A Living Voice, Donegal
This two part series presented by JJ O’Shea brings us the fruits of a project initiated by folklorist Ríonach Uí Ógáin and supported by the Irish Traditional Music Archive. The project revisits The Irish Folklore Commissions collection of tunes and songs which were transcribed and notated by Séamus Ennis in Connemara and Donegal. When folklorist Ríonach Uí Ógáin was examining the transcriptions collected by Ennis she noticed there were several pieces that were no longer heard in the general repertoire and she wondered how musicians and singers today might interpret these songs and tunes. Ríonach invited several musicians and singers with an association with either Connemara or Donegal to select some of the material collected in those counties and to make recordings of their choices.
Episode 2: Donegal
In this week’s episode singer and fiddle player Máiréad Ní Mhaonaigh interprets the song Cuach mo Londubh Buí and the tune Tóg do Chionn. Fiddle player Dermot McLaughlin considers Séamus Ennis as a collector and performs the tunes Australian Waters and A Pinch of Snuff. Singers Lillis Ó Laoire and Brían Ó Domhnaill give us the songs Mo Chúranán and An Cailín Rua in their own unique interpretations and fiddle player Paddy Glackin considers the Donegal style of fiddle playing and performs the tunes The Blackbird among the Berries and The Curragh Races. Paddy is joined by Dermot McLaughlin on a sensational version of Sean sa Ceo which the duo play in octaves and singer Maighréad Ní Dhomnaill performs the song Goidé sin don Té sin and is accompanied by her sister Tríona on the piano for the song Conlach Glas an Fhomhair.
A J.J. O’ Shea production for RTÉ lyric fm co-funded by Coimisiún na Meán and RTÉ Independent Radio Productions.
Presented and produced by J.J. O’Shea
(First broadcast 25th February 2024)
RTÉ lyric fm, Sunday 8th March, 6pm-7pm
