Success for the Speks’ factor

A CLARE-based nursery-rhyme-performing ‘virtual’ traditional Irish band are gaining momentum and publicity in radio and education circles.
The Speks are a bunch of relatively unknown musicians from a mysterious island – Glasses Island – that lies off the coast Clare, who have come together to bring their brand of Irish music, accompanying all-time favourite nursery rhymes, to the world.
A spokesman for The Speks confirmed that RTÉ Junior, Ireland’s national digital radio station for kids, is now playing the Speks’ music daily, while their tunes are also featuring regularly on radio stations for children in the USA.
Recently, the INTO’s publication In Touch gave a glowing review of the songs on The Speks album of nursery rhymes, set to traditional Irish music, simply called Nursery Rhymes by The Speks. “Educationally, they encompass the all-important areas of rhyme, rhythm and repetition – so frequently the missing links for children learning to read,” the publication said.
The Speks recently launched a new book to go with the album and performed live in the Ennis Bookshop to promote the book and album. The book is a beautifully produced children’s book containing 96 pages of colourful illustrations depicting a wide range of nursery rhymes and sing-along songs known the world over. The band members are Quince, Naymon, Tommo, Pete, Ed and Rafferty and all of them love to sing and play music for children.
Last year, the CD won a prestigious Parents’ Choice music award in the US and the music has already been downloaded in 40 countries, drawing rave reviews like “riverdance for toddlers” and “grown-up music for kids”. The book and CD is also generating much interest on the worldwide web, with hits on the band’s social network sites now surpassing 45,000.
The Speks and their book and CD releases is a small-scale Irish initiative. Apart from the music itself, the concept, recording, design and delivery of album and book has been carried out by small, independent Irish entrepreneurs, with graduates of the Limerick School of Art and Design particularly influential.
The book and CD package is available from www.thespeks.com .
A Christmas single by The Speks called How Many Sleeps ‘til Christmas? is available as a free download on the website. It features the school choir from Gaelscoil Donncha Rua in Shannon.
The Speks also plan to embark on a nationwide tour next year and hope to release more songs and books, with work already begun on their new album.