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Caitríona O'Leary and Dúlra

Category: Ensembles

This unique ensemble is made up of musicians from both Irish traditional and early music genres. It performs authentic Irish music from both the oral tradition and from 17th and 18th century sources.

 

Biography

Singer Caitríona O'Leary formed Dúlra in 1998 to perform Irish song in a new way.  Using her performance experience of medieval music, she has applied many of its principles to her own native music.  The result is a shimmering liquescence of melody, unhindered by a rigid tempo or conventional harmony, structured, rather, on the rhythm of the Irish language and the flow of the modal line.  The stark simplicity of this delicately floating melodic line is enhanced by the uncluttered accompaniment by the distinguished instrumentalists of Dúlra.

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BIOGRAPHY
 

Reviews

Ecstasy (Heresy 002 / Naxos)

 

The recommendation on the back-cover states: “File under Traditional /World Music”. This target-group-definition for the pop market might obstruct the path to a larger audience for Dúlra (fiddle, cello, flute, percussion and other acoustic instruments), because with her Gaelic songs from the 16th to 18th century, the Irish singer Caitríona O’Leary is able to please fans of classical “Lieder”, too. Her natural voice comes without frills and sounds at all times effortless. As well, there is never a danger that the archival material on the album is performed in an academic way.

 

Although this repertoire calls for it, the ensemble is not tempted to pander to the esoteric scene. Instead fans of Celtic Folk-Rock will get their money’s worth - when the urge for dancing and celebration rises up - in the rousing instrumental pieces performed by this band of soloists.

 

In addition to the performances, the production team has made a perfect choice by recording in a church, which leads to an ideal balance between translucent delicateness and lush substantial sound impression. Therefore, the recommendation “File under Audiophile” should be added to the back cover.

 

Winifried Dulisch, HiFi & Records (July 2012)

Das Magazin für hochwertige Musikwiedergabe

 

 

It was in [Caitriona O'Leary's] performance of Carolan’s lamentation for his dear friend MacCabe that O’Leary revealed a mastery of Irish singing, achieving Andrew Lawrence King’s ambition for the ensemble of taking the audience ‘on a journey- not just to a place, but also to a time.’

 

Jennifer Gall, The Canberra Times (May 2010)
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REVIEWS
 

Discography

Caitríona O’Leary and Dúlra

Ecstasy

Catalogue # HERESY002

Heresy Records

 

A new and unique approach to Irish song from Caitríona O’Leary and Dúlra

In an album that unites tradition and sensuality.

 

DÚLRA’s debut album for Heresy features a scintillating selection of rarely heard and newly discovered Geantraí, Irish songs of joy and rapture. True to its name, Ecstasy, explores the diverse shades of happiness from exuberant full-throttle songs such as A Stór, a Stór and Spellsong to the most personal and intimate expressions of love and passion Sín Síos Suas Liom and Ceann Dubh Dílis. DÚLRA’s combination of ancient Irish mythic sounds and contemporary, early and world music fusions make Ecstasy a unique and fresh musical experience.

 

Tracklist

01. Spellsong
02. Cuckanandy
03. Crabs in the Skillet/Dancing Master
04. Máire Bhruinneall (Fair Moya)
05. Nil sé ‘na lá (It’s not the Day)/The Frost is all Over
06. Ronald Mac Donald / Slaunta Ree Philib / Gavotte
07. Ceann Dubh Dílis (Dark-Haired Deary)
08. Réalta na Maidene (Morning Star)
09. The Merry Old Woman / Green Sleeves
10. Thugmar Féin an Samhradh Linn (We Brought the Summer Along with Us) / The Hay
11. Sin Síos Suas Liom (Lie Down Along Side Me)
12. A Stór a Stór a Ghrá (My Dear, My Dear, My Love)
13. Máire Bhruinneall (Fair Moya) Reprise

Musicians

Caitríona O’Leary, Voice
Adrian Hart, Fiddle
Emer Mayock, Flute, Uilleann Pipes, Fiddle
Kate Ellis, Cello
Mel Mercier (Bodhrán, Bones)

Special Guests

Deirdre O’Leary, B-flat Clarinet, Bass Clarinet
Erin  Headley, Viol
Dave Redmond, Double Bass
Francesco Turrisi, Percussion

Directed by Caitríona O’Leary
Recorded February 2010, St. Peters Church of Ireland, Drogheda, Ireland
Session Producer and Engineer, John Hadden
Remastered by Andrew Walton

 

© Heresy Records Ltd

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DISCOGRAPHY
 

Upcoming Events

Dúlra perform Ecstasy

St. John's Smith Square, London, June 2013

 

Caitríona O'Leary and Dúlra perform the Geantraí or Irish songs of joy and rapture from their Heresy-released album Ecstasy.

 

Caitríona O’Leary – Singer

Adrian Hart - Fiddle

Eamon Galldubh - Flute/Whistle

lioba Petrie - Cello

Frank Torpey – Bodhrán

Andrea Piccioni - Frame drums

 

 

 

Dúlra at Beethovenfest 2013, Bonn

26 September 2013: Ecstasy

27 September 2013: Ansacht na nAnsacht

 

Bonn's annual festival host two concerts by Caitríona O'Leary and Dúlra. The first is Ecstasy, a bouquet of songs and dances that express an irrepressible joy of life. The second is Ansacht na nAnsacht or Love of Loves, a programme of rarely-heard, passionate traditional Irish songs.

 

 

 

 

Wexford Carols

6 December 2013, Droichead Arts Centre

7 December 2013, Glór

 

In 1684 Luke Wadding, Bishop of Ferns, published A Smale Garland of Pious & Godly Songs in Ghent. Fr. William Devereux in 1728 composed A New Garland Containing Songs for Christmas. These two collections along with the famous Enniscorthy Carol form the basis of the repertoire of Wexford carol singing (particularly in the parish of Kilmore) and, more significantly, the greatest body of Irish folk carols.

 

The Wadding and Devereux garlands contain lyrics for 22 Christmas songs. Approximately half of these carols are presently sung and many of them are sung to the same 3 tunes, for only 6 of the original melodies are extant.

 

The music for the remaining 16 carols is considered lost and unknown. Through her own research over the past 15 years, Caitríona O’Leary has discovered 4 additional melodies for the lyrics from the two garlands, she expects to find several more. Her research and exploration will be the basis of Wexford CarolsThe programme will bring this overlooked and remarkable repertoire to the attention of the general public and result in public performances of the carols, many of which have not been heard for perhaps the past 200 years.

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