Bean Feasa music project goes from strength to strength

Going from strength to strength is the work of local music project, Bean Feasa. Facilitated by Kara Richards and Bianca Fachel, this particular group of women easily forged connections on first meeting, in January 2023.

Some members are experienced in song composition, with individual experience including song performance in Choral, Barbershop, Heartsong and Acapella. By the third meeting, the instruments played included banjo, fiddle, guitar and ukelele, with bodhrán and cajon featuring amongst a variety of percussive instruments shared.

So far, on the Bean Feasa Facebook page, there have been two song releases. The first song was written in a co-operative fashion. It's called "Bean Feasa", displays individual languages and the group personality, and has become the group's theme tune.

On International Women's Day, the Bean Feasa video was of its song "Good Woman". Kara Richards had provided a guitar riff to work on. Then Patsy Preston created the song's melody, in her verse celebrating Danú. The song goes on to celebrate a number of female figures. These were each written about by a group member, the lyrics for each stanza being fine-tuned with help from the group. And, topping it all, the lovely upbeat and resounding chorus "She's a good woman too". Though a "work in progress", the group all agreed that the video should be posted, for the day that was in it.

As well as songs that get harvested during its monthly meeting, the Bean Feasa encourages song composition by individual members.

Aine O'Regan wrote the first of these songs to be released in Irish.

She explains: "This choice came not from fluency, but from preference. The song applauds the value I now place on the Irish language, and on the playing of music - for me, and within the Community. The metre of the lyrics in the chorus gave rise to the song's title - "Amhrán 6 8"- so, it's like a Slow Jig."

"Birdland Studios, Co. Roscommon, is the jewel in the Bean Feasa experience. The singer gets the undivided attention of Kara Richardson and Bianca Fachel, two women of experience and fine standards in the field of sound engineering. Both were wholeheartedly encouraging to me, the newcomer more used to a fiddle tucked under my chin and accompanying a singer.

"I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and was fierce impressed with the womens' dedication. My song, and the fruits of their work, are excellently captured in the resultant video," she said.

Do give the Bean Feasa page a Follow on Facebook, to enjoy this next release, and those from other members of the collective in the months following.

The Bean Feasa project is funded by the Arts Council "Artist in the Community" scheme, managed by Create - the national development agency for collaborative arts. And the funding was secured by Athlone Family Resource Centre.