Sidhefire was established in 1988 by founding members, Shen Yang and Wren Kincaid. Each accomplished musicians, they strove to create their own sound in the world of Celtic music. By 1989, they had added Aria Bergstrom to their lineup, as singer and artful in the tin whistle, fiddle, and piano. But Shen felt they were still lacking a charismatic lead singer and song writer and believed he’d found that individual when he heard a young man busking in Seattle. Playing a lute outside of a subway entrance, the young man caught more than fifty listeners every time he played. The young man’s name was Micheál T. Quinn.

Micheál (Quinn to friends and family) and his fiancé, Janet Whitmore, joined the lineup in 1990 and the quintet began a very fast and successful run playing bars and Celtic festivals and Renn Faires along the West Coast, and then branched off into the mid-west states as they were asked to headline more Festivals along the circuit. The group garnered fans who repeatedly requested Sidhefire originals such as The Veil, Standing Still, and Tamlin’s Ballad.

Then in the latter half of 1991, they released a more modern rock version of their song Standing Still, which reached Billboard’s chart at #5. It was rumored the group had been offered a lucrative recording contract with Celtic Originals Record label–but unfortunately tragedy struck the group when the lead singer and song writer vanished after shots were fired at a Faire in South Carolina. Mr. Quinn’s shattered lute and what was later identified as his blood were found at a local landmark in the town, but there was no sign of his body. The sales of the CD release in 1993 were initially high due to fans wanting recordings of Micheál Quinn’s voice, but copyright issues stopped production and the band’s legal troubles were only just beginning.

Micheál Quinn’s body was never found.

The songs are now in the public domain, the way the band would have wanted it. Feel free to download and listen as an added bonus to the story. For a lyric book, scroll down and click the added link for a PDF.