Carmel Kelly

Do It Now!

This piece began in 2011 as a piano piece and was left to soak for 7 years. Then in 2018 I chose to orchestrate it…and it turned “menacing” but I put off finishing it!
A couple of weeks ago I was looking through all my old projects on the computer and came across this unfinished piece and my brain told me to “Do It Now”.

Calm Goodbye

It is hard to say goodbye as we watch our loved ones leave, and head off on their new journey.
This is some calming music to help you come to terms with missing them.

Clann

This piece was inspired after we welcomed another member to the “tribe” a few months ago.
He has the same name as my father, so it’s great to see the dynasty continue.

El Lugar

This was inspired by my visit to the El Lugar Resort and hearing all the different birds singing outside my window.
If you listen closely you can hear some of their songs within the piece.
The El Lugar Resort unveils an experience of being one with nature.
You are immersed in the enriched local culture and flavors of Sarapiquí and live a unique Costa Rica story in the heart of the rainforest.
It transported me back to a time of peaceful harmony with our beautiful planet.

A Little Light of Love

‘A Little Light of Love’ was an event in memory of all children and babies who lost their lives at the ‘Tuam Mother and Baby Home’.
In preparation for this special event, I recorded an original piece called 'Take My Hand', in memory of Margaret Conneely, who was only 18 months old when she died on the 20th February 1928 in the Tuam Mother and Baby Home.
I, along with 795 others, had the privilege of reading out one of the names of the babies and childen who died there. So at a ceremony around Lough Lannagh in Castlebar, Co Mayo on Saturday 12th November 2022 I called out Margaret Conneely's name.

Welcome to the Clan!

In the past year we have welcomed two beautiful babies into the 'Clan' and I composed 'Sonas' and 'Cosúlacht' to celebrate their arrivals.

Christmas 2021

Lockdown was hard! I’ve been meaning to compose a Christmas song for many years. Unfortunately I decided to do it during the Covid pandemic and this is where my brain ended up…🤯 I had intended it to be more like Cliff Richard’s “Mistletoe and Wine” but it ended up more like “Grandma got run over by a Reindeer”!
“Can we put up the Tree?” was inspired by my two nephews, who in their younger years, always wanted to put up the Christmas Tree early. However my sister wouldn’t hear of it and spent most of November and half of December listening to their pleas.
So this is for all the children - to help them in their cause.

I do a “Hydro Spin” class at the Coast Club Leisure Centre, and one of the exercises that we do is an interval sprint of 10 seconds warm up, 10 seconds on, 10 seconds off, 20 on, 20 off, 30 on, 30 off, 40 on, 40 off and all the way back down again to 10!
I find it easier when the music follows what I’m supposed to be doing! So after the poor trainer had to listen to me complaining that there was no music for their “Interval Sprint” I decided to give the class a Christmas present!
Christmas Spin is the result - listen out for the cowbells getting you ready for the sprint, the magical bells telling you it’s nearly over and the groans as you move into the well earned rest.

From the Bed to the Grave

Over the past few weeks, as a musician who normally plays for funeral services, I have become aware of families who have been in the sad situation of not having the type of funeral service they would wish. Some even have had to go straight from their house to the graveyard. Here in Ireland people have been lining the road (6 feet apart) to show their sympathy and solidarity. This was the inspiration for the song "From the Bed to the Grave". The whole process was made even more unique as due to the Covid19 restrictions all the recording and editing was completed over 2 counties and 3 houses. A huge thanks to my sister Angela Forde for the lyrics (and unending patience) and Sean Costello for the vocals and support on the project.

For more on Sean - www.seancostellotenor.com

Il Castello di Casalborgone

I was delighted to perform at the Gala opening of Il Castello di Casalborgone on the 14th March 2019. The Castle is nestled in a small Italian village east of Turin. Il Castello di Casalborgone is a magical place that has been renovated into a unique hotel with the elegance of living as one of its main focuses. The luxury and beauty of the castle once again shines through by maintaining a great deal of elements of the past, including the ageing signs of some of the walls. I was lucky enough to spend a night in the ancient luxurious castle where I dined with sterling silver, ate off beautiful china and drank from delicate tea cups and crystal glasses. I slept on fine sheets in a luxurious bed. I tapped into an elegance of living that changed my reality. The castle, located in the northern part of Italy between Milan and Torino, is one of the most decadent places you can go in the entire world.

“Cass” April 12 – 14, 2018 – Town Hall Theatre Galway.

The following is taken from the programme of the production by KATs of “The Loves of Cass McGuire”.

The Music of Cass McGuire

Despite her raucous outward shows, deep in her core Cass holds tight to the soothing qualities of music. Her years away from home, away from family and loved ones, living a tough “Skid Row” life, were often only comforted by dreamy, soothing melodies and chants of music and song; and it seems at one point that the only thing holding her together is a recitation of Thomas Moore’s haunting air, Oft in the Stilly Night. Friel has also written of the dramatic, operatic strains of Wagner’s Tristan Und Isolde legend and its parallels in Cass’s story. There are three “rhapsodies” recited by three of the characters in The Loves of Cass McGuire (including Cass herself), and Friel invites producers to accompany these with various pieces from the opera. However, call it serendipity if you like, but when Carmel Kelly agreed to accompany us on our journey of bringing Cass to you, the creative process, we feel, has resulted in something special and unique. It is as if tunes independently composed by Carmel, were imagined specially to summon the emotions of some of these marvellous moments.