An Irish Christmas With Michael Londra

Narrator: Funding for "Studio 3 Live" is provided by... Woman: Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino, where employees from over 20 countries speak over 20 languages, is committed to enriching the lives of all Iowans by funding strong communities and diverse cultural organizations.

Learn more at prairiemeadows.com.

[ Applause ] Narrator: Welcome to a special episode of "Studio 3 Live", an Irish Christmas with Michael Londra, featuring a mix of Irish tunes and traditional holiday classics and originals.

[ Applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] ♪♪ ♪ Good people all, this Christmas time ♪ ♪ Consider well and bear in mind ♪ ♪ What our good God for us has done ♪ ♪ In sending his beloved son ♪ ♪ With Mary all ♪ ♪ We should pray ♪ ♪ To God with love this Christmas Day ♪ ♪ Attending on the Lord of life ♪ ♪ Who came on earth to end all strife ♪ ♪ The night before that happy tide ♪ ♪ The noble virgin and and her guide ♪ ♪ Were long time seeking up and down ♪ ♪ To find a lodging in the town ♪ ♪ But mark how all things came to pass ♪ ♪ From every door repelled alas ♪ ♪ As long foretold their refuge all ♪ ♪ Was but a humble oxen stall ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep ♪ ♪ Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep ♪ ♪ To whom God's angels did appear ♪ ♪ Which put the shepherds in great fear ♪ ♪ Prepare and go, the angels said ♪ ♪ To Bethlehem, be not afraid ♪ ♪ For there you'll find, this happy morn ♪ ♪ A princely babe, sweet Jesus, born ♪ ♪ Good people all, this Christmas time ♪ ♪ Consider well and bear in mind ♪ ♪ What our good God for us has done ♪ ♪ In sending His beloved Son ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] Hello, Iowa.

[ Cheers and applause ] You're all so, so welcome to this gorgeous afternoon.

Really gorgeous this afternoon in the heart of Iowa here in Johnston.

I am so delighted to be surrounded by friends and neighbors and people who I meet at the butcher's counter in Fareway.

[ Laughter ] Today we're going to give you various influences for me at Christmas.

That first song is from my home county.

It's called "The Wexford Carol."

You might vaguely recognize it.

However, that carol was written somewhere around the 12th century.

I was not the original singer.

[ Laughter ] There are another 24 verses, so buckle up.

It's going to be a long afternoon.

[ Laughter ] Growing up in the southeast of Ireland, the influences come from every direction.

This next song is a song I grew up singing, and it is influenced from our neighbors to the east.

I don't know if you know, we had a little bit of a neighborly problem for about, oh, 800 years.

Now, in solving that problem, the great thing that we got was all of their music.

And this is a medieval carol that you will know and love.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ In the bleak midwinter ♪ ♪ Frosty wind made moan ♪ ♪ Earth stood hard as iron ♪ ♪ Water like a stone ♪ ♪ Snow had fallen ♪ ♪ Snow on snow, snow on snow, ♪ ♪ In the bleak midwinter, long, long ago ♪ [ Choir vocalizing ] ♪ What can I give him?

♪ ♪ Poor as I am?

♪ ♪ If I were a shepherd ♪ ♪ I would bring a lamb ♪ ♪ And if I were a wise man ♪ ♪ I would play my part ♪ ♪ What I can I give him ♪ ♪ Give him my heart ♪ [ Vocalizing ] ♪ In the bleak mid-winter ♪ ♪ Frosty wind made moan ♪ ♪ Earth stood hard as iron ♪ ♪ Water like a stone ♪ ♪ Snow has fallen ♪ ♪ Snow on snow, snow on snow ♪ ♪ In the bleak mid-winter ♪ ♪ Long, long ago ♪ [ Vocalizing ] [ Vocalizing ] ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] Thanks so much.

Michael, thank you so much for being here.

Tell us a little bit about your kind of artistic journey.

What has kind of led you to performing on "Studio 3 Live" tonight?

You know, I'm from a very small town in the southeast of Ireland called Wexford.

I grew up really bathed in music.

Ireland is, you know, obviously a hub for folk music, for trad music, which had a huge influence on my life.

I love our traditional customs, our folk songs, our sayings, anything that I can take from the past and kind of move forward.

However, where I'm from in Wexford is also the opera capital of Ireland and indeed one of the opera capitals of the world.

Once a year, in a town that's only about 20,000 people, people from all over the world, opera stars come to perform rare operas in the National Opera House, which is the space, the theater where I learned how to sing.

So my influences are very much in two corners from the classical world, but also from traditional music.

Um, and I guess I figured out a lane for myself, which initially was as a singer and coming to the U.S.

as the lead voice of Riverdance on Broadway.

You know, we have a great tradition that I have actually carried forward here in Iowa, and on Saint Stephen's Day, our people who love Irish music, people who are singers or who are dancers or poets or you name the art, they gather on Saint Stephen's Day, December 26th, to celebrate our culture.

And they used to do it on the crossroads outside of every village.

But they realized that it was Ireland in the winter, so they brought it to a more favorable place, the pub.

[ Laughter ] On Saint Stephen's Day, I gather, with my friends here in Ames and, uh, there's no pub involved, but there are several Irish coffees.

Would you like to hear a few tunes?

Okay, it's very important when you listen to Irish music, if you feel that music in your soul, I want you to give me a "hop!"

-Crowd: Hop!

-One more time.

Crowd: Hop!

Ladies and gentlemen, the Ireland with Michael Band.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Hey!

[ Cheers and applause ] So you started Riverdance on Broadway.

That was your introduction to being here.

You now, you know, between Riverdance and many of your other kind of multimedia presentations continue to try to showcase, it sounds like your own musical history and kind of the musical output of Ireland to audiences across the world.

What about Christmas music and Irish Christmas music?

What about that kind of inspires you to share that more broadly?

Look, I think here in North America, you have a very defined vision of what Christmas is.

But Christmas is different everywhere you go.

Yes, there are some fundamental connections.

Um, and, you know, your traditions were learned, uh, as were mine.

A lot of our songs are ancient songs that have kind of drifted forward.

You know, a lot of our songs are learned in the oral tradition.

There's no such thing as sheet music for a lot of the things that I've learned over the years, and I feel it's my job to kind of take those, pass them on, hopefully educate an audience as well as entertain them.

You know, I want people to have a good time.

However, I like to take those traditional songs and maybe just give them a little bit of magic to bring them to a more modern time.

So a lot of our instrumentation with the band will combine traditional instruments like uilleann pipes, but there'll always be like an electric guitar or a bass or keyboards, just to kind of, I guess invite the audience to look at traditional music in a different way.

Would you like to meet the beautiful people behind me?

[ Applause ] Over here is the king.

I have been touring with him for 24 years now maybe.

Around that.

Hilariously, he looked like that 24 years ago, and I looked totally different.

[ Laughter ] I love him, we wouldn't tour without him.

Mellad Abeid.

[ Applause ] Some of you may know the most annoying man in show business.

So annoying because he plays everything.

Whistle pipes, bodhrán, the Irish drum, banjo, ukulele, the bass.

I promise there's no ukulele tonight.

David Schulz!

[ Applause ] Behind the glass cage over there, for his safety and yours, Daniel Cox!

[ Applause ] Over here, the man responsible for all the beautiful vocal arrangements from our gorgeous choir.

He is incredible, David Brewster.

[ Applause ] You're going to meet this legend a little later, so I'll save that.

Over here, one of my favorite people to tour with and to be on stage with.

Would you like to hear a few tunes from Claire Shirey?

[ Applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] What type of memories does this music elicit for you?

I would say maybe both of your upbringing in Ireland, but maybe also, you know, in the time that you've been touring this music more broadly, you know, what experiences you've had sharing this music with a larger audience.

You know, I've been blessed with my career.

I've got to sing in Radio City.

I've got to sing in, you know, in Vegas and all of these great halls around the world.

But, you know, the songs, no matter where I sing them, whether it's for 10,000 people or 10 people, they bring me home.

You know, I grew up in this massive family.

My mother had 11 brothers and sisters.

They all sang.

So at Christmas, we go to mass Christmas morning and straight up to Granny Carty's and we gather together and sing, whether you wanted to or not.

Sometimes it can take me there, you know, and break my heart, you know, just that homesickness, No matter how many times I go back.

This year, I was in Ireland seven times because of "Ireland With Michael", shooting the show.

Um, but I know I'm going to be here this Christmas, and I'll be homesick.

♪♪ So, you know, we have huge influences in Ireland.

We kind of look to the rest of the world for our songs.

But ultimately there's a mysticism to Irish music that you can't quite describe.

It grabs your soul.

This is a song that, it's not so old.

It's about 20 years old, written by the man who wrote "You Raise Me Up", an Irish song, by the way.

Brendan Graham.

I think it captures the mysticism of the winter.

It's beautiful.

It's called "Winter, Fire & Snow."

♪♪ ♪ In winter, fire is beautiful ♪ ♪ Beautiful like a song ♪ ♪ In winter, snow, it's beautiful ♪ ♪ All of the winter long ♪ ♪ And you, little son, come safely home ♪ ♪ Ride the tail of the night ♪ ♪ May you always come safely home ♪ ♪ In winter, in fire and snow ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ The days go dark uneasily ♪ ♪ Darker and darker still ♪ ♪ And you are gone to carnival ♪ ♪ So I feel the winter chill ♪ ♪ But you, little child come safely home ♪ ♪ Riding the tail of the wind ♪ ♪ May you always come safely home ♪ ♪ In winter, in fire and snow ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ But you, little son come safely home ♪ ♪ Riding the tail of the night ♪ ♪ And may you always come safely home ♪ ♪ Through winter, through fire, through snow ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Through snow ♪ ♪ Through snow ♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] Thanks so much.

I actually should tell you, I looked down there for a second.

I wondered what was on my shirt.

I'm not used to wearing the old sparkly shirts.

PBS asked me to wear a sparkly shirt, and I said, "Look, I'll try."

So this is my attempt.

Thank you.

[ Applause ] Thank you.

You know, growing up as a boy soprano at home, I hadn't a hope at Christmas.

I didn't see a toy until the new year because I sang it every mass all the way through Advent, about five times on Christmas Day.

And of course, midnight mass.

But, uh, the one thing that it taught me was the beauty of Christmas hymns, you know?

And of course, I grew up in very Catholic Ireland, so there was only a small set of hymns that I knew.

And when I came to America, particularly in the Midwest, I went to a service here about eight years ago.

And I heard this hymn for the first time.

And I think about the time when I was a kid that even walking past the Protestant church, I'd be nervous.

[ Laughter ] And this is a gorgeous, gorgeous him from Germany of the Protestant tradition.

I think it's absolutely magnificent.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Lo, how a rose e'er blooming ♪ ♪ From tender stem hath sprung ♪ ♪ Of Jesse's lineage coming ♪ ♪ As men of old have sung ♪ ♪ It came, a flower bright ♪ ♪ Beneath the cold of winter ♪ ♪ When half spent was the night ♪ ♪ Isaiah had foretold it ♪ ♪ The rose I have in mind ♪ ♪ With Mary, we behold it ♪ ♪ The virgin mother kind ♪ ♪ To show God's love aright ♪ ♪ She bore to us a savior ♪ ♪ When half spent was the night ♪ ♪ This flower, whose fragrance tender ♪ ♪ With sweetness fills the air ♪ ♪ Dispels with glorious wonder ♪ ♪ The darkness everywhere ♪ ♪ True man, yet very God ♪ ♪ From sin and death he saves us ♪ ♪ He lightens every load ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Lo, how a rose e'er blooming ♪ ♪ From tender stem hath sprung ♪ ♪ Of Jesse's lineage coming ♪ ♪ As men of old have sung ♪ ♪ It came, a flower bright ♪ ♪ Beneath the cold of winter ♪ ♪ When half spent was the night ♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] Thank you.

So I mentioned this man back here.

Let's go back and meet him.

I would call this man a word that I use very rarely.

A legend.

He is one of the greatest uilleann pipers and uilleann pipe makers in the world.

I've heard his name for, oh, about 25 years.

He is the go to guy.

And guess what?

He's from Fairfield, Iowa.

[ Cheers and applause ] Please put your hands together for, I'm going to say it again, the legend Tim Britton.

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] [ Tapping ] [ Tapping ] [ Tapping ] [ Cheering ] [ Tapping ] [ Tapping ] [ Tapping ] [ Tapping ] [ Tapping ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] I feel like a ballroom dancer.

[ Laughter ] I want to talk about my friend here.

I have seen every great Irish dancer in the world because of my involvement in Riverdance and my touring.

I think that there is nobody in the world currently as fantastic as this guy.

Put your hands together for Brandon Asazawa.

[ Cheers and applause ] A legend!

Hey, Brandon, you want a shirt?

So this is hands down my favorite Christmas carol.

And I get to sing it with these beautiful people who I'll talk about in a minute.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Christmastime is here ♪ ♪ Happiness and cheer ♪ ♪ Fun for all that children call ♪ ♪ Their favorite time of year ♪ ♪ Snowflakes in the air ♪ ♪ Carols everywhere ♪ ♪ Olden times and ancient rhymes ♪ ♪ Of love and beauty there ♪ ♪ Sleigh bells in the air ♪ ♪ Beauty everywhere ♪ ♪ Yuletide by the fireside ♪ ♪ And joyful memories there ♪ ♪ Christmastime is here ♪ ♪ We'll be drawing near ♪ ♪ Oh, that we could always see ♪ ♪ Such spirit through the year ♪ ♪ Christmastime ♪ ♪ Christmastime ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Choir vocalizing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Choir vocalizing ] ♪ Sleigh bells in the air ♪ ♪ Beauty everywhere ♪ ♪ Yuletide by the fireside ♪ ♪ And joyful memories there ♪ ♪ Christmastime is here ♪ ♪ We'll be drawing near ♪ ♪ Oh, that we could always see ♪ ♪ Such spirit through the year ♪ [ Choir vocalizing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] Oh!

I have the best job in the world to just stand on a stage and be surrounded by so much beauty and love.

And I feel so privileged.

These amazing singers, let's go back.

And meet the singers, all from Ames.

Oh, yeah.

All Ames singers.

Ames chamber artists, singers.

I think nearly everybody is coming to Ireland with me next year, right?

Looking forward to it.

Would you sing one more.

Jen, you've done beautiful work.

Would you sing one more?

Of course.

Thanks.

This is a song that I wrote about 25 years ago.

I grew up in the town that is bathed in choral singing, in people gathering at Christmas and making songs and creating songs.

I wrote this for a children's choir about 25 years, I think, and it is -- it means a lot to me because I've heard choirs from different parts of the world sing it.

Um, the choir singing with me tonight are particularly fantastic.

This is called "Beyond the Star."

♪♪ ♪ I am of Orient afar ♪ ♪ A calling leads me now to roam ♪ ♪ A journey guided by a star ♪ ♪ Over the mountains, over foe ♪ ♪ And I know that the calling's a heavenly quest ♪ ♪ I am of lands beyond the east ♪ ♪ I bring you frankincense and gold ♪ ♪ With scented myrrh, the prince's feast ♪ ♪ The light of God from you unfolds ♪ ♪ And I know that this night with forever be blessed ♪ ♪ Beyond the star ♪ ♪ Beyond the journey over ♪ ♪ I wander far ♪ ♪ A guiding light to lead me home ♪ ♪ So far from where I thought I'd be ♪ ♪ To see the child of Galilee ♪ ♪ I am of royalty, a king ♪ ♪ Foretold to be the sovereign ruler ♪ ♪ A psalm of joy I now will sing ♪ ♪ And bow before a manger poor ♪ ♪ And I know that this night will forever be blessed ♪ ♪ Beyond the star ♪ ♪ Beyond the journey over I wander far ♪ ♪ A guiding light to lead me home ♪ ♪ So far from where I thought I'd be ♪ ♪ To see the child of Galilee ♪ ♪ I am of Orient afar ♪ ♪ I bow before messiah king ♪ ♪ On bended knee below a star ♪ ♪ And with the angels I will sing ♪ ♪ And I know that the world will forever be blessed ♪ ♪ Beyond the star ♪ ♪ Beyond the journey over I wander far ♪ ♪ A guiding light to lead me home ♪ ♪ So far from where I thought I'd be ♪ ♪ To see the child of Galilee ♪ ♪ I am of Orient afar ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] Thank you so much!

Well, Michael, thank you so much for being here.

And thank you for being part of "Studio 3 Live."

Thanks, matey.

I am trying to sing without crying because I'm so grateful to be in this room with all of you.

You know, I came to the Midwest about 13 years ago now, and in truth, I didn't really know how it was going to pan out.

[ Laughter ] But I have grown to love this state.

I love my town, I love Ames, I love touring everywhere I go and coming home to Ames and coming back to the Midwest because you people are absolutely beautiful.

Uh, there is such a thing as Iowa nice.

[ Applause ] I watch Iowa PBS every night.

Sit down with a cup of tea and watch the "News Hour" and stay to watch everything else that it provides.

I know there's loads of shows coming up that we can see on, on public television.

And, you know, public television has had a pretty tough year.

And I would ask you to not only tune in and watch, but support this.

It's the lifeblood of this state, and it has given us so much that we would never get without public television.

[ Cheers and applause ] I wanted to say thank you to all my band and all these beautiful people, the singers here.

I'm just filled with love and gratitude.

So, um, this is a song, uh, that is -- that I also grew up with.

And it's in Gaelic.

The song... I won't need to tell you about it, because the words and the feelings will flow over you, and you will know what it's about.

And if you don't, don't worry, because I'm going to sing the translation.

[ Applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Singing in Gaelic ] [ Singing in Gaelic ] [ Singing in Gaelic ] [ Singing in Gaelic ] [ Singing in Gaelic ] [ Singing in Gaelic ] [ Singing in Gaelic ] ♪♪ ♪ I sing of a night in Bethlehem ♪ ♪ A night as bright as morn ♪ ♪ I sing of a night in Bethlehem ♪ ♪ The night when the Word was born ♪ ♪ Sing glory now to the Father ♪ ♪ And on to the heavens high ♪ ♪ And peace be with his people ♪ ♪ You'll hear the angels cry ♪ ♪ Sing glory now to the Father ♪ ♪ And on to the heavens high ♪ ♪ And peace be with people ♪ ♪ You'll hear the angels ♪ ♪ Cry ♪ ♪ Cry ♪ ♪ Cry ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] You're the best!

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] Narrator: Funding for "Studio 4 Live" is provided by... Woman: Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino, where employees from over 20 countries speak over 20 languages, is committed to enriching the lives of all Iowans by funding strong communities and diverse cultural organizations.

Learn more at prairiemeadows.com.

Man: Next time on "Studio 3 Live", it's an Irish Christmas with Michael Londra.

♪ Frosty wind made more ♪ Sometimes it can take me there and break my heart.

This year I was in Ireland seven times because of "Ireland with Michael", shooting the show.

But I know I'm going to be here this Christmas, and I'll be homesick.

♪ Snow falling, snow, snow, snow, snow ♪