Carmel Gunning facts for kids

Carmel Gunning is a famous Irish musician and composer from Sligo, Ireland. She is known as one of Ireland's best tin whistle players. She also sings and plays the flute, guitar, and button accordion. Carmel's special way of playing the whistle comes from her home in Geevagh, South County Sligo. This strong connection to her traditions helped her start playing traditional Irish music when she was very young.

Early Musical Journey

Carmel Gunning began her musical journey as a child. Her father, Tom Nangle, taught her old tunes. He would teach her by lilting (singing sounds instead of words) or whistling the melodies.

In 1969, Carmel joined her first band, "Carmel and the Chrystals." They played at local dances in places like Keadue, Geevagh, and Boyle. Her brother, Tom Nangle Jnr., Tony Mullaney, Kevin Conlon, and his brother were also in the band.

Carmel won a big award in 1976. She won the All-Ireland tin whistle slow airs competition at the Fleadh Cheoil. This is a very important traditional Irish music festival. She also won the senior Scór title for "Music Instrument." This award includes all traditional Irish instruments, like the fiddle, uilleann pipes, accordion, harp, and tin whistle.

During the late 1970s and 1980s, Carmel often played music with other famous musicians. These included P. J. Hernon, Mick Shannon, and Joe O'Dowd. They would play together at popular music sessions in the Trades Club in Sligo Town.

Carmel's Unique Music Style

Carmel Gunning is well-known for her fast and lively tin whistle style. This style is common in the "South Sligo" tradition of music. Her first solo album, The Lakes of Sligo, made her famous around the world. This album featured four songs without instruments and 14 amazing tin whistle tunes.

One music reviewer said that Carmel's playing is very strong and fast. They noted that she uses many different ways to decorate her tunes. This includes quick tongued triplets, which sound like the bowed decorations used by Sligo fiddle players.

Teaching and Performing Worldwide

Carmel Gunning has taught music students at the University of Limerick. In 2014, she celebrated 45 years as a music teacher. She works hard to share the Sligo musical tradition with younger players. Many of her former students from the Carmel Gunning School of Music have become famous musicians. These include flute and whistle master Liam Kelly from the band Dervish.

Carmel has performed Irish music all over the world. She has played concerts from Norway to Australia and from America to Japan. In 2006, she led the St. Patrick's Day parade in Perth, Australia. She also played several concerts there. In March 2007, she toured Massachusetts, USA. She gave masterclasses to experienced students and played many concerts.

She is the organizer of the Carmel Gunning School of Music in Sligo Town. Carmel also started a summer school festival in the 1990s. This festival brings students from Ireland, the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States.

Music Albums

Carmel Gunning has released several albums:

• The Lakes of Sligo (1995)
• Around St. James's Well (1995)
• Carmel Sings Country (2002)
• The Sligo Maid (2004)
• Lament for the Birds (2005) – This album features Jack Harte (spoken word) and Carmel Gunning (music and song).
• The Sound of Coleman Country (2006) – This album features Carmel Gunning and other artists.
• Corran Hill (2008) – This is Carmel's fifth solo CD. It includes both modern and Irish music and songs.
• Cathair Shligigh (2019)

Her album Corran Hill includes songs like "Erin Gra Mo Chroi" and "Donal Og." It also features tunes like "The Moving Cloud" and "Corran Hill," which she composed herself. Brendan Emmett and Paul Gurney play with Carmel on this CD. Orlaith McAuliffe is also a special guest.

Books

Carmel Gunning has also written books about music. One book was launched at The Coleman Music Centre in Gurteen, County Sligo. It has over sixty popular tunes from South Sligo.

In 2019, Carmel published "Shamrocks from Geevagh." This book contains 40 songs. Also in 2019, she published "The Sligo Maid." This book has 64 of her own musical compositions. She released it to celebrate her 50th year in the music industry.

Podcast

You can listen to an interview with Carmel Gunning. It was recorded in May 2010 and is available online at podcasts.ie.

See also

• Celtic music
• Irish Recorded Music Association
• Irish topics
• Irish traditional music session