Manx music in America: This Fair Isle

Manx music in America: This Fair Isle

Thu, 08 May 2025

A simple Manx music enquiry to Culture Vannin led to a visit to the Isle of Man, and now American composer and choral director Dr. Kevin Kelly has produced a suite of Manx songs for chorus and harp!

Kevin’s collection of 19 songs was premiered last month in a concert called ‘This Fair Isle: Celtic Folksongs & Dances from the Isle of Man’. Held in Athens, Georgia, USA, on Saturday 26th April, the sell-out concert starred the Athens Chamber Singers with Elizabeth Veal on harp, and Kevin as conductor.

With a variety of arrangements of Manx songs in English, such as “Love of My Heart” (Graih my Chree), “Sea Invocation”, “King of the Sea” and “Slumber Song”, Kevin has kindly given Culture Vannin permission to share the live concert recording on Bandcamp and manxmusic.com.

Kevin’s interest in Manx music began nearly a decade ago, when he was Supervisor of the University of Georgia Music Library and emailed Culture Vannin with a question about a Manx song. After several months of corresponding with Dr Chloë Woolley, Manx Music Development Officer for Culture Vannin, Kevin and his wife decided to visit the Isle of Man to attend Yn Chruinnaght Celtic Gathering and he has since become an avid follower of Manx music.

Kevin said: “Our concert drew a full house and many in the audience were asking questions about the Isle of Man; maybe we gave your tourist trade a little boost!” He added: “It's a dream... but I'd love for my choir to come to the Isle of Man and do a concert tour”.

As well as this choral suite, Kevin has arranged dozens of Manx folk songs and dance tunes for recorder quartet; all of which are available as sheet music on manxmusic.com

Chloë said:

“It’s amazing that Manx songs and melodies can spark such enthusiasm and creativity across the Atlantic, and I’m delighted to have helped Kevin bring a little piece of the Isle of Man to Georgia, USA!”

Manx music is becoming increasingly recognised around the world. In the past couple of years, Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe and Daniel Quayle have taken Manx traditional music to Australia, Ruth Keggin and Mec Lir to the USA and Canada, Rachel Hair to New Zealand and Japan, and this summer’s Festival Interceltique de Lorient in Brittany will again showcase Manx music, song and dance to 950,000 visitors and spectators from Europe and beyond.

All of the songs from Kevin Kelly’s ‘This Fair Isle: Celtic Folksongs & Dances from the Isle of Man’ can be listened to and downloaded for free at:

This Fair Isle: Manx music by Kevin Kelly