MERCHANDISE

The story of the Mirth starts in the late 270s at the Tull House of Kirthlore, a music college of good repute in the borough of Tull, near Melster, in Somery. Two young men, Milward Sutherlish, a promising guitarist, and Tholmew Weatherrill, studying the flute and the oboe, but who also had a personal singing voice, both local Tullsters, found each other and started playing and singing together. To improve their economy during their studies they followed the example of many other music students and played regularly as street musicians. They started out singing and playing traditional folk songs under the name of The Merry Tullsters, and they soon showed themselves being among the very top players in town. Later joined by Tholmew's younger brother Brawn Weatherrill on accordeon they got an offer as a regular feature at the locally well known Mirth&Kirth, a music restaurant whose owner, Blaen Withall, had spotted them during their street performances and seen their potential.

Naturally they were not the only band playing at the Mirth&Kirth and the performing groups represented several different styles. One night a string quartet gave a performance of folk songs with a tinge of blues in the arrangements. This made a great impression on Sutherlish, who talked with his fellow musicians in the band and asked for their permission to suggest a co-operation. He got it and got in touch with the violinist, Rother Muchlough who, as it turned out, also was the arranger of the pieces they had performed. He was very keen on the idea, and after discussion with his fellow musicians they agreed to give it a try. Sutherlish, inspired by the idea, and who by now had started writing his own songs to which T. Weatherrill wrote lyrics teeming with mythology and a fairytale atmosphere, wrote a song which he presented to Muchlough and asked him to write a fitting string arrangement. Once they all tried it out together they felt they had something special going. After having had the song presented to him Withall agreed to let them perform it at the Mirth&Kirth, and seeing the positive response from the audience he suggested a contiuned co-operation. He also suggested the name The Mirth for the new constellation, thus giving them a special blessing, and also offered to manage them if they wanted to try their luck elsewhere, or with a record company. He further suggested that they should put out an ad for a drummer and bass player, to add some depth to the sound. Said and done. Two months later, after a great number of auditions, Shon Stuith on drums, and Padraigh Candrough on bass joined the band, and the set was complete.

After having performed regularly for about a year at the Mirth&Kirth, they got a chance to perform on the major stage at the Allsomerish Whit Kirthfair in Sibury in 277 by sheer luck. One of the booked acts had to cancel because of illness, and through intense negotiations and mere persistence on Withall's part the Mirth got to replace them. This turned out a strike of good fortune, and the day after their performance their name was on everybody's lips. Soon after they signed a contract with Eleventeen Records. Their first record for this company, Yon Itheblond of Blee (Those swelling waves of colour), went straight to number one on the sales list, and the first years to follow they had more number one singles than any other group or artist , before or after. The following three albums, Sheas Over Mirk Water (Clouds over dark water), Ealch Sithe 'Yinneth In Anem Footswathe (Every journey starts with a footstep), and Into The Summer Lands, and their live album with the Melster Philharmonic Orchestra, The Weden Way To Ommouth Bay (The blue way to Ommouth Bay) are still today among the best selling albums, continuously rediscovered by new groups of listeners and lovers of pop music.

The group later started their own record company, Merry Dream which they use to take care of the potential of new young musicians, and which is also a sponsor for the various activities of the Tull House of Kirthlore.

To the left we can see a selection of their albums.

After a two year break the group is now planning a world tour, following the release of their latest album, Kings And Merrymakers. The tour will be started at the Allsomerish Whit Kirthfair this year, at the very place where their nationwide fame started 25 years ago. These are the preliminary 302 summer tour dates

2 June	Sibury, Somery
4 June	Sligomeagh, Cimera
5 June	Meritéville, Cimera
6 June	Ulnovabad
8 June	Fenizabad, Feniz
14 June	Saint Thomas, Aethelnia
15 June	Merlinbury, Aethelnia
16 June	Saint Nazaire, Aethelnia
18 June	Zvitniev, Solantchatka
20 June	Flansburgh, Davenport
21 June	Star City, Davenport
22 June	Trois-Étoiles, Davenport
24 June	Sky City, Bowdani
25 June	Corning, Bowdani
28 June	Sanxaver, Sanx
1 July	Baben, Baben Bay
3 July	Porto Capital, Porto Capital
4 July	Oran, Porto Capital
7 July	Anakachiri, Udan-Woo
9 July	Drevlin, Bowdani Minor
12 July	Joannina, Kalesthesia
16 July	Dianamalary, Niokolo Koba
19 July	Sansoheil, Deucoland
21 July	Aurelius, Westria
25 July	Subrata, IWK
2 Aug	Markhamn, Vingarmark
3 Aug	Vingenberg, Vingarmark
4 Aug	Uppmörk, Vingarmark
7 Aug	Port Lanarch, Ras Lanarch
16 Aug	Luka, Utania
17 Aug	Utan Krysaror, Utania
18 Aug	Vela Luka, Utania
23 Aug	Kikikira, Westria
24 Aug	Surina, Westria
30 Aug	Tull, Somery