Sean-nós
is like the family secret of Irish traditional music. Like a
treasure, guarded by mysterious silence, that can't be shared
outside an intimate circle, it can seem next to impossible to
get a deep insight into it. It is sometimes viewed by non-Irish
speakers as such an insular tradition that it is nearly impossible
to get an immersive appreciation of it. This is a shame as it
is only when you get beneath the skin of this deeply emotional
form of musical and cultural expression that you can really appreciate
it. However it is not as difficult to get immersed in the mood
of sean-nós as you might think. It is not
an impossible search, and it is a very rewarding
one.
Rógaire
Dubh was the culmination of ideas, vision, and the perfect
blend of talents and personalities. For a long time it was
little more than a notion, a concoction of the creative minds
eye. The concept was a tantalising one and though I’d
get excited about it from time to time it was hard to come
across musicians who could express the potential and depth
of what is a little known musical tradition. That is not a
criticism of most musicians by the way. After all I can’t
play any other instrument myself so I know there is a big step
between knowing you like something and being able to transpose
that into some musical form.
The thing
that inspired me to learn my first song was actually a rendition
of the West Cork song “Táimse i’m Choladh” which
was played on Cello. Funny enough, I have often become drawn
to a song through an instrumental interpretation of it and
on this occasion it was the richness of the melodic line expressed
by the instrumentalist that urged me to learn the song. I remember
the rich bass and timber of the Cello striking a resonant chord
in me. It thrummed and made the air warm and turgid and sank
into my flesh and I recognised in the Cello, the same poignant
qualities which are drawn from the human voice by this song.
From that
point it had always been one of my wishes to try a combination
of the low bass lines and melodies of some of the sean-nós
songs such as “An Clár Bog Déal” with
the thick resonant thrum of the Cello.
When the
opportunity came it sailed along like a dream. As I progressed
with this album the germ of that idea took root and grew. Talented
musicians such as Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Mick
O’Brien, Helen Lyons, Jane Hughes, and Conor Lyons provided
the mix and before long I was intoxicated on the fumes of its
realisation. In particular, Mick and Coimhín’s
interpretation of some of the songs we did were deeply personal
and coincided exactly with my own vision for their expression.
The last
thing I will say is that your appreciation of these songs is
largely based upon how you empathise and understand the music.
The music is indelibly linked to the words and therefore for
me it was extremely important to bring you as clear an insight
into the story and emotion of the song as I can. I hope that
when you read the notes that accompany this CD it will open
your eyes to the songs themselves and the way we have expressed
them
