A special Irish American Writers & Artists youth/student salon convened on Sept.19th at Houghton Hall, 22 East 30th St., featuring the awarding of the Malachy McCourt Scholarships. It was an evening of fresh faces and varied talent that ranged from a moving family poetry presentation to a rousing folk rock performance that electrified the audience.
Opening with a few words of remembrance for IAW&A’s sadly missed late President, Brendan Costello, interim President Liza Engresser introduced the salon host, her son Logan Reyes.
A poet of the macabre, Logan warmed up the audience with a few pre-Halloween selections: “Apocalypse, Inverse, Inherit the Nightmare and Prophesy of Dread.”
He then turned the mic over to poet Myss UneeK who presented her son, 13-year-old Vehni, Mr.Hoyt, to read his poem, “Wonderful Grandma” in memory of Earthay May Holmes, mother of eight children, grandmother of 19, and (so far) great-grandmother of nine, including poet Mr. Hoyt.
Next up, singer/songwriter Cíara Marie Emmanuel sang a cover of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” accompanied on guitar by Puneet Mishra. She followed that with her original composition, “Creatures,” which sparked an outbreak of finger-snapping in the crowd. Recently honored by the African American Irish Diaspora Network, Cíara draws inspiration from the cultural traditions of both her father (Afro-Caribbean) and mother (Irish). Under the stage name Hired Girl, she founded her own record label, Flabbergasted LLC, and you can hear her originals songs here.
After a brief intermission to sample the enticing refreshments table, a folk revival group called Paper Lanterns took the stage, two on guitar, Donovan Tucker & Luke Iovenitti, and on keyboard, Lauryn DeCrescenzo. They kicked off with a cover of “Ventura Highway,” followed by “The Weight,” assisted by an impromptu chorus of audience members. For a big finish, the talented trio rocked the room with a rendition of Kris Kristofferson’s “Bobbie Magee” spotlighting a fierce performance by DeCrescenzo that rivaled Joplin’s.
Myss UneeK then returned to share her memories of the incomparable Malachy McCourt, co-founder of IAW&A, whom she first met at a salon some years back, at the Thalia Cafe on West 95th Street, when they discussed their experiences in foster care. A potent performance artist, Myss UneeK delivered “Foster Kids,” a poem that recalled a period of her teenage years as one of the “children of the night,” the homeless child of a drug-addicted mother. She then introduced her eldest son, DY, a 25-year-old rapper now launching a career with his crew, N.O.N.C. (Now or Never Crew), four young artists working on their first album. DY presented a poem he wrote that incorporates some of Malachy’s motivating words and ideas.
It was time for the awarding of scholarships by IAW&A’s President — the first to Jasminder Garcha, a Masters student of Irish History and winner of Outstanding Student in Irish Studies at Queens College, CUNY; and another presented to Thomas Robbins, outstanding student in Performance in The Conservatory of Theater at SUNY Purchase.
Darrah Carr Byrne, Director of the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase and Vice President of IAW&A was on hand to present the salon finale— a performance by Darrah Carr Dance, her innovative company that specializes in ModERIN, a unique blend of traditional Irish step and contemporary modern dance. Darrah’s daughter, Cavan Byrne, a high school senior and virtuoso violinist, performed Fiddler’s Fury and Lonesome Moonlight Waltz. She has appeared at Carnegie Hall and is a member of Fiddle Frenzy, a youth group specializing in traditional Irish music. Cavan also supplied the accompaniment for champion step dancer Liam Medina, a Dance BFA major at SUNY Purchase, who performed a hornpipe and a reel.
With that a joyful windup, the salon came to an end — many, on their way out the door, making plans to meet at the Street Naming (at West 93rd Street & West End Ave.) for Malachy McCourt on Sept. 27.
