Wings Of The Morning

In the spring of 1991 (two years before I moved to the US), with backing from the Cork Dominicans, over 30 young singers and musicians from all over Ireland came down to the wilds of Cork to help make my first, self-produced studio album, “Wings Of The Morning.” For most of us, it was our first time inside a recording studio. The sessions were long and often tedious, but we soldiered through because this was “our music,” and here was a chance to fully realize it as ambitiously as possible, with all the ability we could muster! Almost thirty years later I am still grateful to those friends, wherever they may be now, and glad to release these tracks on Soundcloud, remastered as best I could from the single, 30-year-old cassette tape that I still have!

See below for the Soundcloud playlist, some stories and memories, album credits, and a gallery of photos from the recording sessions, when we were all young and good looking …

How to get good guitars …

A number of famous musicians used Sulán Studios in Ballyvorney … we were there just after Donovan cut an album, and we had to schedule our sessions around the American heavy metal band ‘Queensrÿche,’ who were apparently doing some songwriting at the time. Seeing as most of us were college students with crappy guitars, the studio allowed us to use some of the bands instruments. The acoustic 6&12 steel-string guitars were theirs, and I remember a gorgeous golden Gibson, used for the solo on ‘Take My Hand’, that I really wanted to take home with me …

Wings Of The Morning Playlist

Out in the wilds …

One of the reasons Tadhg Kelleher’s ‘Sulán Studios’ was popular with quite famous musicians was that it was so remote and off the beaten path, yet you could still take a stroll down the road to go to the pub! There was also a house attached where you could stay overnight if needed, which I remember doing especially during the long mixing process. Also … few of us had cars, so going there was a full day commitment. Everyone stayed for the whole session, the longest of which was 19 hours! What can I say? We were young …

Photo Gallery

I took these shots from our sessions with a Kodak disposable camera! No digital cameras, no cell phones, and as you can see we recorded on two-inch 24-track magnetic tape! There are only a small handful of these wonderful people that I have kept in touch with over the years, but I remember them all with fondness and I hope they don’t mind me posting these pictures of our younger selves here!

Wings Of The Morning Album Text

Song Titles

SIDE 1
Harp Prelude

Sing Gloria (1990)
Send Us Your Spirit (1990)
Psalm 24 (1988)
King Of All (1991)
The Beatitudes (1987)
Lord Of The Light (1990)

SIDE 2

Wings Of The Morning (1990)
Out Of The Depths (1990)
Take My Hand (1987)
Bless the Lord (1987)
Jubilate Deo (1988)
Dominican Magnificat (1990)

Credits

Cantors: Wendy Dwyer, Maria Johnston, Jim Williamson

Choir: Veronica O’Keefe, Breda Barry, Jennifer Forde, Eileen McKenna, Sharon Kelly, Una McInerney, Ruth Lenihan, Hilda Leader, John Casey, Tony Curling, Ken Egan, Feargal King

Choir Director: John Murphy

Keyboard: Gavin Byrne (Korg M1)
Harp: Madeleine Doherty
Guitars: Feargal King
Bass: Ken Egan
Fretless Bass: Conan Doyle
Drums: John Hickey
Violins: Carol Daly (solo), Fiona Warren, Karl Rochford
Violas: Sean Owens, Hilda Leader
Cello: Louise Duggan
Flute: Ian O’Flynn
Oboe: Karen O’Flynn
Piano: Ruth Lenihan

Guide Vocals: Sorcha Doyle

On “Send Us Your Spirit” only:
Synth: Siobhán Keogh
Choir: Ballincollig Folk Group

Recorded in Spring 1991 at: Sulán Studios, Ballyvorney, Co. Cork

Engineered by: Johnny Campbell, Jim Carroll

Album Cover Art: Sr. Evangelist Hogan