A new short film by musician and filmmaker Denise Boyle will premiere in Glenties.
The Man That Only Had the One Tune will be presented this Friday at 4pm in the Highlands Hotel. The premiere is part of The Long Grazing Acre national tour.
The 10-minute film will be shown alongside Denise’s first short film, And That Was How It Was. Both films are inspired by the musical folklore of north-west Donegal and the Doherty Family of travelling musicians.
The Man That Only Had the One Tune is centred on a story told by Donegal travelling Fiddle Player, Mickey Doherty, about a man who encounters a fairy while on his way to play at a local wedding. Using a recording of the story made by Folklorist Alan Lomax in 1951, and told by Mickey Doherty, Denise has composed music to create a new presentation of the story.
Denise worked with filmmaker Hendryk Kar to develop visuals, filmed in and around Glenties, to enhance the story and music. The Man That Only Had the One Tune also draws on melodies locally said to have come from the fairies, adding an otherworldly layer to the music.
Denise is from Glenties, and is a well-known fiddle player. Denise is inspired by the music and stories of local musicians from the area including Mickey Doherty and his brother John. Denise describes Mickey’s storytelling as “pure gold” and says her main aim with this project was simply “not to destroy it” while creating music to match his storytelling. A rendition of Danny Boy heard at the end of the film is performed by Nora “Phildy” Gallagher, a local Glenties singer and one of Denise’s personal favourites.
For her first film, And That Was How It Was, Denise was inspired by Traveller and fiddle player John Doherty. The film captures the joy in a community when the Doherty family arrived, and the sadness when they left. It features the voices of John Doherty, Jimmy Campbell, and Vincent Campbell. Denise invited artist Susan Hughes to create a video to accompany the finished music. Hughes’ sensitivity and beautiful imagery transformed the piece into a powerful short film.
Both of Denise’s films began life as pieces of music, inspired by the natural rhythms and cadences of recorded voices. Denise was originally inspired by Gerry Diver’s The Speech Project, and set out to create melodies from speech patterns, later developing them into fully realised compositions. Both And That Was How It Was and The Man That Only Had the One Tune were completed with the help of producer David Arkins, who was responsible for post-sound production on both works.
Each film will last ten minutes. All are welcome, admission is free and no advanced booking is required.
‘The Long Grazing Acre’ is a touring cultural project celebrating the rich musical heritage of the Irish Traveller community. Led by renowned artists such as uilleann piper Paddy Keenan, the tour combines concerts, storytelling, film, and hands-on craft demonstrations to honour legendary Traveller families like the Dorans, Dohertys, and Barrys. Each stop on the tour is rooted in local Traveller history, bringing together descendants of iconic musicians with contemporary performers.
On August 23 and 24, the project’s Glenties phase will focus on the Doherty family’s deep ties to the area including a musical bus tour, exhibitions of tin fiddles, film screenings, workshops on traditional skills like tin-smithing and wattle-tent making, and evening concerts with leading Traveller musicians. For further information on The Long Grazing Acre, follow their Facebook
And That Was How It Was and The Man That Only Had the One Tune were supported by the Arts Council Agility Award and the Donegal County Council Artist Bursary.
