Crooning at Christmas swings back to Dolan’s
CROONING at Christmas, a night of holiday classics dedicated to the swing jazz era of music, will be returning to Dolan's Warehouse this Saturday, December 23 for its 19th year.
Liam O'Brien, Limerick's resident crooner, first hosted the night at the City Museum in Pery Square in 2004 after organising it alongside his father, Tim.
“I always wanted to do a Christmas show of songs that weren’t carols or church songs, a show that comprised those seasonal winter songs, peppered with some newer people like Bublé and Harry Connick Jr.”
Liam hadn't realised the night was something that could take its place among Limerick's Christmas traditions until he decided to put in on again following his father's passing.
“2006 was the first time in Dolan's upstairs. In my head I was like ‘yeah, we’ll do it once more as a tribute to my dad’,” said Liam, “I still have photos from then, so much hair in those photos, we’ve all gone on a bit of a follicle journey since then,” the crooner dryly remarked, reflecting on the time since the show began.
The guests in this year's show include returning singers and up and coming performers. Brian McCann, Jayne Fraser, and Lúila will be joining Liam to sing with the Million Dollar Swing Band.
Excited to be alongside the artists, Liam was more than happy to sing their praises: “I sing a lot of the same songs every year, people expect to hear them. So I love to use the guest artists to keep the show fresh. Brian’s doing three songs we’ve never seen there. One’s an Elton John song but that’s all I’ll say.
“Jayne Fraser, who’s probably one of the best vocalists in Limerick is coming back, she joined us last year and blew everyone away. So I was quick to give her the call and, luckily, she was free to come along again,” the singer / actor added.
Not forgetting their newest performer, Lúila, Liam was pleased to add: “This is one of her first big outings in Limerick which is so exciting and very well deserved.”
The show sees a raffle every year in aid of Limerick’s Christmas Poor Campaign. So far, it's raised almost €17,000. Proud to be supporting local, Liam said: “To get to generate all this money for a local charity is one of the great things about it. It’s a very worthy group.”