Thurles Information

Make Them Hear You.

Vocals: From the musical ‘Ragtime’, featuring the gospel, R&B, and soul artist Marlon Solomon.

Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens / Stephen Charles.

Make Them Hear You.

Go out and tell our story,
Let it echo far and wide,
Make them hear you.
Make them hear you.
How Justice was our battle,
And how Justice was denied.
Make them hear you.
Make them hear you.
And say to those who blame us,
For the way we chose to fight,
That sometimes there are battles,
That are more than black or white,
And I could not put down my sword,
When Justice was my right.
Make them hear you.

Go out and tell our story
To your daughters and your sons,
Make them hear you.
Make them hear you.
And tell them, “In our struggle,
We were not the only ones”.
Make them hear you.
Make them hear you.

Your sword can be a sermon,
Or the power of the pen.
Teach every child to raise his voice,
And then my brothers, then,
Will justice be demanded by ten million riteous men.
Make them hear you,
When they hear you, I’ll be near you,
Again.

End

Extract From song
“My Land Is Kenya“
by Roger Whittaker.
“You only got one mama, you only got one pa.
You only got one life to live, no matter who you are.
You can go the whole world over, every city has its dawn,
But everybody liveth has one place where he was born.”

Earlier this month we learned, sadly, of the passing of British Folk singer-songwriter and musician Roger (Henry Brough) Whittaker aged 87 years, (22nd March 1936 – 13th September 2023).
Mr Whittaker was born in Nairobi, [name translated means ‘place of cool waters’] latter the capital and largest city of Kenya, to parents from Staffordshire, England.

His popular folk music; guitar skills; his trademark whistling ability, together with his baritone singing voice offered an eclectic mix of popular songs which made him instantly recognisable on the airways from the summer of 1962 onwards, and his appearance on the Ulster Television show “This and That” in the same year.

In 1964, Mr Whittaker met Ms Natalie O’Brien, and they married in August of that year. They had five children: two sons Guy, and Alexander and three daughters Emily, Lauren, and Jessica; who in turn gave them 11 grandchildren.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Mr Whittaker had great success in Germany, releasing 25 albums and although he was unable to speak German, he sang his songs phonetically. He earned a “Golden Tuning Fork” (Goldene Stimmgabel in Germany) in 1986, based on record sales and TV viewer votes.
He appeared on German television and was on the UK Top of the Pops show, on several occasions in the 1970s.
In 1986, Mr Whittaker published his autobiography, entitled “So Far, So Good”, which was co-written with his wife, latter who became his manager in 1989.

Having sold nearly 50 million records; his success will be widely remembered through his song hits like “Steel Men” (1962); “Durham Town (The Leavin’)” (1969); “New World in the Morning” (1970); “My Land Is Kenya” (1970); “The Last Farewell” (1975); “Skye Boat Song”; “Wind Beneath My Wings” (1982) and “Skye Boat Song” (1986).

On April 1st 1989, Mr Whittaker’s parents, while still living in Kenya, were subjected to a brutal attack by a gang of four men. During this attack, his mother was tortured for some eight hours and sadly his father was murdered. The attack resulted in his mother moving back to England.

After recovering from heart problems Mr Whittaker and his wife Natalie retired to live France in 2012, and retired from touring in 2013.

During his career, Mr Whittaker earned over 250 silver, gold, and platinum awards and was part of a successful British team that won the annual ‘Knokke Music Festival’ in Belgium, winning the Press Prize as the ‘personality of the festival’. He was awarded a ‘Gold Badge Award’, from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA) in 1988.

Mr Whittaker was cremated and interned in a private ceremony on Saturday, September 16th, 2023 last.

In ár gcroíthe go deo.

Ms Maura Barrett, (Cashel Library) Reports:-

You are cordially invited to attend a Charlie McGettigan concert for Culture Night in Cashel Library, with special guest star Cashel, Co. Tipperary native Ms Alannah Manton, latter a contestant in the Junior Eurovision.

The event will take place at 7:00pm sharp on Friday evening, September 22nd, 2023.

Readers will remember that Charlie McGettigan performed with Paul Harrington, to win the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994, with the song “Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids” [words and music provided by Irish songwriter and novelist Brendan Graham]

Charlie has worked with artists like Maura O’Connell and Eleanor Shanley who both recorded many of his songs including “Feet of a Dancer”, “A Bed for the Night” and “If Anything Happened to You” posted hereunder.

Charlie’s songs have been recorded by many artists including De Danann, Mary and Frances Black, Ray Lynam, Daniel O’Donnell, Sandy Kelly and Hal Ketchum; to name but a few.

On Culture Night, refreshments will be served and while the event is ADMISSION FREE, booking remains essential [Tel: 062 63825.] (First come first served)

If Anything Happened to You

Vocals: Co. Leitrim Irish singer Charlie McGettigan.

Lyrics: By Charlie McGettigan.

If Anything Happened to You

If anything happened to you.
If my worst fears should ever come true.
I’d have no reason to carry on through,
If anything happened to you.

I cannot imagine a world,
Without you around me to hold.
My days would be empty, my pleasures be few,
If anything happened to you.

If anyone took you away,
Or somehow you wandered astray.
There’s nowhere I wouldn’t pursue,
If anything happened to you.

So promise me you will take care,
But it’s a wicked old world out there.
I’d be devastated, be broken and blue,
If anything happened to you.

If anyone took you away,
Or somehow you wandered astray.
There’s nowhere I wouldn’t pursue,
If anything happened to you.

So promise me you will take care.
But it’s a wicked old world out there.
I’d be devastated, be broken and blue,
If anything happened, if anything happened, to you.

END