11th April 2024
Update (as of November 2023):
It is my deep regret to say that due to the work and travel constraints of each of us in the trio, we are no longer able to continue arranging songs and rehearsing on a regular basis.
We managed to meet up as often as we could, between 2017 and 2019, and again from 2022 to 2023. I am very grateful to all the people who listened to us, and especially those who gave us a chance to perform. This was often not an easy thing to organise, and of course it was impossible in 2020 and 2021. Nevertheless, I'm glad we were able to work together and perform on a few occasions.
I really enjoyed working with Ailbhe and Pádraic, albeit intermittently, over the past six years. Maybe in the future this might be possible again, but we will have to leave it for the moment.
May 2023
Seo nóta le rá go raibh sé i gceist ag an tríread amhrán a thaifeadadh an tseachtain seo caite, ach ní raibh muid in ann é a dhéanamh, mar go raibh mé tinn. Tá mé togha anois. Faraor, beidh orainn é a chur siar go mí Lúnasa ar a laghad, mar go bhfuil sceidil an-éagsúla agus cruógach a'inn uileag.
Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an gComhairle Ealaíne, a chur maoiniú ar fáil go mbeinn in ann taisteal agus cleachtadh le hAilbhe agus le Pádraic níos minicí, le bliain anuas. Mar is eol don chuid is mó daoibh, is ceoltóir lán-aimseartha mé.
Déanfaidh mé mo dhícheall leanacht ar aghaidh leis an tionscnamh seo chomh minic agus is féidir, as mo stuaim héin, amach anseo.
Idir an dá linn, beidh mé ag obair ar an gcumadóireacht dhon albam nua aonair, a bheidh éagsúil ó na cinn eile a rinne mé go dtí seo, agus a bhí curtha siar cupla bliain.
Go raibh maith ag chuile dhuine a d'éist linn agus a thug tacaíocht dhúinn go dtí seo.
This is a note to say the trio were due to record a song last week, but we weren't able to, as I was ill. I'm fine now. Unfortunately, we will have to postpone it till August, since we all have very different schedules and are busy with various things.
I would like to thank the Arts Council, who provided funding (music bursary) so that I could travel and rehearse with Ailbhe and Pádraic more often, for the past year. As most of you know, I'm a freelance full-time musician.
I will endeavour to keep going with this project as much as possible, within my own means, going forward.
In the meantime, I will continue to work on the compositions for the new album, which will be different from music I released before, and was delayed for a few years.
Many thanks to everyone who listened to us and supported us so far.
8th March 2023
8th March 2023
This is a note to say I will not be available for private music or sean nós singing lessons for the foreseeable future, and to provide a list of alternative resources.
(I might occasionally be teaching groups at different occasions but this will be rare.)
I may add to this list if other resources become available. People can also find out more from the organisations and individuals listed here.
Please note that these are organisations and individuals I have personally either been in contact with, or learned from over the years, or have been involved with. I have also mentioned musicians and singers whom I would personally recommend, and believe to be available at some point this year for lessons.
All the websites of the festivals mentioned can be found easily online with a quick search of their names!
Sean nós singing:
Group classes - seasonal courses - in person at the Cobblestone pub and online with Eithne Ní Chatháin - see https://irishsinging.com
Festivals with sean nós singing workshops
February:
Tionól Niocláis Tóibín festival. Rinn Ó gCuanach, Co. Waterford.
Féile na Tána, Carlingford, Co. Louth.
Scoil Cheoil an Earraigh, Baile an Fheirtéaraigh, Corca Dhuibhne (Dingle peninsula), Co. Kerry.
March/April:
Sean nós Cois Life, Dublin city centre.
April/May:
Féile Chois Cuain, Louisburgh, Co. Mayo.
May:
Féile Joe Éinniú, Carna, Iorras Aithneach, Connemara, Co. Galway.
Féile Róise Rua, Árainn Mhór (Arranmore island), Co. Donegal.
December: Éigse Dhiarmuid Uí Shúilleabháin, Cúil Aodha, Múscraí, Co. Cork.
Scoil Gheimhridh Ghaoth Dobhair, Gaoth Dobhair, Co. Donegal.
Fiddle:
Aidan Connolly: https://aidanconnollymusic.com/lessons-in-irish-fiddle/
Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh: https://www.mairead.ie/lessons/
Comhaltas (many teachers & locations):
Festivals with fiddle workshops/classes (not exhaustive)
February:
Tionól Niocláis Tóibín, Rinn Ó gCuanach, Co. Waterford
Féile na Tána, Carlingford, Co. Louth.
April/May:
Féile Chois Cuain, Louisburgh, Co. Mayo.
July:
Willie Clancy Summer School, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare
Joe Mooney Summer School, Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim
Scoil Acla, Achill island, Co. Mayo
August:
Feakle Festival, Feakle, Co. Clare.
December:
Éigse Dhiarmuid Uí Shúilleabháin, Cúil Aodha, Múscraí, Co. Cork.
Scoil Gheimhridh Ghaoth Dobhair, Gaoth Dobhair, Co. Donegal.
Classical piano:
TU Dublin conservatoire (formerly D.I.T. College of Music):
https://www.tudublin.ie/explore/faculties-and-schools/arts-humanities/conservatoire/
27th February 2023
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| from unamonaghan.bandcamp.com |
Here is an extensive interview with Úna Monaghan about her new album, Aonaracht, on The Rolling Wave programme, with Aoife Nic Cormaic:
The album has six tracks with six different musicians. Each of us recorded separate pieces of music with Úna. This project has been ongoing for a few years, and was delayed a few times.
The track I played on is called Traditional Architecture, & it has excerpts from Moore's Melodies, learned from the book, my own way of playing them traditionally, a tune composed by Úna, & a lot of improvisation based on those themes. It also has my improvisational responses to fragments of pre-recorded singing of Eileanóir na Rún, which played intermittently from small speakers inside the piano. The speakers responded to the strings of the piano as I played them.
It's a long track but could be described as a collection of many tunes & sonorities which all relate to each other.
I just remembered that it has been three years today since five of the pieces on the album were performed in the NCH.
It was a very interesting & unusual project & I really enjoyed working with Úna.
The album is available on her bandcamp page here: https://unamonaghan.bandcamp.com/album/aonaracht
Congratulations & many thanks again to Úna for bringing us along with her & sharing her ideas in her own unique way.
28th December 2022
Seo beagán de rian a chur mé le chéile dho chnuasach Rogha Raelach Vol. 1 cupla bliain ó shin. Tá sé ar fáil ar mo leathanach Bandcamp anois.
Here's an excerpt from a track I put together for the Rogha Raelach Vol. 1 compilation a few years ago. It's now available on my Bandcamp page.
https://saileog.bandcamp.com/track/excerpt-sadhbh-thom-is-toms-duke-of-leinster-toms-colliers
14th September 2022
A short message to say that I'll be working on 2 projects which had to be postponed (both for pandemic & other reasons) over the next while.
One of them involves new solo compositions which are different to what I've released before, & the other involves the trio with Ailbhe & Pádraic. I'm glad to finally be able to say that these things are happening! They will take some time, especially the new music.
I will post updates in due course.
I may add more words with translations to some videos in the future if I have time.
5th July 2022
Many thanks to Patrick Freyne for the mention in this lovely article about Féile Róise Rua. I think he described the weekend in its essence very well here:
9th April 2022
Cloisfear taifeadtaí ó 1930 taobh le hamhráin beo ó Sharah Ghriallais, ó Mhary Staunton, agus uaim héin.
Deirdre's (bilingual) website is https://aransongs.blogspot.ie, and she is on Twitter and Facebook at Aran Songs.
19th March 2022
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| Photo: Rachel Breslin |
Tá mé an-bhuíoch gur iarradh orm héin, ar Ailbhe Nic Dhonncha agus ar Phádraic Keane cupla amhrán a thaifeadadh leis an RTÉ Concert Orchestra le gairid. Seo é an chéad uair dhom amhráin a chóiriú le haghaidh ceolfhoireann. Bhain muid an-taitneamh as an lá! Bhí na hamhráin ar RTÉ Radio 1 ar Lá 'il Páraic ag 2pm, ar chlár le Fiachna Ó Braonáin. Míle buíochas le chuile dhuine a raibh baint acab leis!
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| Photo: Rachel Breslin |
I'm very grateful that I, Ailbhe Nic Dhonncha, & Pádraic Keane were invited to record a few songs with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra lately. We had a lovely day! This was my 1st time arranging for orchestra. The programme was broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1, St. Patrick's Day at 2pm, presented by Fiachna Ó Braonáin. Many thanks to these people for all their help & various contributions: The RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Mary Sexton, Rachel Breslin, Joe Csibi, Andrew Smith, Gavin Maloney, Gavin Murphy, Mary Adams, Cormac McCarthy, and everyone on sound (I'm sorry I can't remember all the names!)
21st February 2022
