The Hession Collection
Carl Hession is best know as a pianist, composer and arranger. His background includes many elements of his education in both traditional, modern, jazz, and classical music.
From a young age he competed regularly at Fleadhanna Ceoil throughout the country, and has attained All-Ireland titles as both a soloist, and as a member of duets/ trios with renowned flute player Matt Molloy, and the East-Galway accordion player Joe Burke.
Having studied classical piano through a BA in Music at UCC, Carl went on to perform with artists such as Stéphane Grappelli, Mary Coughlan, Jackie Daly, Steve Cooney, Frankie Gavin and Joe Derrane, as well as performing and recording with groups Shaskeen and Moving Cloud. For several years he was also part of the Rhythm of the Dance team with the National Dance Company of Ireland.
Hession has written and arranged compositions for a number of orchestras and ensembles, and collaborated with Aidan O’ Carroll on the album ‘Songs My Mother Taught Me’. Over the past few years Carl Hession has been concentrating on traditional music composition and has kindly offered to make his most recent work (a collection of reels) available for all to play and enjoy online through this site and in printed format in ‘Treoir’ magazine.
Sporting Galway/ The White Plains/Threadneedle Reel
Sporting Galway was composed for The Full Score CD with Frankie Gavin. The reel was part of a modern funky arrangement with Frankie playing the tune.
The White Plains was composed after a musical trip Carl had to the Catskills in the New York area. The first person he met was the brilliant Felix Dolan and had an incredible few days.
Threadneedle Reel was written for a ballet Carl composed and titled ‘Lake of Dreams’. The Ballet was interesting because there was fusion between classical and Irish traditional music as well as a fusion of ballet and Irish dance.
Buttermilk Lane/ Nile Lodge/ Gentian Hill
These three reels are quite similar to many more of Carl’s compositions. Carl tends to select certain areas of Galway, his home city ,which he likes to visit and these are definitely three of those areas.
The Old Road to Loughrea/ The Kilnadeema Maestro/ The Man with the Stories.
Carl wrote these reels in memory of Carl’s great friend Joe Burke. Carl had known Joe for many years and Carl would say the main highlight was winning the All Ireland Trio competition in Boyle. Kathleen Collins played fiddle with Joe on accordion and Carl on the piano. Carl always remembers that the piano players had to play the tune and no vamping – difficult when you had to play Dowd’s Number 9 in G minor!
The Links by the Bay/ Salthill Prom
These reels are local reels with Salthill Prom stretching to the Links by the Bay. Carl has spent most of his life living in Salthill which is a nice place to live. He composed the reels for ‘The Rhythm of the Dance’ show which began in 1998 and they are written in an East Galway style.
The Aughrim Slopes/ The Old Ballinakill/ Fahey from Kilconnell
Carl moves back again to East Galway and remembers two great Céilí Bands – The Aughrim Slopes from the mid-1920’s and The Ballinakill also from the1920’s. They were so important to the development of the beautiful music from East Galway. Paddy Fahey from Kilconnell is definitely one of the most famous composers of Irish Music and has left so many gems all in an East Galway style.
John Conoboys/ Tunes on 4th Street/ Ode to an Orphaned Banjo.
These reels were written in memory of John Conoboy who passed away suddenly on New Year’s Day 2023. John had a big influence in the Irish Music scene in Albequerque and Grace Broadhead, who was a friend of John, is delighted to play the reels in his memory.
A trip to the Island/ Walking on the Sand/ Floating with the wind
Carl wrote these reels after playing a concert on Inishbofin with Kevin Crawford and Seán Smyth.The boat journey was exciting due to the rough sea and they arrived safely at the pier. They then went for a sound check followed by the concert. Next morning it was a completely different scenario and Carl spent some time walking on the sand and enjoying the surroundings.
Fun and Frolics/ Up half the Night
These two reels were written after recording a CD in Culdaff with Tom Byrne and Frankie Gavin. Carl had a fantastic few days in Inishowen with lots of fun, great company and played music ‘til early morning. Carl is also delighted that the brilliant Brid Harper, also from Donegal, played the two reels.
The Mystery Train/Waiting to go to Town/All is looking Good
Carl wrote these three reels after a mystery adventure night. The task was to solve a crime and eventually discovered who murdered the local priest – which of course was only a game. The group began by boarding a train with no idea where they were going or what was going to happen. There were lots of twists and turns before the criminal was identified. They returned home the next day on the same mystery train and everything looking good.
Driving Through the Fog/The Mountain Stream/A Day in the Bog
These tunes are in memory of stacking turf in Connemara with Carl’s father. It was always a long day and there always seemed to be fog on their way out from Salthill. He had no sense of direction, which is still the case, and Carl’s guide was the mountain stream which was very close to the bog. What Carl enjoyed most was when the flask of tea that came out when they got a break from the turf.
The Rockchapel Lassies/Lucy’s Dream/An Ríl Dochasach
These three reels were actually named by Caoimhe and Éimhear Flannery from Rockchapel. The girls are two class musicians and have achieved so much in such a short time. They even gave their dog Lucy a mention!
Ballybrit Dip/ Up and Over
These two reels are linked to the two fences which are situated in the dip at Ballybrit. If you have been lucky enough to attend the Galway Races you will definitely know what Carl’s talking about. Many a Euro was lost at this particular spot. However, if your horse manages to get up and over then you might be smiling all the way to the bank
The Water’s Edge/Rippling Waves/Splash and Paddle
Living in Salthill beside the beach gives you the opportunity to test the water especially during the summer months. There are definitely days where you can ramble down to the Water’s Edge, a little bit of splash and paddle and observe the rippling waves.
The Donegal Lass/ Doherty from Donegal/ Charming Inishowen
These three reels have a Donegal connection. The first reel is dedicated to Melanie Houton a fantastic fiddle player originally from Donegal. Melanie is one of many exceptional female fiddle players from the county. The second reel is dedicated to another fantastic Donegal fiddle player Johnny Doherty. The Doherty brothers were so important to the Donegal style of fiddle playing which is unique. The third reel is linked to the magnificent scenic area -Charming Inishowen
Mickey Wards/ Portland Mc Cann’s
These reels are dedicated to Michael Ward, originally from Donegal, and who worked with Gael Linn. Michael was kind enough to release two of Carl’s CDs “Ceol Inné, Ceol Inniu” and “Trá” on the Gael Linn label. Cairbre Mc Cann was Carl’s first cousin who lived in Portland Maine and Carol visited him on a few occasions. He had a life time interest in Irish Music as did all of his family.
A Day at the Fair/Wheeling and Dealing/ Time to Head Home
These bring back memories of spending a half day at The Ballinasloe Fair. It was an exciting experience watching all the trading and coming to a financial agreement. Sometimes the transaction can take a lot longer than anticipated which of course can be quite humorous
Free as a breeze/The long Winded story/ Sunshine after Rain
When writing these three reels Carl had two two fiddles and a flute in mind. When Orlaith, Una and Ciara agreed to play the reels Carl decided to write the second reel in E minor. He thought It might be a little challenging and would suit the instruments. He then decided to follow this reel with a more basic tune in G
P.V.’s Trip to Galway/The All Night Party/On Stage with the Best
Carl had travelled on a few occasions to play with PV O’Donnell and The Hartford Symphony. PV was from Buncrana and Carl first met him in Salthill. He had come to meet Carl and discuss the possibility of playing a concert with the Orchestra. The concerts went ahead and turned out to be very successful. Carl remembers on the last concert in Connecticut playing with Joe Derrane, Darren Holden, PV and the Orchestra
Rowing Up the Corrib/ Menlo Castle/ So Near and Yet so Far
These are very recent compositions and like many of my tunes the titles are related to Galway and the Corrib. After Carl’s teaching job in Carlow he moved back to Galway to teach at The Jes which was a great school for music and sport. Rowing was such an important part of the school and the crews won many international awards. One of his pupils, Aifric Keogh, has already won an Olympic Bronze medal and has qualified for Paris. Of course as you begin your journey up the Corrib your first and most famous landmark is Menlo Castle.
Back on the Bike/ ‘Tis Good Fun, Isn’t It?/The Lilting Traveler
Carl has been on the occasional cycling holiday. It is usually a good experience especially if you manage to avoid landing on the tarmac. It is also interesting to come across the super confident individual whistling his way around without a care in the world.
The Dorian Way/ Billy- The Box Player/ Kev the Great
The first reel is a Modal tune in the Dorian Mode-D to D.The second and third reels are dedicated to two very good friends and brilliant musicians – Billy Mc Cominsky and Kevin Crawford. Both are really exciting musicians and also composers. Carl met Billy in the US when Carl was accompanying the Great Joe Derrane. Kevin has been a friend of Carl’s since the 1990s when they played together in The Moving Cloud. We have also worked together for many years since.
Flannery’s Reel/The Sunset Reel/Trip to Valletta
Since Carl started composing and recording sets of reels he always has somebody in mind. That can very often influence the style of composition which happens in this case with Caoimhe and Eimhear Flannery. They are both first class musicians and have been taught by Matt Cranitch and Jackie Daly. The girls always like a challenge which gives Carl a chance to write something a little different and give them food for thought. They actually came up with the titles where they seem to be reminiscing on a very enjoyable holiday.
Trip to the Bridge/ Up the Steep Hill/ Go Ahead. Back Up!
These three reels go back many years when Carl got his first teaching job in Carlow. He lived on the outskirts of the town and he usually took a shortcut in the afternoon for the classes. Unfortunately the shortcut often turned out to be a long cut if you managed to meet traffic and occasionally to meet the school bus.The big challenge was to negotiate the bridge at the top of a hill and if you were successful all was fine.
Bothar Na Carraige/ The Laracor Lassies/ Gleann Mhaigh Cholpa
On occasions Carl often suggests to the musician that they might like to name the tunes. They usually leave it to him but in this case Ray Dempsey came up with the tune titles.The second reel is written for his daughters and the first and third reels, like Carl, are related to areas familiar to him.
Brian The Tutor/The Chicago Conneelly/Joanie’s on the Move
These three reels are dedicated to three great traditional musicians living in the USA. Brian, of course, is Brian Conway who has taught fiddle to so many incredible musicians in New York. Brian is also a fantastic soloist and is a major part of Irish Music in America for decades. Pauline Conneelly is a brilliant banjo player and comes from a family of equally brilliant musicians – Kathleen, Bernie and Mick. The Joanie I am talking about is the fantastic Joanie Madden. Joanie and her group ‘Cherish the Ladies’ have been at the top since the 1990s and have achieved everything that has to be achieved. Joanie herself is a top class musician with Galway connections.
The Coast is Clear/ Mile after Mile after Mile/ The Magical Journey
Carl always remembers his journey to Culdaff to record a CD with Tom Byrne. Carl was not really aware of the distance and he seemed to be driving for hours! It turned out to be a magical journey with the beautiful scenery and the fun and hospitality they received on their arrival was incredible. Carl also wrote a jig titled ‘A Trip to Culdaff’ in memory of the visit.
The Town Centre/ Market Street/ Lynch’s Window
Sometimes you will find that tunes will come together very quickly and other times it can be a struggle. It can be the same with tune titles and in this case Carl had instant titles. Carl was sitting in his car at Market Street and a group of tourists just arrived to view the famous window where James Lynched his son Walter around 1494. Carl had actually written a stage musical titled ‘Lynched’ which was performed in Galway a few years ago as Market Street is in the town centre.
Correct me if I am wrong/ In all Fairness/ You’re Spot-On
These are three expressions Carl can associate with good friends which means that he cannot disclose any names. There is a story behind each expression and Carl hears them continuously when he is in their company. However, he thinks at this stage they are aware of his reaction to their expressions and unfortunately, they are said less frequently which is a pity.
The Old Railway Line/Dressed to the Nines/Those were the Days
Carl associates Melissa Clarke with East Galway which influenced the style of tune. Carl was thinking more of the 1920s and could imagine a group of people getting on a train at Woodlawn and travelling to Galway. It would be a great occasion spending the day roaming around the city. It was somewhat similar for Melissa as she traveled from East Galway to record with Carl in Galway City.
Another Lazy Morning/Strolling Down the Town/ Thinking about Nothing
Carl had worked with Maura O’Connor and Grace Broadhead on different projects up to this but he was now really anxious to have Maura and Grace as a duo. They are both excellent musicians and Carl was more than delighted with the result. Sometimes when Carl listens to the tunes he can often come up with an instant title. That definitely happened in this case when he heard the relaxed manner in which they played the reels.
Christy’s the Man/The Banjo Dunne
Carl wrote these for his great friend Christy Dunne. Carl first met Christy when they played with The Moving Cloud and Christy was an incredible banjo player. He never seemed to play a wrong note and they had great fun playing all over the country. Carl remembers recording on his Plucking Good CD with Frankie Gavin. They recorded two tracks – a set of Jigs and Reels in 20 minutes. They were in the studio at 6 and at 6.25pm they were in the pub across the road from the studio. Christy and Frankie believed the first take was the best and that is what happened. Carl was delighted to have Caitríona Lagan play the banjo for this track which is so appropriate.
Cullivan from Cavan/The Catskill Pines/ Nevsky Prospect
There are three reels from the Urnua CD with Eimear Coughlan and Francis Cunningham. The Cullivan is Tom Cullivan,a composer friend of Carl’s for many years and now living in Galway. The Catskills Pines was written after playing a few concerts in the area which is close to New York. Carl also met a great friend of his, Felix Dolan, who was part of the Catskills Trad Festival. Nevsky Prospect was written after a trip to Russia in 1989. A crew from RTÉ traveled with the group and Carl was asked to write the music for the documentary.The documentary followed their travel from Spiddal to Moscow as well as concerts in Moscow and St Petersburg. Nevsky Prospect was an avenue for busking which they did.
Up with the Lark/ Another Misty Morning/ Going Around in Circles
Carl came up with these titles when he heard Eimear McGeown play the tunes on Flute. He was imagining a winter’s morning with rising fog and tiny drops of rain falling. It brought back memories of going to school in the middle of winter.
Eimear is both an exceptional Trad and Classical Flautist. She was a pupil of the great Seamus Tansey and has his Sligo Style. As a Classical Flautist she has performed a Flute Concerto recently which Carl composed for her.
A Day at the Races/ Beginner’s Luck/ My Horse follows the Horses
These three reels are part of the 30 reels Carl wrote directly after Covid arrived. The mood is light-hearted and linked to a day at the Galway Races in August. Carl met a group of friends at Ballybritt and as per usual at the Galway Races beginner’s luck is part of the course. The less you know about horses at times is a big advantage. The reels are in the keys of C, F and G minor which is a little unusual.
Barna Woods/ Silver Strand/ Furbo Village
A lot of Carl’s compositions relate to his favourite areas in Galway. This is a good example because when Carl leaves his house in Salthill and turns right he is on the Barna road. Two main features of Barna is the Barna Woods on your right hand side and the beautiful Silver Strand on your left hand side. Not long after leaving Barna you will arrive at the village of Furbo. Carl’s main aim was to write three reels that would float into each other as if you were on a journey from Salthill to Furbo.
Galloping down the Hill/ The Fields of Heather/ The Rugged Boreen
These are three recently composed reels and remind Carl of trips to Belclare, County Galway. Both Carl’s parents were from Belclare with 7 in his mother’s family (Mannion) and 9 in his father’s family. The main problem Carl had was to drive up the boreen and worse again to get back to the main road. During the summer holidays Carl often spent time in that area and most days climbed the famous Cnoc Meadha which was across the road from the Mannion House. It is said in legend to be the residence of Finnbheara, the king of the Connacht Fairies.
The Road to Nowhere/ The Letterfrack Lassies/ The Beara Boys
Carl always remembers travelling to Ballynahinch Castle with Máirtín O’Connor and he was composing tunes for the full journey. He would stop occasionally and say this must be the ‘Road to Nowhere’ – hence the title. The second reel is dedicated to the brilliant fiddle duo Yvonne and Liz Kane from Letterfrack. They are definitely the main exponents of the fantastic music composed by Paddy Fahey from Kilconnell.They also played fiddle with him at the Gradam award when Paddy became the Composer of the Year. The third reel relates to the Dwyer brothers from the Beara Peninsula – John, Finbarr, Richie and Michael. The brothers have composed incredible compositions over many years in many different styles as well as performing the tunes throughout the country. They also spent some time playing their music in London.
A Spring in the Step/ Smart as a Pin/ Waiting for Nobody
These are three recent reels in G, A minor and D. Carl often walks to town on a Friday and gets a bowl of soup in Quay Street. At 2 on the dot Carl notices this elderly gentleman making his way down from Shop Street to Quay Street. He is immaculately dressed, probably meeting nobody, but gives the impression he has urgent business to attend to.
The Coast Road/ Maam Cross Junction/ All the way to Clifden
These are again three light hearted tunes linked to driving from Spiddal to Clifden.There are two ways to get to Maam Cross from Galway and Carl thinks travelling the Spiddal Road is a lot more exciting as the countryside is very sparse and rugged. There is always a build up to arriving at the Maam Cross Junction because the scenery is quite different on the journey to Clifden.
Ready to Go/ The Long Walk/ Prospect Hill
These three reels are again from the 30 tunes Carl wrote directly after Covid turned up. Carl had decided to write 30 reels and every morning he would analyse and make corrections if needed. It was an interesting project and eventually he had no more corrections to do. There were three recordings of these reels and he really liked the way Padraig Michael Conroy played the tunes. The second and third reels relate to two well-known landmarks from the city. The Long Walk is close to the Spanish Arch and Prospect Hill is beside Eyre Square.
The Boat to Inishbofin/ A Morning Stroll/ The Birds in Flight
Carl wrote those reels after playing a concert on Inishbofin with Kevin Crawford and Seán Smyth. What he remembered initially was the boat journey to the island. A good friend of his, Geraldine King, a native of Inishbofin and also a teaching colleague, was on her way home. When the driver arrived she advised Carl to grab a comfortable seat ASAP because Schuamarker was the pilot. This meant they were going to reach the island in record time which caught a lot of people off guard. The concert was fantastic and in the morning he had a lovely stroll on the island and enjoyed the tranquility.
From Crusheen to Tulla/ The New Home/ The Lady from Tulla
These three reels were the first set Carl wrote when he decided to write the 30 reels for better or worse. They are in the keys of F, G and E minor which are a little unusual.
Carl has dedicated the reels to his good friends Eimear Coughlan and Francis Cunningham. They had good fun putting the Urnua CD together and at the time Francis was travelling to Tulla to visit his beloved – now Mrs Cunningham!
Myles the Man/ Greg the Great/The Corrib Suite Crew
These three reels are dedicated to two doctors and nursing staff who looked after Carl when he spent some time in hospital. They were all brilliant so much so that he came out better than he went in.
The Bridge Mills/ Nuns Island/ University Road.
Carl was asked by Aoife Nic Cormaic to compose a set of tunes for The Rolling Wave Programme. Carl was delighted to be asked and wrote a few sets of reels and decided on this group. Carl asked Tara Breen to play the new tunes and those were chosen.The titles relate to where Carl went to post primary- Nuns Island and later to the University which is just around the corner. ‘After The Rolling Wave programme I was asked to be Composer of the Month’ and this time Carl submitted 10 of his compositions
Blackrock Tower/ Claddagh Basin/The Eyre Square Buzz
Similar to the previous set of reels these tunes are again related to different areas of Galway-Salthill, Claddagh and Eyre Square. The three reel were written for the Urnua CD where Carl was joined by Eimear Coughlan on Harp and Francis Cunningham on Concertina. He wrote a string arrangement for the second and third reel as well as 21 other arrangements throughout the CD for String Quartet.
The Connemara Coast/ Roundstone Bay
Similar to a lot of Carl’s compositions these two titles are linked to famous beauty spots found on the journey from Galway to Clifden via Roundstone. When travelling the coast road you are surrounded by a rugged terrain and suddenly all is calm when you arrive at Roundstone village which is serene with the beautiful bay. Roundstone is a very small village but has lots of character
The Salmon Weir Walkway/Lake Shore Drive/ The Rolling Halfpenny
There is a beautiful walkway from Salthill to the Cathedral and a new pedestrian bridge was opened recently before the famous Salmon Weir Bridge which has been one of the best known hallmarks in the city. Lake Shore Drive is in the Lough Atalia area and in the Renmore district. You can see the drive when driving along the Lough Atalia Road which is very scenic. Carl came across a video clip recently with Johnny Duhan singing ‘Just Another Town’. Carl had written the string arrangement for this recording and at one stage there were three people playing ‘Toss the Coin’. It brought back memories of Carl’s school days when this was his favourite game. Sometimes it was a case of going from rags to riches which was really exciting.
Reel for Éimhear/ Saoirse’s Reel
Eimhear Flannery who played these two reels on the concertina came up with the titles. Carl would think the Éimhear is herself and Saoirse must be a friend. There is already a reel called after her dog Lucy!
No Time to Ponder/ The Fancy Dresser/ High and Mighty
These titles came to Carl after observing a particular gentleman walking down Quay Street most Friday afternoons. Carl and his wife usually walk to town on a Friday and stop at Tigh Neachtains for a bowl of chowder which is highly recommended. Around 1.45pm, without fail, Carl noticed this elderly gentleman walking from Shop Street to Quay Street and immaculately dressed. He seemed to be on a mission as if he had important business to attend to and then maybe not!
Strange Man Dressed In Black/ A Real Gent/ True or False
There is a similarity between these titles and the previous set. Carl remembers playing with a Jazz Rock band in his University days and their main venue was in a downstairs basement. Everything was pitch dark and suddenly this sound engineer would arrive from nowhere dressed in black which could scare you at times! He only muttered a few words and that was it. The band were all fascinated by this individual and could never figure out where he came from or what he was about.
Driving to the Fleadh/That Amazing Feeling
Carl has great memories growing up in Galway and travelling to the Fleadh every weekend with his father. His two sisters Mary and Celine entered lots of competitions from piano to singing to lilting. Carl entered the piano accordion, banjo, mouth organ and piano competition as well as playing with the Ballaghaderreen Under 18 céilí band. The flute player in the band was Matt Molloy and he and Carol often played in the duet competition.There was always an amazing feeling on Fleadh day and what a treat.
The House on the Cliff/ The Newborn Lambs/Roaming across the Fields
Carl’s parents came from Belclare village which was a few miles from Tuam in county Galway. They were both brought up on the farm and usually in the summer months Carl spent a few weeks on the farm fascinated by everything that was happening. They had good fun observing the daily routine and realised how much work their uncle Walter managed to do on a daily basis. The house was at the bottom of Knockma and they often walked up to the little house on the hill which was supposed to be haunted
Lenaboy Park/ The Thatch In Maree
These two reels were written for Jacqueline Mc Carthy and Tommy Keane. Jacqueline’s brother, also Tommy, lives in Lenaboy Park which is in lower Salthill and not too far from where Carl lives. Jacqueline lives in the thatch house in Maree where they used to practice with the Tribes Céílí Band. Having won Connacht they qualified to play at the All Ireland Céílí Band competition in Tullamore. They had great fun and finished in third place which they were delighted about.
Strange Man Dressed In Black/ A Real Gent/ True or False
There is a similarity between these titles and the previous set. Carl remembers playing with a Jazz Rock band in his University days and their main venue was in a downstairs basement. Everything was pitch dark and suddenly this sound engineer would arrive from nowhere dressed in black which could scare you at times! He only muttered a few words and that was it. The band were all fascinated by this individual and could never figure out where he came from or what he was about.