St Patrick's Day : Three songs of Ireland : Jussi Bjorling, Paul Robeson, John McCormack. 

Thank you Michael 🤗

@@colinbrigham8253 It's always a pleasure Colin, thanks for listening.

Thanks for listening Olof. Yes, I certainly agree with you, I wish that he'd recorded more Irish songs.

Thanks for listening Phyllis, I thought you would like this one. I always try to include our hero John McCormack..

@@michaelmcgrailengland THANK YOU!!

Thanks for listening Ann, I'm glad that you like it.

It's a pleasure Marian, I'm glad that you like the different singers. Yes, it's a much nicer day here in Yorkshire than I was expecting, quite mild and lots of lovely sunshine.

It's a pleasure Michael, I'm really pleased that you like the selection.

It's my pleasure Gerry, thank you for listening, I'm very pleased that you enjoyed the video. Sometimes people criticize for reasons totally unconnected to the music. I'm just glad that my own mind doesn't work like that.

@@michaelmcgrailengland A real treasure! Thx for posting it!

@@edwardamosbrandwein3583 It's my pleasure Edward, thank you for listening, I'm really pleased that you enjoyed the video.

It's my pleasure David, thank you for listening, I'm glad that you enjoyed the video.

Thanks for listening and for your comment Tony. I'm a bit long in the tooth and had to look "GOAT" up but, "Greatest Of All Time", I think few could argue with that!!

Thanks for listening Pablo, I'm glad that you enjoyed the video.

Thanks for listening and for your comment Angus. If you like Jussi you might like a video that I recently uploaded of his 1959 O Holy Night. It has improved audio, an added Christmas greeting from Jussi, coloured photos and an on screen English translation. If you wanted to listen the link is ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-juGPcku2Ghc.html&lc=UgyHoeWr6XNAwZdf0dB4AaABAg

Except here, McCormack blows Bjoerling away stylistically. Not only because he is Irish, but John understands the style. I think that without a doubt Nicolai Gedda, from the same country as Bjoerling, could sing the style of Irish songs perfectly.

It's my pleasure Jeffrey, thanks for listening, I'm glad that you enjoyed the music.

It's my pleasure Rosa, thank you for listening, I'm really pleased that you enjoyed it.

@@michaelmcgrailengland Another visit. Yes!! Love it.

@@Rosangela161 And you're very welcome Rosa, I'm so pleased that you like it , all three were wonderful singers and I love the songs. Paul Robeson did do better recordings of Danny Boy but, this was one that he made privately with some others and sent the tape to a friend.

Thanks for listening and for your comment Reginal.

Thanks Mike, Happy St Patrick's Day to you. I thought the video was going to be blocked, it was stuck for a long time for copyright checks.

@@michaelmcgrailengland Obviously, you have the "luck of the Irish"!!

I'm glad that you like Paul Robeson Gemma, he's been one of my top favourites for longer than I care to remember.

Thanks for listening and for your comment.

Thanks for listening and for your comment Oldemar, Jussi was indeed a uniquely beautiful singer.

The minstrel fell but the foeman's chains Could not bring that proud soul under The harp he loved never spoke again For he tore its chords asunder And said, "No chains shall sully thee Thou soul of love and brav'ry Thy songs were made for the pure and free They shall never sound in slavery" (From Thomas Moore's song "The Minstrel Boy" )

No better place to leave your heart Gemma (also Italy, of course)

@@michaelmcgrailengland Yes!I leave my hearth in the places where you can breathe good music...

Thanks for listening Harriet, I'm glad you like this little selection, as you've probably guessed I'm a great lover of Irish music!! Paul Robeson was a great man, a champion of freedom ,civil rights and the working man and recorded a few Irish songs, even one connected with Ireland's struggle to free itself from British oppression.. This recording of Danny Boy was included on a tape of 20 or so songs that he had given to a friend and was only discovered after the friends death. Have a good night with lots of emoji shamrocks (they must be on here somewhere)

@@michaelmcgrailengland Your fondness for Irish music is probably in your genes... where mine comes from I don‘t know... Only yesterday I learned that the typical Irish shamrock is not four-leaved, but three-leaved, symbolizing the trinity in Christian faith - so I actually should have sent you three-leaved clover like this: ☘️ ☘️ ☘️ ... Well, I suppose, as long as it brings you luck, it doesn‘t matter how many leaves it has... What you wrote about Paul Robeson was also new to me and very interesting! He was admirable both as a singer and a man! Maybe we‘ll get to hear some more from him on your channel...? I would be delighted! ⭐️ Have a very nice evening! Best regards! (Shamrock, shamrock, shamrock... ... ...)

@@hrbooksmusic7878 Sorry for the late reply Harriet. You'll be right about my love for Irish music, I wasn't particularly brought up with it , it just seemed to introduce itself into my life. With regard to the shamrock, I used to believe the old song that said it was found nowhere else other than Ireland and when we first went there in 1973 I took photos of it whenever we came across it. I was very disappointed some years later to find it growing in a mossy wood just a few miles from where we lived in Yorkshire. I think it's called wood sorrel over here. But there we are life's full of disappointments. I'm definitely going to include more of Paul Robeson in future, I think I've got most of his recordings and since I put the first one on a few people have expressed pleasure including another German lady (ebrinie) who remembers him being in Germany. Thank you for the shamrocks, good night, sleep well.

@@michaelmcgrailengland Don‘t blame the poor shamrock for growing in your neighborhood - it probably was attracted by you and your fondness for Ireland, so it came looking for you! A very adorable gesture, if you ask for my opinion... I‘m looking forward to your next video and to more of Paul Robeson... though being a great tenor lover I do appreciate other voices as well! Quite a few, actually... Have a wonderful and bright day! ☀️ Strong wind and some snowfall here... I don‘t mind the snow, but the icy wind I could easily do without... (I‘ll keep my eyes open for the German lady you mentioned...)

@@hrbooksmusic7878 That reason for the shamrock never occurred to me Harriet, I'll bet your right. I'm going to include another Paul Robeson song at Easter but. after that I'll just pop one in occasionally. The weather here is miserable at the moment but as we can do nothing about it we'll just have to work round it. All the best, Michael.

Thanks for listening and for your comment John.

Hello Chang, nice to hear from you. They are my favourite colours too, how could they not be when we love the mountains and valleys with beautiful blue skies and green grass. Ireland has an abundance of both. Very little pollution gives beautiful deep blue skies and large downpours of rain rich green grass!! When and why were you at St.Patricks Cathedral, were you sightseeing or have you converted to Catholicism!!! By the way, don't feel obliged to watch my videos if they are not really to your taste, I will definitely not be offended.

@@michaelmcgrailengland Thanks for your kind words. I have visited two times my friend's house in New Jersey. At that time I have been.... I love no pollution. Now Korea has big problem dust pollution from China. I envy Ireland so much. I love your videos an usual. I leaned knowledge about music and history from your videos. Best regards.

@@MountainwalkwithMusic Trust China to blow it in your direction Chang!!!

@@michaelmcgrailengland Yes, Sir Michael. Good night!!☘

@@MountainwalkwithMusic Hello Chang, I was going to watch your latest video but when I clicked on it it said that it was unavailable. By the way, I had a dream last night about those clouds of dust coming over to Korea from China. The one I saw in my dream was broken up into what looked like words and when I managed to read them, guess what, they said "Made in China".

Thanks for listening, I knew you would like it if it included Jussi!!!

Thanks for listening and for your comment and I certainly agree with you about Paul Robeson's wonderful recording of Kevin Barry. I usually do a video to commemorate the 1916 rising and I included Paul's Kevin Barry on one of those. If you wanted to have a listen the link to the video is ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SV3MGfKnqxw.html Thanks again for listening.

Hello Barbara, you've been on a catching up marathon, thanks for taking the time to listen to them all. I'm glad that you like the great Paul Robeson, he's always been one of my absolute favourites. He suffered all the injustices thrown at him with great courage and as you say he was an activist for human rights all over the world. I remember reading somewhere that even though he was one of the worlds greatest singers, when he stayed in an hotel in the USA, he had to use the staff entrance. I don't know who introduced the Jussi song, I think it was one of the Voice of Firestone broadcasts. I'll reply to your other messages later in the day.

@@michaelmcgrailengland Michael, yes, after listening to this and other songs sung by Robeson, I read his biography. Unsurprising, this country treated him like it did many other African American artists (Marian Anderson is another example or Hattie McQueen): disgracefully. One of the amazing aspects of your RU-vid channel--in addition to your wonderful selections--is that you respond to everyone. :) That personal touch is wonderful, and, I am sure, endearing to your audience:). We shall see if you could keep up with a growing number of people:).

@@barbarajolley3513 Thanks for your replies Barbara. I had a knee replacement last August that hasn't gone well and, together with the weather, has kept me indoors most of the time since then so I've had more time for RU-vid. Perhaps now the knee and the weather are improving I'll be able to get out and about more so I might have less time for responding to comments then. I'm a one finger typist so I generally try to make my replies short but it just seems ill-mannerted to me, when someone has taken the time to watch one of my videos and make a comment (good or bad), not to thank them.

@@michaelmcgrailengland Michael, I am happy to hear that you are on the mend:). Your commitment to respond to anyone is rare, and very much appreciated:). I certainly enjoy our "chats." P.S. I am four to six finger typist:).

@@barbarajolley3513 Show off!!!!

Thanks for listening and for your comment Frank.

Thanks for listening and for your comment. He was a King in the world of music.

Thanks for listening and for your comment Dubbel but I do disagree in relation to Paul Robeson's recording. It's not his best recording of Danny Boy, I think he recorded it privately for a friend, but I think it's wonderful.

Thanks for this comment as well.