”They could take our land, starve our poor, destroy our homes and plunder our institutions; they could deny us education, but they could not destroy our music and song” No truer words were ever spoken. These are by Derek Warfield himself.

Derek Warfield is a singer, songwriter, mandolin player and a founding member of the Wolfe Tones,  performing with the band for over 37 years. He has written and recorded over 60 songs and ballads.

Warfield has performed his music and songs at American Civil War events and commemorations at such sites as Gettysburg, Sharpsburg and Harrisburg with his band, The Sons of Erin.

Derek now tours with his new band, Derek Warfield and The Young Wolfe Tones.

Their most recent release “Let Ye All Be Irish Tonight” is a tribute to historically popular Irish music and the song culture that evolved from it in America (Warfield Music CD004). 

The song list is a collection of gems: Let ye all be Irish Tonight, The Three Flowers, Step it out Mary, Song of the Celts, Boys of the Old Brigade, Dusty Dublin Streets Set, Sweet Kitty Neil, Admiral William Brown, "Mandela" The Legend, Boys of Fair Hill, Cead Mile Failte, Paddle Your Own Canoe, The Galtee Mountain Boy, Let Mr. Maguire Sit Down, Oro se do Beatha Abhaile, Dying Rebel, Flower of Scotland, The Stone of Destiny Set, Patsy Fagan. 

This CD is a historian’s delight and an archivists treasure; complete with liner notes; all of the lyrics; precious photos; detailed descriptions; as well as a thoughtful and well researched collection of Irish history told through music from the eighteenth and nineteenth century to the present. Rebel songs, ballads, jigs, reels, pub songs, and cultural jewels unfold into a memorable Irish experience. The songs are presented with a professional mix of traditional lead and backing vocals; tenor banjo; mandolin; Uilleann pipes; piano; string; and orchestra arrangements; guitar; bouzouki; bass; button accordion; violin; flute; and the bodhran.

Having been raised in a family of Irish musicians and drilled from a young age through the meters of the Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem, and Paddy Noonan, this CD is a ‘must have’ for any serious Irish audiophile. The fact that it’s fun, fast paced, and played with the skills of one of Ireland’s premiere songsmiths only makes it more endearing. KG