Buy Light of Lights - Solas na Soilse

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New CD for Christmas: Light of Lights

“Light of Lights/Solas na Soilse.
Christmas songs from the Irish Celtic tradition”

A Christmas CD of traditional songs in Irish by Finola Ó Siochrú

(Producer: Máire Breatnach)

This is a unique CD of Christmas songs in the Irish language which presents these beautiful songs, many of which have never been commercially recorded before, in a way which is immediately accessible to a mainstream audience. Produced by Máire Breatnach, the overall effect is warm, sensitive and enlivening.

The songs:

The CD features many different types of song, with varying styles of accompaniment, from the full ensemble sound of guitar, fiddle, viola, uilleann pipes, button accordion, flute and bodhrán (eg Tracks 3 and 10) to the simple, unaccompanied voice on a few tracks. The sensitive, subtle guitar style of Bill Shanley provides the perfect support for the clear, pure singing of Finola Ó Siochrú on such tracks as “Suantraí na Maighdine”(Track 15), “A Dhia na Nollag” (Track 2) and “Oíche Nollag” (Track 1).

Produced by Máire Breatnach (who also plays keyboard, fiddle and viola), it features vocals by Finola Ó Siochrú, Bill Shanley on guitar, Éamonn Galldubh on uilleann pipes and flute, Tomás Ó Briain on button accordion and Fionán de Barra on bodhrán.

All of the songs but one could broadly be described as being in the traditional idiom, but here receive a very contemporary treatment. They cover the whole spectrum of songs in Irish from 17th century Bardic poems, to folk songs, to recent compositions based on poems by contemporary Irish poets. Also included is one song in Scots Gaelic with the original Scottish air which Cat Stevens used for “Morning has Broken”.

So, “Light of Lights”, with such a rich variety of songs, both old and new, offers a new and fresh palette of Christmas sounds, with something for everyone.

Shamrock, Rose and Thistle Radio Interview

Tune into RTÉ Radio 1's Shamrock, Rose and Thistle this Tuesday at 10pm (August 22nd 2006) to hear Finola's interview about her favourite traditional tracks.

If you miss the interview a recording will be available on the RTÉ website at

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/shamrockroseandthistle/

About "Searc mo chléibh - Love of my heart"

These are all love songs of one kind or another which might be heard in the West Kerry gaeltacht of Corca Dhuibhne. Some, such as "An Clár Bog Déil", are not from the region but nevertheless form part of the local repertoire. Others, such as "Amhrán an tSagairt" and "Tá Smúit ar mo Chroí", while not very often heard nowadays, are most likely to have been composed by local singers. Still others, such as "Nach Cloíte an Galar an Grá" and "Réidhchnoc Mná Duibhe", are likely to be local adaptations of songs sung in other parts of the country.

Most of the songs are songs of yearning, loss and unfulfilled passion. The one notable exception is the wonderfully tongue-in-cheek "Amhrán an tSagairt", in which the young priest jauntily abandons family, friends and church for a life with his beloved.

I have tried to convey the flavour of the songs for non-Irish speakers with rough translations of key phrases. While I gratefully acknowledge the singers from whom I have learnt these songs, they are not in any way responsible for the words printed here, which are often a mixture of versions and may be liable to the some distortion due to memory loss over time!

It is with great trepidation that I have added some music to five of these songs. It is not traditional to so so, nor do the songs need it. But neither would it have happened traditionally that one singer would sing ten songs in a row, without an interval of music, dancing or other voices to break the intensity and provide variety! With the exception of the two rythmic songs, which are like dance tunes, the music was added afterwards and in a minimal way.

Buy Finola's CD online!

Finola's album 'Searc mo chléibh / Love of my heart' is now available to buy over the internet from CD baby the store which specializes in promoting independent labels.

Lo-fi sample excerpts from tracks on the album available for download in streaming MP3 on the page.

Just click here for Finola's cd baby page

Celtic Grooves Review of Searc mo Chléibh

"Delightful sean-nos singing in Gaelic. Five of the 10 tracks have instrumental accompaniment (Steve Cooney, Maire Breatnach, Brendan Begley), which Finola confesses having added for the sake of variety but not without some trepidation. The result is quite successful, O'Siochru's voice remaining the star of the show. Recommended"

Mo Scéal Féin

Cé gur i mBaile Átha Chliath a rugadh ‘is a tógadh mé (sa chuid is mó), ba dheachair dom dúchas Chorca Dhuibhne a sheachaint. Chaitheamar gach aon samhradh i gCeann Trá, an áit inar saolaíodh m’athair, agus chuas chun cónaí ann sna hochtódaí ar feadh roinnt blianta. Cheapas ar dtús gur ó thaobh mo mháthar, áfach, a thánaigh féith an cheoil chugam. Amhránaí binn is ea í agus ba cheoltóirí a muintir i gCo. Na Mí – bhíodh banna ceoil acu don teideal "The Heather Breeze". Ach fuaireas amach gurbh amhránaithe agus ceoltóirí iad muintir m’athar leis, cé go rabhas ró-óg len iad a chloisint. Ar ndóigh, bhailigh mo shean-uncail Pádraig (An Seabhac) amhráin don leabhar "Londubh an Chairn" agus chum sé amhrán cáiliúil don teideal "Beir mo Dhúthracht". Bhíos im dhéagóir nuair a chuala an Clár Bog Déil don chéad uair ar an gcéirnín "An Ciarraíoch Mallaithe" agus sheol sé sin i dtreo amhráin na háite mé. Táim fíor-bhuíoch dos na hamhránaithe ar fad go bhfuaireas amhráin uathu ón am sin i leith.

Credits

Steve Cooney: Guitars, percussion.

Máire Breatnach: Fiddle, viola, keyboards.

David James: Cello.

Breandán Ó Beaglaoíoch: Button Accordion.

Producer: Steve Cooney.

Sound Engineering: Pearse Dunne.

Original CD graphics: Johan Hofsteenge

Photographs: Colm Henry.

Web consulting: Daniel Dunne, holisto.com.