Symphony No.9 (Ode to Joy)

I was born and raised in Co. Cavan, Ireland. I moved to Los Angeles in the spring of 1987 and began working as a session musician. Many of these sessions included world-renowned artists including, Chet McCracken (Doobie Brothers), Albert Lee, Stuart Smith (Sweet), and Howard Leese (Heart). Working with musicians of this caliber, all of whom had toured the world, inspired me to find a band that I could tour with. In 1994 I joined world-beat band World Color, a multi-racial, multi-cultural band led by Pamela Whitman, great-granddaughter of Walt Whitman. The experience of working with musicians from all over the world combined with my upbringing, rooted in Irish traditional music, transported me to a new place, musically. I began to write music that would lead to the unique sound that is, Finn MacCool. I left World Color in 1999 to form the band Finn MacCool.

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Finn MacCool is a Celtic Fusion band based in Los Angeles. The band takes its name from the legendary figure in Irish lore, the warrior Finn MacCool. The music and songs are rooted in the Celtic culture from all seven Celtic nations**. The lyrics take the listener back in time and celebrate the history of the Celtic people, while the music combines traditional Irish scales and rhythms with elements of folk, blues, gypsy, world-beat, and funk. The music and stories help keep the spirit of this great culture alive and relevant in these modern times. "You will feel their presence and you will know their stories through the music of Finn MacCool".
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Fans often describe the music as reminiscent of Traffic or early Led Zeppelin, with a strong spiritual presence that sets it apart from other bands of this genre.
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Other popular fan comments include:

"This music is suitable for all ages"
"There is something for everyone"
"I felt a very positive vibe coming from the music and lyrics"

Jim McDonough, editor of the Irish News & Entertainment wrote the following after hearing the band for the first time:

..."Finn MacCool will take you on a journey from Ancient Ireland to Modern America"...

Jim Fowler of the Los Angeles Times wrote:

..."I was blown away by their live performance. They blended the instrumentation of Celtic folk music with rock music intensity"...

Orange County Register wrote:

..."Like NOTHING you have ever heard. You will feel the presence and you will know the stories of the Celtic people through the music of Finn MacCool"...
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I am in the process of writing and recording two musicals under the title Ancestral Voices* (the Famine Years) and Ancestral Voices (Voices Lost)

*Ancestral Voices (the Famine Years)

The Famine, also known as, an Gorta Mor, all but decimated the entire population of Ireland. During the years 1845 to 1852 five-sixths of the people died or emigrated. Ancestral Voices (the Famine Years) uncovers the true reasons behind why an event of such magnitude is seldom spoken of in Ireland.

Ancestral Voices (Voices Lost)

There was a time when women had an equal voice in society. What happened?  How did they lose their equal standing? Was it survival of the fittest, or did man wander from the path of equality, fairness, respect, and understanding? 

From Eve to Mary Magdalene, Joan of Arc to Lillian Hellman, there is one common thread, they were all vilified. Whether it was labeling them a witch, a whore, or a communist, the tactic was the same, dehumanize the target, turning them into symbols for lust evil and hatred. Buy why?
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**The Seven Celtic nations are: Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Wales, Cornwall, Isle of Man and Galicia.
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Peter McGowan performs weekly in and around Los Angeles with his partner Suman Elizabeth Kirby (percussion - vocals) and longtime friend Marta Collier (pennywhistle - bodhran). He also performs with his six-piece band, Finn MacCool. depending on the size of the venue.