Sonny Brogan

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Sonny Brogan
Birth name	Patrick Brogan
Born	4 July 1907
Origin	Prosperous, Co Kildare, Ireland
Died	1 January 1965 (Age 57)
Genre(s)	Irish Traditional
Instrument(s)	Accordion
Years active	1930s-1964
Label(s)	HMV
Associated acts	Lough Gill Quartet, Ceoltóirí Chualann
Notable instrument(s)
Hohner Single-row Melodeon, "Paolo Soprani" Double-row B/C Button Accordion

Sonny (Patrick) Brogan (4 July 1907 – 1 January 1965) was an Irish accordion player from the 1930s to the 1960s, and was one of Ireland's most popular traditional musicians.^[1][2][3][4] He was one of the earliest advocates of the two-row B/C button accordion in traditional music.^[5][6] He originally played on the Hohner single row melodeon, and later the two-row Paolo Soprani.^{[7] [8]}

Contents 1 Early Life 2 The Lough Gill Quartet 3 Teaching 4 Ceoltóirí Chualann 5 Tributes 6 References

[edit] Early Life

Sonny Brogan was born in Prosperous, County Kildare,^[9] the eldest of three children born to Alicia Browne and Andrew Brogan. The family moved to Dublin when Sonny was still a small child. On a holiday trip to Kildare as a young boy, he first heard Irish music played on the accordion by his uncle, Thomas Cleary. His mother, when opening luggage on returning home, found a melodeon hidden there 'stolen' by Sonny who had taken a fancy to it. He was allowed to keep the instrument and taught himself to play it.

Growing up he attended music classes for piano, and learned how to read basic music notation. He soon found, however that his ear served him better as a teacher, and abandoned "paper music" as he called it. The teacher in question offered to teach Sonny free of charge if he returned, but he declined.

[edit] The Lough Gill Quartet

In the 1930s and 1940s, he played with the Lough Gill Quartet,^[10][11] Sarah Hobbs on fiddle, James Cawley on flute, with Bill Harte and himself on accordions. This quartet was named after the famous Sligo lake and as a tribute to Michael Coleman who came from Sligo. The Lough Gill Quartet recorded four 78rpm records for HMV in or around 1941.^[12]

HMV IM946
(A) Jigs : Newport Lass, Leitrim Jig (Matrix No OEL 204)
(B) Reels : Lough Gill Favourites (Matrix No OEL 207)

HMV IM947
( ) Hornpipes: The Flowers of May, The Silver Spire
( ) Hawthorn Bush, Castle Kelly

HMV IM948
(A) Jigs : Memories of Ballymote, The Kiltullagh Jig (Matrix No OEL 203)
(B) Reels : Jenny's Wedding, Toss the Feathers (Matrix No OEL 208)

HMV IM949
(A) Reels : Ballinure Rake, The Market Man (Matrix No OEL 209 I)
(B) Jigs : The Mill Pond, Mist on the Meadow (Matrix No OEL 202 I)

"The Ballinure Rake" was later known as "Sonny Brogan's Favourite" ^[13]. From IM947, "The Flowers of May" and "The Silver Spire" were re-released in 1986 on the RTE/EMI LP "The Irish Phonograph Vol I" (GAE1003). From IM949, "The Mill Pond" and "The Mist on the Meadow", were re-released on the CD "Irish Dance Music" (Topic TSCD602)^[14][15] The sleeve notes of the CD say that this music is described "as representative of the quality music played by a hard core of active traditional musicians in Dublin at the time. Bill Harte and Sonny are reputed to have been among the pioneers who saw the potential for Irish music making in the button accordion pitched B/C and subsequently devised and disseminated the fingering method".

Sonny went to England briefly in the 1940s, and on his return, George Rowley (fiddler originally from Co Meath) and Ned Stapleton (flute player from Dublin) wrote "Sonny's Return" in honour of him. Ned called it "The Wanderer’s Return", but it is more commonly known as "Sonny's Return".

A regular in The Piper's Club in Thomas Street^[16], Dublin, Sonny played alongside John Kelly Sr^[17], Tom Mulligan, Tommy Potts, Tommy Reck, Leo Rowsome, Sean Seery and many other traditional musicians of the day. He also played music with fellow accordionist Joe Cooley in the late 1940s.

"Sonny Brogan's Mazurka"^[18] is a very well known Irish Mazurka^[19][20] and has been made popular in more recent years by The Chieftains.

[edit] Teaching

Sonny was admired by Barney McKenna of The Dubliners (to whom he gave lessons), and when the young Co Clare accordion player, Tony McMahon came to Dublin first in 1957, he made it a priority to seek out Sonny Brogan about whom he heard, meet him and ask for lessons. Tony and Barney regularly visited him for lessons and Tony McMahon has always to this day given special mention to Sonny at each of his own concerts. He had other pupils and he always urged them to develop their own individual style and not to copy other players.

In more recent times, Mick Mulcahy has also cited Sonny Brogan (and Tony McMahon) as influences.^[21]

[edit] Ceoltóirí Chualann

In 1960, Seán Ó Riada was looking for musicians to perform music for the play "The Song of the Anvil" by Bryan MacMahon. Paddy Moloney, at the age of 20, was called to participate in the project, along with his friend Sean Potts on tin whistle, Sonny Brogan on accordion and John Kelly on flute.^[22]

Following its success, O'Riada had the idea to form the group Ceoltóirí Chualann, a band to present traditional songs with accompaniment and traditional dance tunes and slow airs, arranged with instruments: harpsichord, bodhran, piano, fiddle, accordions, flute, pipes and whistles.

The idea of actually arranging folk music, or dance music, had been done on at least one or two 78rpm recordings in the past, but they were folk tunes done in a classical way, highly orchestrated^[23]. O'Riada also started to unearth the music of the blind harper Turlough O'Carolan, and Ceoltóirí Chualann introduced the music of O'Carolan for the first time.^[24]

Ceoltóirí is the Gaelic word for musicians, and Cualann is a place name, just outside Dublin. The band included many of the founding members of The Chieftains. The line-up consisted of: Sonny Brogan^[25] & Éamon de Buitléar on button accordion, Martin Fay & John Kelly Sr on fiddle, Paddy Moloney on uileann pipes, Michael Tubridy on flute, Ronnie McShane on bones, and Seán Ó Riada on bodhrán and harpsichord.^[26]

In 1963, Sonny wrote an article for the folk music journal "Ceol,"^[27] in which he outlined his reaction to older melodeon style players and those of the current modern style. He showed his unease at the new modern style, while distancing himself from the intolerance of puristic commentators like Seán Ó Riada, who accused the modern style accordion of being an unworthy instrument for the rich melodic traditions of Ireland, and saw its characteristic melodic techniques as fundamentally alien to his conception of Irish dance music.

Even though he had some reservations about the style, Sonny pointed out the attractiveness of the "bright musical tone", which was drawing a new generation of highly skilled players to the instrument. Sonny also strongly disagreed with his friend Brendan Breathnach who saw the modern players as having no respect for tradition.

[edit] Tributes

Sonny is buried in Prosperous, County Kildare. Among those attending the funeral in the snow, and who travelled a long distance in bad weather conditions, was Ronnie Drew.

Tributes were paid to Sonny after his death on 1 January 1965, and Seán Ó Riada, during the radio programme "Reachtaireacht an Riadaigh" on Radio Éireann, when paying respects to Sonny, said that he "was a library of Irish Music and when you want to find something out you go to the 'library'".

John Kelly, the fiddle player, has said that Sonny was the best musician he had ever heard of for his vast knowledge of tunes and the fact that he could remember all the different versions and names of each tune and the history behind them.

Desún MacLiam wrote of him "Is cinnte nach mbéidh a leithéid arí againn" (It is certain we will never have the likes of him again)

Éamon de Buitléar did a special programme on Radio Eireann devoted to Sonny Brogan, on 19 March 1965. Ciarán Mac Mathúna also had often included some of Sonny's recordings in his radio programmes and spoke highly of him.

Seán Ó Riada published the following tribute following Sonny's death :

"It was in the autumn of 1960 that I first met Sonny Brogan. I had been asked to supply music for Bryan MacMahon's play "The Song of the Anvil" at the Abbey Theatre, and has conceived the idea of using a group of traditional musicians for this purpose - the first time, as far as I am aware, that such a step had been taken. It was Éamonn De Buitléar who introduced me to Sonny, who was at first rather shy and reserved, until he realised what was wanted of him. The play went on and, though it did not find favour with the public which it more than merited, the music seemed to succeed with everyone, not least of all the actors and backstage staff, who used to be entertained by impromptu concerts given by the musicians in the dressing rooms. Sonny was, of course, a prime mover in all this and one of the reels which they used play most often backstage, commonly called "Redigan's", was re-christened by us privately "The Abbey Reel".

When the run of the play was over I hated the idea of parting from the musicians and so formed "Ceoltoirí Chualann", of which, during the few years we have been functioning Sonny was a mainstay. I would not suggest for a moment that our association was all sweetness and light. Many the argument we had - it is well known that musicians argue more fiercely about traditional music than about anything else. However, we always saw eye to eye in the finish and each argument served only to make us better friends.

Sonny's qualities as a musician were rare. He had an astounding memory, so much so that I was inclined to regard him, with John Kelly, as our living reference library. He could recall three or four different versions of a tune going back through three or four layers of time and often through three or four changes of title. He had a passion for the pure, simple essence of tunes, uncluttered by mistaken ornamentation. He was also, of course, an outstanding accordion player, one of the very few who could make it sound suitable for playing Irish music.

As a person, Sonny was - well, he was contentious, convivial, argumentative, loyal, dogmatic, witty, utterly reliable, a tiger when his temper was roused (which was rare), and at the same time curiously gentle and courteous. He was a good friend. I shall miss him.

Beannacht Dé lena anam."

[edit] References