Derek Bell, RIP
Derek Bell was Ireland's best known harper. His membership of the Chieftains ensured such fame, but there were other reasons for his eminence, not least of which was that fact that he was a native of Belfast.
That city's connection with the brass-strung Irish harp was established in history when a group of its enlightened citizens arranged a Harper's Festival in 1792 and engaged the young Edward Bunting to note down the music. Arthur O'Neill of Tyrone and Denis Hempson of Derry were among those who played and all involved must have known that this was going to be the final gathering of its kind. The old Gaelic order, with its harper patrons, faced extinction and the race was on to save some of its glory for posterity. The young Wolfe Tone, who would lead the United Irishmen against the British in 1798, dropped by and sensed doom in the air. "Strum, strum and be hanged," was his comment. Six years later he was dead; his vision of an independent Ireland shared by Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter in ruins. The Act of Union with Great Britain in 1800 was the final scene in the tragedy.
The Belfast that Derek Bell was born into in 1935 shared few of the values of its 18th century elite, but its love of music remained and the child prodigy, who wrote his first concerto at 12, was rewardeded with scholarships and education, and later, employment with the BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra. The attraction of the ancient music grew, however, and in 1972 he joined The Chieftains, a group that had come together in Dublin in the late 50s while playing with Ceoltori Cualann, a folk orchestra led by Sean O Riada.
International recognition came following the group's contribution to Mike Oldfield's Ommadawn album and the soundtrack of Stanley Kubrick's movie, Barry Lyndon. Then came collaborations with the likes of Elvis Costello, Ry Cooder, Rickie Lee Jones and Bonnie Raitt. Particularly satisfying for Bell was the success of the 1988 Irish Heartbeat recording with fellow Belfast artist Van Morrison. Two years ago he was made an MBE for his contribution to traditional Irish and classical music. He had nine solo albums to his credit — as well as more than 30 recordings with the Chieftains.
On and off stage, Derek Bell dressed in conservative suits and looked more like a mild-mannered banker than a celebrity musician. It was his loud argyle socks that revealed the boyish sense of humour behind the staid visage. His death in the year that the group is celebrating its 40th anniversary is particularly sad.
"His passing will leave a silence that will never be filled. Anyone who has had the honour of meeting Derek will know that the world will be a much less interesting place without him. We will all miss him terribly," said the statement issued by the group members Paddy Moloney, Sean Keane, Martin Fay, Matt Molloy, Kevin Conneff and former members Michael Tubridy and Sean Potts.
