Columbanus & connections

Song, family history and the journeys connecting Bangor with Europe.

In November 2016, Tommy’s Ballad of a Songman was announced for Bangor Abbey as part of Journey of a Single Day, a celebration of the life and legacy of Saint Columbanus. The setting connected a personal musical story with a much older history of travel and exchange.

A family connection

Speaking to The Irish News ahead of the performance, Tommy explained that two of his uncles, Hugh and Tom, were Columban missionaries. His uncle Hugh’s experience as a prisoner in China was among the stories he discussed in relation to the show.

Thinking across borders

The same feature places the performance within a weekend of talks, film and an ecumenical service. A later Irish Post profile also reports Tommy’s composition of a Columbanus-themed alternative anthem for Europe and a performance at the European Parliament. That report offers a further connection between his songwriting and this European story.