge".
Keith Richards on "Wingless Angels". With Earl Scruggs renowned
Banjo Virtuoso on "The Crossings".
An album for release with the late Jazz violinist, Stephane
Grappelli, and with Sir Yehudi Menuhin, on the TV Series "Bringing it all back home".
Performances:
Frankie Gavin first appeared on Irish television at the age
of seven.
He first appeared on U.S. television at the age of nine.
He performed for U.S. President John F. Kennedy in Salthill,
Galway, during President J.F.K.'s historic visit to Ireland.
In 1976, while representing Ireland in the United States'
Bicentennial Celebrations in Washington, D.C.,
Frankie Gavin was invited to play and record on the Stradivarius
and Guarnaerius collection owned by maestro
Fritz Kreisler at the Smithsonian Institute.
In Ireland, Frankie Gavin has performed for the State Visit
of Prince Charles, President Francois Mitterand,
and other innumerable State events at Dublin Castle and Iveagh
House.
In the U.S. Frankie Gavin performed at the Lincoln Center,
NY, in 1978.
In England, he performed at the Royal Albert Hall, London,
in 1980.
In Denmark, he performed for an audience of 60,000 at the
Roskilde Festival, in 1983.
In Japan, he performed at the Womad Music Festival in Yokahama,
in 1992.
In China, he performed at St. Patrick's Day Balls in Beijing
and Hong Kong, in 1996,1997, and 1998.
On several occasions he has performed classical works with
operatic diva Bernadette Greevey at the National Concert Hall in Dublin.
On the occasion of the first Northern Ireland Peace Process,
a special concert was held at Ulster Hall Belfast, entitled, "Jigs and Jazz."
Featuring legendary Jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli and
Frankie Gavin, this performance was also held in Denmark,
Scotland, and Ireland. Frankie Gavin was guest of honour,
together with Heads of State, at the funeral of Stephane Grappelli
in Paris, France, in 1998.
Compositions:
Frankie Gavin has done immense work for the promotion of Traditional
Irish Music worldwide and,
together with his colleagues in De Dannan, has helped to increase
its acceptance both by younger generations
with versions of rock tunes such as, "Hey Jude," and by proponents
of classical music with renditions of classical pieces
such as "The Arrival of the Queen of Sheeba."
Frankie Gavin's arrangements of these and others such as "Hibernian
Rhapsody" and "The Rambles of Bach,"
are now standards in traditional music circles.
Frankie Gavin arranged and recorded the original soundtrack
for the television series "The Irish R.M."
His published and recorded compositions include;
"A Classical Reel,"
"Do It in Jigtime,"
"Maam Valley,"
"The Drimneen Jig,"
"The Wren's Nest,"
"Alice's Reel."
These compositions have been recorded by musicians from Ireland,
Scotland, Denmark and the U.S.A.
Works in Progress:
1. "The Choctaw Symphony."
A symphony in five movements incorporating instruments of
the Irish and the Choctaw, emphasizing the close connection between the two peoples, especially relating to the fact that
during the "Trail of Tears," the Choctaw still managed to collect and send money to the Irish people during "The Great Famine."
2) "Music for Peace."
Inspired by the first peace initiative and with the help and
research of Reverend Gary Hastings of Belfast, the music of this project dates back to the late 1600's. Predominately from
the Protestant tradition of Northern Ireland, ironically, many of the pieces are now known as reels, hornpipes, and polkas
in the south. A selection of this music was performed for President Mary MacAleese's "Building Bridges" theme at the Aras
an Uachtaran on July 11th,1998.
3) "Gone Wild."
Using the sounds of nature and songs from birds such as the
cuckoo, jackdaw, thrush, blackbird and skylark, for inspiration, Frankie Gavin has created an original collection of compositions.
This work has been a life long ambition and is nearing completion.
