LIVE: Double Bodhrans

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

To celebrate, here is a fun part of our live show - when the bodhrans get to really shine. These are Irish drums made of goat skin and played with a small drumstick called a "tipper."

Enjoy!

LIVE: Irish Dance Encore

Here is a number recorded a few years ago in California at a show. An all-dance encore where we put the instruments down and make rhythms with dancing only.

LIVE: The Legend of Finn McCoul

🌲 Story Time! 🌲

Recorded in Sumter, South Carolina at a St. Patrick's Day show in 2017, here is our live storytelling rendition of the story of Finn McCoul and his famous rival.

Follow along with the story below:

The Legend of Finn McCoul (by the Gothard Sisters, based on the traditional tale)

Once upon a time, in the very far north of Ireland, there lived a giant.
The giant's name was Finn McCoul, and he was very cool.
He was the tallest, the strongest, and the mightiest of all the giants in Ireland.

One day, Finn McCoul decided that he was going to build a bridge, made of stone,
that would take him all the way across the big blue sea from Ireland to Scotland.
But building the bridge made him very tired so he decided to go back to Ireland and take a nap.

After his nap, Finn was enjoying a lovely cup of tea with his wife, Oona, when all of a sudden they heard a rumbling, trembling, booming noise coming from the Scottish side of the new bridge. 

It was Benandonner. Greatest and most terrible of all the Scottish giants, Benandonner was twice as tall as Finn McCoul - and that was when he was sitting down.
Seeing Finn's new bridge, Benandonner decided that this was the perfect opportunity to cross into Ireland and take care of that puny little Irish giant - Finn McCoul.

Finn's wife, Oona, said:
"Oh Finn. Here comes that giant, Benandonner, to fight with you. Now, Benandonner is stronger than you are. But he's not very smart. So here's what we'll do. Go and jump into the baby's cradle, put the baby's little hat on your head, pull the baby blanket all the way up to your chin, and then leave everything else to me."

Finn obeyed, immediately. He jumped into the baby's cradle, and put the baby's frilly little bonnet onto his big head, and he pulled the baby's blanket all the way up to his big chin.

Then, Oona ran into the kitchen and began to mix up a new batch of bread. She picked up a lump of butter and rolled it around in some black boot-polish, forming a lumpy grey ball. This she placed on a pile of rocks by the hearth and sat down to wait. 

Benandonner approached the house. He knocked three times. Oona opened the door.

Oona: "Well hello and good day and what can I do for you?"

Benandonner: "I'm Benandonner - the greatest and most terrible of all the Scottish giants. And I have come to fight Finn McCoul."

Oona: "Yes, of course you have. But I'm afraid that Finn isn't home right now. You can come in and wait for him. I have some fresh bread, right out of the oven."

Benandonner: "I'll wait. I like fresh bread."

He followed her into the kitchen and sat down at the kitchen table. Oona ran into the kitchen and pulled out two fresh loaves of bread from the oven. One of them had an iron frying pan baked in the center of it. This one she gave to Benandonner. 

Oona: "Here's a lovely loaf of Finn's favorite bread for you to eat." 

He took it from her and bit into it. Instantly, his teeth hit the frying pan inside and cracked. 

Benandonner: "Ouch!" 

Oona: "Oh dear. Is Finn's favorite bread a little bit too hard for you to eat, Benandonner?"

Benandonner: "A little bit too hard?! My teeth are all broken!"

Oona: "How strange. Because you see, even Finn's little tiny baby loves to eat that bread. Watch this."

And she brought the other regular soft loaf over to Finn, who was still lying in the cradle. He took it from her and gobbled it all up. Benandonner was shocked. Why, if Finn McCoul's little baby could even eat Oona's rock-hard bread without breaking all his teeth ... what was going on? 

Benandonner: "So tell me ... how does Finn McCoul become so strong?"

Oona: "Well you see, Finn likes to build up his strength by squeezing water out of rocks."

Benandonner: "Squeezing water out of rocks."

Oona: "Oh yes. Don't you do that in Scotland?"

Benandonner: "No."

Oona: "Well maybe if you want to become stronger you should try it. You might want to start with one of the practice rocks, they're a little easier."

He picked one of the rocks and squeezed. Try as he might, he couldn't get a single drop of water out of it. 

Oona: "How strange. You see even Finn's little tiny baby can easily squeeze water from the practice rocks. Watch this."

And she crossed over to the pile of rocks by the hearth and picked up the lumpy grey ball and brought it over to Finn, who was lying in the cradle.

Oona: "Why don't you squeeze this rock for me now, dear."

He took the lump of butter in his hand and squeezed. Instantly, it began to drip to the floor. Benandonner was shocked.

Benandonner: "Ach. If this the strength of the little baby, how strong must the father be? I'm going back to Scotland!"

And with that, he took off back across the bridge, tearing it apart as he went so that Finn McCoul would never follow him home to Scotland. And to this day you can still see what is left of that bridge - the Giant's Causeway in County Ulster, Northern Ireland. 

And as for Finn and his wife Oona, they lived happily ever after. 

LIVE: Christmas Eve Disaster Story

Occasionally it's really fun to do a bit of live storytelling in our shows. Those who have been to many live shows (and I know we have lots of you in this group!) may have seen a few of them, including "Finn McCoul" and "the Devil Went Down to Georgia." 

But this is the one we wrote for the Christmas shows!

It's the unfortunate tale of Christmas Eve going wrong when Santa gets sick. The two elves, Zip and Zap, will just have to take over, but they think a little too much of their own ability.

This video was taken last year (2019) on the Christmas tour. We hope you enjoy this! 

I've also included the written version so you can read along in case the audio is patchy:

The Christmas Eve Disaster Story (a.k.a. Elf Skit)
ALL SING:
SANTA CLAUSE IS COMING TO TOWN

Narrator: All the elves were in the workshop, Christmas Eve was almost here - when the news came ‘round that the boss was down with a nasty bout of flu. Santa Clause, that dear old man, he’d spread himself too thin. Sick in bed with a pillow on his head, he said: “boy, I just can’t win.” But someone was needed to do his job and so he called a meeting. He would choose one elf to fly his sleigh so he could sleep that evening.

Zap: Hey Santa Clause, you’re pretty good and I know this sounds cliche, but you’re lookin’ kinda old and grey and like someone should save the day. I’m a CEO and a Top Shelf Elf and listen what I’ve got to say - I’ll take a survey and cut the pay (this place could use that anyway) with efficiency and double-speed and the help of my sidekick Zip - I’ll triple the toys for all girls and boys by this Christmas Eve.

Narrator: Well Santa sat straight up in bed and turned to him to say… “Well that’s alright and fine and good, but can you fly a sleigh?”

Zap: I’m a CEO and a Top Shelf Elf… I can learn that any day.

Narrator: So Santa smiled and looked at him and said to him, “Well, okay….”

ALL SING:
Oh you better watch out, you better not cry you better not pout I’m telling you why - Santa, he’s NOT COMING to town.
He’s very, very sorry. He wishes that he could. But now it’s up to Zip and Zap to get this stuff to you.
So they better watch out, they better be sharp, they better be smart I’m telling you why - Santa, he’s NOT COMING to town.

Narrator: Flying fast, they came at last to a land of trees and sea. Zooming through a big snowcloud Zip turned to Zap to say:

Zip: We’re doing great, keep straight ahead, don’t worry ‘bout a thing. We’ll get there just in time I think, as those kids hop into bed.

Narrator: but Zap he had much bigger plans than just that simple scheme… “That’s not fast enough!” he screamed, and with haste he went extreme! Thinking he was oh-so-clever, down came his hand on a big red lever - a latch came loose beneath the sleigh, dropping the presents to their dismay. All the gifts fell down to the sea below, and were lost… forevermore.

Narrator: “What are we gonna do now?” Zip wailed, and put his head in his hand.

Zap: There’s only one thing we can do - we’ve gotta get this sleigh to land!

DRAMATIC MUSIC

Narrator: steering the sleigh through a blanket of cloud, they landed the sleigh with a noise very LOUD, and found themselves facing this very large crowd of some people who probably expect … presents.

Zip: Well gee, these poor people…we’ve gotta give ‘em something. If Santa finds out… we’re dust! We’re nothing!

Zap: Hmmm…. these people don’t know that their gifts are all gone, how could they know that something went wrong? Listen to me little Zip and you’ll see that I am much smarter than Santa would be. Instead of a boring box under the tree, what they will get… is a violin solo. From ME!

Zap plays a terrible solo. Zip is encouraging, the Narrator can’t listen.

Zip: The noise level shows that this crowd is not pleased. They still miss those presents they should have received! I hear people these days like music to dance to - not really music, but a beat they can hop to. Try it! 1, 2, 3….

Zip and Zap are not good at playing together and it’s a train wreck.

Narrator (shaking head): but though the crowd cheered for both of the elves….

AUDIENCE CHEERS

Narrator: … they knew they had failed, in spite of themselves. That perhaps deep inside, these people know better… that there’s much more to Christmasthan just being clever.

Zip and Zap: we’re sorry that all of your presents are gone, we’ll have Santa replace them all before long.

Zip: we used our talents and we were very smart, but maybe what’s missing is a little more… heart. Santa gives of himself every year - he makes children happy, he gives adults cheer… if we could all see his worth and help with his plan, then there might finally be peace on Earth, and good will towards man.

Zap: yeah…. why, there are much worse places we could all be. Why we’re here together - and not in the sea.

Zip and Zap: all we can say, and all we can do is be glad that we’re here and that we can all say….

ALL SING WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS

Zip and Zap fall asleep

Narrator: all the elves were in the workshop, Christmas Eve was really here. When Zip and Zap woke up and found they’d had a big old nightmare. Santa Clause, that dear old man, he was ready to begin. In the shed and sitting in his sled, he said “boy this makes me grin!”
Beaming around at his North Pole home he decided to call a meeting. He would choose one elf to fly his sleigh and help him out that evening.

Zap: Hey Santa Clause, you’re pretty good and I know this sounds cliche, but you’re looking kind of young and great and I’ll help you in any way!

Zip and Zap: We are just little elves, with nothing much to say…

Zap: … but I’ll gladly do what I can for you, and Zip will help you, too.

Narrator: well Santa sat straight up in the sled and turned to them to say, “well that’s alright and fine and good, but will you fly the sleigh?”

Zap: oh Santa Clause, we’re just little elves, and we try our very best. But we have just one request. YOU’D better fly the sleigh.

Narrator: so Santa smiled and looked at them and said to them “well…okay.”

ALL SING:
SANTA CLAUSE IS COMING TO TOWN

Midnight Sun in Osaka

Here is Midnight Sun played LIVE in Osaki, Japan as part of our 22-city concert tour there last year with Min-On and the Music Plant. 

For the tour, we learned how to speak Japanese (still reading off a sheet so as not to accidentally say the wrong thing) for all the talking sections of the concert between songs. For all you lovely patrons, I've left the speaking in at the beginning so you can experience a Gothard Sisters Concert in Japanese. 😊⛩

For all our Japanese fans - please forgive our attempts to speak your beautiful language! 🌺

LIVE: 3 Little Birds - Chasing the Sun

One of the many Summer festival shows we got to play last year. This was the last song from our Sunday afternoon main stage set at the lovely Peoria Irish Festival in Illinois. Just like a festival, there's lots of background noise and also plenty of people singing along. Oh how we miss that feeling of live music and everyone together enjoying music, vendors, a nice cold beer and a celebration of Summer. 

Plus - there's dancing in this one!

Anyone else missing live music right about now? Well, here's a little taste.

3 Little Birds is by Bob Marley

Chasing the Sun is by yours truly! (The Gothard Sisters)

Finale Jig is by the Gothard Sisters

Frank's Reel is traditional

Cheers, everyone!

LIVE: Parting Glass

One of the many nights playing tunes and songs aboard the Disney Magic cruise ship in O'Gills Pub we decided to cover this beautiful traditional song. There were a few hiccups and it was definitely not perfect. This was our first performance of this song - as requested by one of the audience members.
So I hope you enjoy! Do you like seeing little clips like this? Let us know in the comments below!

We'll hopefully record our version sometime in the not-too-distant future.

Cheers, everyone!

LIVE: Country Roads

Live concert video of the Gothard Sisters playing Country Roads.