Crooners & Craic versus Coronavirus BY LLOYD GORMAN
And the band played on! As far as disasters go, the sinking of the Titanic 108 years ago is one of almost supernatural proportions. Some 1,517 souls perished in the tragedy including some of the world’s wealthiest people of the time. The terror and chaos that ensued as more than 2,000 passengers scrambled for safety and escape doesn’t bear thinking about. There were many acts of courage and some of cowardice. In the mêlée of madness, it is hard to imagine an act of greater heroism and self-sacrifice than the story of the ship’s band playing music to try and help calm passengers. They played until the moment they could no longer hold their instruments or stand as the deck listed to the point where they would have fallen or been thrown into the bitter dark cold waters. All eight musicians died. The entertainers had been hired for the maiden voyage as two separate separate groups - a quintet to act as a “saloon orchestra” and a trio to be a “deck band” - but performed together just that once. The story of their behaviour and bravery was one of the first stories to emerge and get picked up by the world’s press. Traditional Irish music band Emerald Tide found themselves channelling a similar spirit in the face of a modern day maritime disaster at the heart o Australia’s COVID-19 crisis. The all singing foursome - Killian Shannon (band leader) on banjo and bouzouki, Giselle O’Meara (percussion and Irish dancing), Kate Heneghan on fiddle, harp, piano and Joe Junker on acoustic guitar - went on the adventure of a lifetime together late last year. They joined the Ruby Princess in early December - the first Irish trad band ever to be signed up as onboard entertainment with the cruise ship operators. “We can’t wait to see the adventures you have in Oz!,” the Premier Entertainment International agency in Cork said on social media at the start of their four month long stint. Before long, the players had a loyal following amongst the ship’s nearly 3,000 passengers. The four friends also enjoyed the benefit of being able to fit in some travel - including a trip to the Fiji Islands and New Zealand - as part of their experience.
Above: Traditional Irish music band Emerald Tide were entertainers onboard the ill-fated Ruby Princess cruise ship (top). Above right: The band from the Titanic They celebrated Australia Day on board, celebrated birthdays and rocked the house every time they played together. St Patrick’s Day was their 100th day onboard, by which time the trip of a lifetime was quickly become a nightmare with no end or escape in sight. “It’s an unprecedented and uncertain time for everyone, but we feel more grateful than ever for music (and WiFi) in times like these. Enjoy our version of ‘Hallelujah’,” Kate Heneghan said on Facebook in mid March. With Kate playing the harp and Giselle singing, they recorded (with the help of their friends Aleksandr Kravchenko & Julien) a video of an angelic version of the Leonard Cohen/Jeff Buckley classic on the top deck, with Sydney Opera House as the backdrop. The boys in the band said they were proud of the girls. “During these tough times, it’s important to stay positive and these 2 girls are certainly doing their part to keep the spirits high not just within the band but with every crew member stuck on board,” they said. Even in self-isolation in their cabins, a few days later the duo performed and recorded another uplifting piece of entertainment with a version of Elvis Presley’s ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’. Hundreds of passengers - including people who were infected - from the Ruby Princess were allowed to
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