Master Fiddle Player Ben Lennon
Ben Lennon (1928 – 2020)
Here in Ireland we are not only celebrating St. Patricks Day, but a full week end of festivities. Most of these events involve Irish music, so it’s a fitting time to remember one of the giants of Traditional Irish Music, who left us a couple of years ago.
Sometimes in life and work, things don’t always work out the way we planned. Such was the Portrait of Ben Lennon, as I had it mostly worked out, what I wanted, how I was going to light him, how I wanted it to look etc, all before I had ever met this giant of Irish traditional music. I had been planning to create this portrait for about 5 years.
A few years earlier I had met Ben’s son Maurice at a Stockton’s Wing gig in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, NY. As we talked Maurice, who is the founding fiddle player in the band and known the world over for his talent, was telling me about his father, Ben, who he said was a much more appropriate subject for a portrait, because of his renowned reputation in traditional music. A few years later after I moved back to Ireland from NYC, I had acquired a much deeper appreciation for the status, the talent and the reputation of the master fiddle player, Ben Lennon.
After a few phone calls, we set a day and time to create a fine art portrait. I was on route from Donegal where I was shooting some commissions. I de-toured towards Manor Hamilton in County Leitrim, in order to find a little place called Rossinver. The old Post Office there was the home of Ben & Patsy Lennon.
After a few bad direction decisions, I arrived at 2.30 pm, a full half hour late. I found the Lennon’s a bit uptight, as Ben had received a badly needed optician’s appointment for 3.30 pm.
So, (no pressure), I promised that I would have the portrait done and I would be gone by 3.15 pm at the latest… the thought, planning etc., all went out the window. I decided that the portrait was more important than the style, pose, props etc., so I created the above portrait by the light of their parlour window. I shot 10 images and was delighted that half of them were perfect! At 3.10 pm I was in my car hoping to find my way to Wexford, while Ben & Patsy were on their way to the optician.
I came away from that portrait session having been under a bit of pressure, but more importantly, on quite a high. One instinctively knows when you have something special and I knew what I had that day. Against all the odds, and years of portrait experience, most of my principles, structures and parameters, for arriving at a fine art portrait, went up in smoke that day. So, who did I just photograph?! In 35 minutes total, I learned that Ben Lennon was not only near “Icon” status in traditional music circles but an unassuming, sincere, gracious, very easy going, kind and gentle man, who I would have delighted in experiencing his company for a lot longer than was possible on that day.
Ben Lennon passed away in 2020 at the great age of 92. His lifetime of music dedication influenced thousands of young and not so young musicians & performers. He was known for his rich & diverse repertoire of tunes, and received the “TG4 Gradam Ceoil Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2011. In the same year, a book on his life was published called ‘Ben Lennon – ‘The tailors twist’(he was a tailor for most of his life). He recorded numerous CDS & Albums, alongside many TV & Radio broadcasts over the years. Many of those are available on UTube.
Ben Lennon left a rich legacy of memories to this world. I hope my contribution adds one more to his iconic status.
Ends