REST IN PEACE, DENNIS CAHILL

 

A week ago today, June 20th, 2022, a musical virtuoso left this world.  A musical genius, one of the most “musical” musicians I know, one of the most talented, most musically-giving, and a lover of the worst musical jokes there are…. And who loved to laugh at this own stupid jokes as he watched the recipient’s face for their reaction, still laughing.   Bill and I lost a dear friend and I lost a mentor. 

His music hasn’t left this world, nor will it ever.  It will never leave the souls of those whom he touched. 

Compared to all of you Irish musicians in Chicago and the world, and so many more musicians of other genres, I hardly ever even got to sing with Dennis Cahill.  He and Martin Hayes are the two musicians I have seen more than ANY other musicians in my entire life!  Since 1996, I have seen almost every performance of theirs when I in the same area, even in Ireland.  I listen to it so often - I have my own recordings on everything from I think cassette, to minidisc, to mp3 to my phone! 

I often listened to their music when on a break in my own opera rehearsals!  It inspired me!!  Especially if they were intense roles.   I remember specifically listening to “The Lonesome Touch”on a break, sitting out in the auditorium, staring at the stage if my eyes weren’t closed, during production week for THE CONSUL.  The virtuosity of their music.  The whole idea of “the lonesome touch” that can sadly be all too rare - but it’s one of the closest things to Heaven we can feel on this Earth. 

Dennis became a very good friend and even tho my career was in Classical and Opera, he was a mentor to me - his work ethic, his musicality, his broad knowledge of different genres of music.  (I never heard much about opera, tho…. Lol).  I have always been SO in AWE of him and Martin.   I don’t know how I got so lucky, but Dennis played on and arranged many tracks of the one self-titled CD I’ve done: Live in the Light, with my amazing friend Bill Fraher at the piano.   Dennis produced the entire CD.  The amount of work he put into that!  And it wasn’t necessarily his favorite kind of music.  :-).  I didn’t always get what I wanted, lol, but I don’t mind.  The sheer JOY he had when talking about the Irish musicians he brought in and what they did (Jimmy Keane, Liz Knowles) and his own additions of the guitar,  bouzouki or the mandolin… his face would light up when he’d say, “Listen here…”. And it would be maybe one particular note, the way he played it, or a phrase he did on the mandolin, or what he, Jimmy and Liz would come up with.  He was so full of JOY!!!  He was not a fan of doing “Lady of Knock” on the CD as he said he felt it was always done so over the top and melodramatically.  I said no, it was mostly Irish hymns and songs we had to do it.  So he and I sat down and in ONE TAKE, we did that together like the prayer we felt it should be - and he liked it.  THEN he added tracks of Jimmy Keane on the accordion and himself on the mandolin.  That is one of the songs he was most proud of - he LOVED what Jimmy did, he LOVED what he did with adding the mandolin!!  It was so magical to work with him!  His creativity and his co-creativity.  What a gift.   I so envy all of you who got to play with him all the time.  Making music like that - it is actually rare  - but to me, it’s what it’s all about. 

It was all about the music.  (And good coffee!  He was so excited about a coffee shop he found in Fairfield, Iowa of all places - he said it was the best coffee he’d ever had! :-) ) 

I kick myself for not acting faster on another project I wanted to with him that we’d actually started a few years back.  A concert to be done at the American Irish Historical Society in NYC.  We went through a bunch of music at his house ONE day, when I was in Chicago.  He had other song ideas that weren’t even for this particular concert that he kept bringing up he’d like to look at..…   It never got past that.  Of course, I thought for sure I had a recording of it but apparently I don’t.  I’m sick about it. 

I could write so much more.  I could say it in fewer words.  I lost a dear friend much, much too soon.  The world lost a musician who touched the lives of millions of people.   I was blessed to call him a friend.  I am honored to call him a colleague. 

The world is a better place, Dennis, for your unselfish, uninhibited, joyful sharing of your masterful music; and maybe a bit kinder for your ridiculously bad jokes. 

“How do you know a bodhrán player is knocking at your door?” 

“I don’t know.  How?” 

“The knock keeps speeding up.”  (Cue: Snicker, snicker, crooked glance up.) 

Rest well, my friend.  The music is all the more amazing in Heaven.  The jokes cornier.  The coffee better.  The whiskey savored. 

Thank you for the music.  Thank you for the friendship.

A week ago today, a musical virtuoso left this world.  A musical genius, one of the most “musical” musicians I know, one of the most talented, most musically-giving, and a lover of the worst musical jokes there are…. And who loved to laugh at this own stupid jokes as he watched the recipient’s face for their reaction, still laughing.   Bill and I lost a dear friend and I lost a mentor. 

His music hasn’t left this world, nor will it ever.  It will never leave the souls of those whom he touched. 

Compared to all of you Irish musicians in Chicago and the world, and so many more musicians of other genres, I hardly ever even got to sing with Dennis Cahill.  He and Martin Hayes are the two musicians I have seen more than ANY other musicians in my entire life!  Since 1996, I have seen almost every performance of theirs when I in the same area, even in Ireland.  I listen to it so often - I have my own recordings on everything from I think cassette, to minidisc, to mp3 to my phone! 

I often listened to their music when on a break in my own opera rehearsals!  It inspired me!!  Especially if they were intense roles.   I remember specifically listening to “The Lonesome Touch”on a break, sitting out in the auditorium, staring at the stage if my eyes weren’t closed, during production week for THE CONSUL.  The virtuosity of their music.  The whole idea of “the lonesome touch” that can sadly be all too rare - but it’s one of the closest things to Heaven we can feel on this Earth. 

Dennis became a very good friend and even tho my career was in Classical and Opera, he was a mentor to me - his work ethic, his musicality, his broad knowledge of different genres of music.  (I never heard much about opera, tho…. Lol).  I have always been SO in AWE of him and Martin.   I don’t know how I got so lucky, but Dennis played on and arranged many tracks of the one self-titled CD I’ve done: Live in the Light, with my amazing friend Bill Fraher at the piano.   Dennis produced the entire CD.  The amount of work he put into that!  And it wasn’t necessarily his favorite kind of music.  :-).  I didn’t always get what I wanted, lol, but I don’t mind.  The sheer JOY he had when talking about the Irish musicians he brought in and what they did (Jimmy Keane, Liz Knowles) and his own additions of the guitar,  bouzouki or the mandolin… his face would light up when he’d say, “Listen here…”. And it would be maybe one particular note, the way he played it, or a phrase he did on the mandolin, or what he, Jimmy and Liz would come up with.  He was so full of JOY!!!  He was not a fan of doing “Lady of Knock” on the CD as he said he felt it was always done so over the top and melodramatically.  I said no, it was mostly Irish hymns and songs we had to do it.  So he and I sat down and in ONE TAKE, we did that together like the prayer we felt it should be - and he liked it.  THEN he added tracks of Jimmy Keane on the accordion and himself on the mandolin.  That is one of the songs he was most proud of - he LOVED what Jimmy did, he LOVED what he did with adding the mandolin!!  It was so magical to work with him!  His creativity and his co-creativity.  What a gift.   I so envy all of you who got to play with him all the time.  Making music like that - it is actually rare  - but to me, it’s what it’s all about. 

It was all about the music.  (And good coffee!  He was so excited about a coffee shop he found in Fairfield, Iowa of all places - he said it was the best coffee he’d ever had! :-) ) 

I kick myself for not acting faster on another project I wanted to with him that we’d actually started a few years back.  A concert to be done at the American Irish Historical Society in NYC.  We went through a bunch of music at his house ONE day, when I was in Chicago.  He had other song ideas that weren’t even for this particular concert that he kept bringing up he’d like to look at..…   It never got past that.  Of course, I thought for sure I had a recording of it but apparently I don’t.  I’m sick about it. 

I could write so much more.  I could say it in fewer words.  I lost a dear friend much, much too soon.  The world lost a musician who touched the lives of millions of people.   I was blessed to call him a friend.  I am honored to call him a colleague. 

The world is a better place, Dennis, for your unselfish, uninhibited, joyful sharing of your masterful music; and maybe a bit kinder for your ridiculously bad jokes. 

“How do you know a bodhrán player is knocking at your door?” 

“I don’t know.  How?” 

“The knock keeps speeding up.”  (Cue: Snicker, snicker, crooked glance up.) 

Rest well, my friend.  The music is all the more amazing in Heaven.  The jokes cornier.  The coffee better.  The whiskey savored. 

Thank you for the music.  Thank you for the friendship.

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