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Hi Kieron,
In seven weeks' time I will see Andy play together with Rens van der Zelm. If I don't forget I will send you a review of the gig. Now here is what made Andy Irvine so very special for me:

I was 15 years old when by chance I listened to NDR German radio. They had a live broadcast of the "Folk Friends" project's concert in Hamburg that night in 1981. When I turned the radio on Andy Irvine was performing "Plains of Kildare" that very moment. I was absolutely amazed of such beautiful music. I had never listened to Irish music before. There was one more Andy piece in the programme ("Captain Colston") and then it was Dick Gaughan's turn on the stage.

These two musicians were impressing me highly. As a result I began to listen to the BFBS series "Forces folk" that was on air every Monday night. Some musicians' names became a little familiar to me. Since it was hardly possible to purchase folk LPs in Germany I brought some albums home from my first trip to Scotland in 1983. Among these was "Rainy Sundays Windy Dreams". Luckily I got all six Planxty albums within one year. I learned what some of the lyrics were all about. After already admiring Andy Irvine for his playing, his wonderful voice and the selection of the songs, now was the moment when I felt some kind of personal relationship or even friendship between him and myself - which was absolute nonsense for he did not even know I existed. But the story of the Sabra girl in "Time will cure me" could have been my own experience, and "You never know the cards you hold until you play them wrong" (from "Rainy Sundays") became a motto for my life. I had never heard a saying more true that this!

In 1996 I could finally see Andy live. He was playing solo in an Irish pub in Hannover. Somehow I felt a longing to tell Andy what he meant to me but I was too shy to disturb him while talking to fellow Irishmen in his native language. So I had written him a letter that I gave to him that night and only asked him if he would agree to a photograph showing him on my side. He did. Half a year later I received a postcard that Andy had written in Australia to say thank you for my letter. I was proud like a little boy!

In 2001 I took part in an Irish music workshop in North Germany where I met a whole lot of friendly people. Among these was a very nice Swiss girl called Angela. We were discussing about some singers, dancers and musicians during a break and once she asked me if I knew Andy. When we were talking about him, her eyes shone like diamonds and we somehow felt that we had very similar experiences with Andy's music. We fell in love with each other, and in the meantime Angela had left everything in Switzerland behind to live at my side. So you can say that in a way Andy Irvine was our match-maker!

Best wishes to Korea or where ever you're stuck!

Peter