Very Kind and Gracious – Song Download

MP3 Download

Grey composed this tune as a tribute to his dear friend Michael J. Kennedy (1900-1978). After performing a set of tunes Michael would often acknowledge his audience’s applause by saying, “Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. You’re very kind and gracious.” To those who knew Michael well, that phrase became inseparable from the man, an emblem that represented Michael’s own welcoming attitude to life and to everyone he met.

The four words of this title suggest the rhythm of a schottische, a type of dance tune that Michael loved to play. The introduction to this arrangement features a schottische that Grey learned from Michael, “Maggie McGee’s Schottische.” Michael learned it from Maggie McGee, the girl from his village who taught him how to play the melodeon.

Grey: anglo concertina, harmonium, piano; Paddy: guitar and bodhrán