Glen Hansard: a tireless, warm-hearted troubadour whose music brought people together

By Adam Daniel, Lecturer in Creative Production and Performance, Western Sydney University

I came to fully appreciate Glen Hansard later than some.

Like many, I was properly introduced to him through the 2007 musical romance Once. I had been aware of his band The Frames, but it was Hansard’s portrayal of a Dublin-based busker that captivated me and made me dive deeply into his musical catalogue.

Once is a film I return to at least once a year. It’s one of my most beloved on-screen love stories, and my favourite on-screen musical. The songs, and Hansard’s portrayal of them, never fail to break my heart or restore my faith in the power of music – sometimes both…

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