IrishMusicInfo
The Sunday Tribune Weekly Traditional Music Column by Fintan Vallely
991003
Maighread and Tr’ona N’ Dhomhnaill's exceptional album 'Idir an dh‡ Sholas' stylistically bridges the Traditional and the modern. An iconic duo from Skara Brae in the early seventies, their largely Donegal-flavour repertoire both hints at the post-Clannad clichŽ and generates tremendous artistic strength. Their repertoire is moulded by a personal attack honed by experience in, admiration for, and satisfaction gained from a tradition represented by their aunt Neil’ and collector/songwriter father Aodh. As teenagers in Skara Brae with brother M’che‡l and Daith’ Sproule, Maighread and Tr’ona inaugurated a style which was hugely influential, then later in The Bothy Band Tr’ona added a hallmark voice that still carries great nostalgic power today. This followed her solo album ('Tr’ona', 1975), and the Bothies' demise after four albums heralded her departure first to the band Touchstone in North Carolina, then to Relativity in Oregon. Maighread's first album came in 1976, a long maturing with little public performance concluded in the outstanding 'Gan Dh‡ Phingin SprŽ' in 1991. Inclusion in Wyndam Hill's Celtic Christmas and the best-selling, 1995 'A Woman's Heart' have cemented her career, playing with Donal Lunny over several years has given her a high profile abroad. Over this periods the sisters performed together to great acclaim - a meeting of Tr’ona's brooding, straight sombreness and Maighread's almost throwaway ease with the vocal top-end. Now with Lunny their new material is delicately arranged and accompanied using he, Sharon Shannon, Laoise Kelly, Liz and Yvonne Kane (fiddles) and John McSherry (pipes and whistles). Their opening 'Spanish Lady' is no clichŽd ditty, but Frank Harte's unique version, while 'Liost‡il mŽ le S‡irsint' comes from R—ise na nAmhr‡in on Arranmore Island, Co. Donegal - sung superbly in an easy 6/8 time. Their D—nall îg yet again defies presumption - from Tory Island, quite different, as indeed is aunt Neil’'s 'N’l SŽ 'na L‡'. 'Faoit’n' is a light Connamara song from M‡ire çine N’ Dhonncha, starkly contrasting with Maighread's solo 'Pill, Pill, a Rœin î' with chorus work by Tr’ona. This is an album that takes itself intensely seriously, yet gets away with almost throwaway light lighter moments, none more imaginative than the concluding 'Tidy Ann', Fermanagh singer Annie MacKenzie's version of a tale of the frog's wedding. That marvellous fantasy sees the singers out on a Persian carpet of quirky harp, a clip-clop bodhr‡n, rattles and cat's miaow. Song in such variety is the subject too of the Forkhill Singers' Festival which winds up today featuring guests in session at T’ Chulainn, Mullaghbane. These include Cloghmills, Co. Antrim singer John Kennedy, Connamara sean n—s man Peadar î Ceannabh‡in, Peta Webb of London and MairŽad (McMahon) Wall. Next week Derrygonnelly, co. Fermanagh is the scene of the action for the music and song Eddie Duffy Festival.
©Fintan Vallely, IrishMusicInfo.com
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