Celebrated Irish folk band Dervish, who have been touring and recording together since 1989, have a new project, The Great Irish Songbook Vol. 2: Poets & Storytellers, with Down The Road Records due later this month. It features the group in collaboration with a number of top bluegrass and Americana artists.
A new single is now available, pairing Dervish with The Del McCoury Band for a take on the classic Irish song, The Town I Loved So Well. It’s among the best-loved contemporary Irish numbers, one that has been recorded by dozens of artists since its debut by The Dubliners in 1973. Written by Phil Coulter, himself a revered composer on the island, the lyrics tell of his passion for his hometown of Derry, and the sadness he felt upon returning during “The Troubles” to see armed men and armored vehicles among the locales he remembered so fondly from his childhood.
The result is a trans-Atlantic melding of the song, with Del singing the lead and Cathy Jordan of Dervish joining in on the chorus. The various members of both bands take part in the session, which delivers a memorable recording of a song with as many devotees in North America as there are in Ireland.
Give it a listen.
The Town I Loved So Well is available now as a single from popular download and streaming services online. The full Great Irish Songbook Vol. 2 album is expected on May 29.
