Galway Advertiser 2002/2002_03_14/GA_14032002_E1_039.pdf 

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Maonlai and the Irish singing tradition
o r
THERE ARE very few performers who can easily reside in the opposing worlds of rock and traditional music, but Liam 6 Maonlai can, writes LTA
Deeply respected over a wide range of musical g e n r e s . O Maonlai is a curious amalgam of the old and the new. His musical mainstay is his band The Hothouse Flowers, together for nigh on 17 years, but as a sean nos and traditional performer, L i a m is a l s o b e y o n d compare. His solo gigs are rare enough and they are a chance to experience the acoustic and traditional side of this multi-faceted musician. 'A grand piano and the Irish singing tradition' is the sub title for his forthcoming concert in the Town Hall Theatre as part of the Fe"ile 2002 c e l e b r a t i o n s . It is an unusual mix but not for one for whom the piano is a family tradition and sean nos is like a natural extension of himself. "I'm from a tradition of piano players," he says, "so that's my gig. If I have traditional side by Sean 6 a piano I'll play it and it'll Riada, Tomas O Canainn form a kind of continuum and Micheal 6 in a show. The piano is like Siiilleabhain and by blues the backdrop, and then for and jazz artist Keith Jarrett. the occasional song all the However, the soul of his music will drop out and it music apparently comes will only be the song or a from sean nos. whistle tune. 1 can go in or "Sean nos is a spirit of out of j a z z or whatever. its own and when I sing a What I do, when I d o a sean nos song I can almost show, is introduce people rest in its mercy because to music that just turned it's there and e v e r y o n e me on in one way or who's ever sung sean nos is another. 1 really d o n ' t there singing it," he says. prepare a list or a sequence "It's like a connection with of pieces, I'll wait for the another time. I think all moment and then go and music is there even if think of what I should you've written it yourself, sing. That's how I've been it's already there but with doing it so far. I'll traditional music or sean p r o b a b l y have a few nos you are just a vehicle g u i d i n g stones on the for s o m e t h i n g that j u s t night, I might only do one takes possession of you song in English, 1 could be and looks after all the driven anywhere." details. If you know the song and love the song This fluidity of spirit derives from O Maonlai" s e n o u g h , the song looks after itself. experience of a wide range of music and styles. He is "It's amazing how subtle heavily influenced on the an affectation can be
KELLY.

noticed in a sean nos performance and how a very straight sean nos singer can be very dramatic or effective. T h e r e ' s a dimension in it that is a mystery and that is happy to remain a mystery." O Maonlai' illustrates this by reference to his own experience in sean nos; "Experiences for me with sean nos have been the silencing of a crowded room at 2 o'clock in the morning where people have been drinking all night and there's a silence, a rich potent fertile transformation of a crowded room. I've seen it again and again and again so I've noticed it to be a truth. When I got into the band I discovered that as much as there's positivity, t h e r e ' s plenty of doubt. You write your own music, you don't know is it that good, you don't know but you try your best and trust

in its integrity. But the sean nos was always a cradle that I felt I could cradle myself in, 1 didn't have to question anything, I didn't have to doubt." Sean nos is also a genre that travels well anywhere in the world; "The thing about sean nos is that I know when I go anywhere and sing I bring my country with me," he says. "It bypasses Bertie Ahem, it bypasses our history. When I sing people can check me out and where I'm coming from through the songs I sing. I know that I can give quite a deep resonance of the vastly changing landscape." Liam whose maternal roots are in Galway will share his own personal slant on music and sean nos in an intimate setting at the Town Hall Theatre Galway on Friday March 29 next at l l p m . D o n ' t miss it!

The Caernarfon Male Voice Choir to perform in Galway
ON THE eve of St Patrick's Day the Welsh music and language will be sung and celebrated in Galway b , the world famous Caernarfon Male Voice Choir. Choir member Dafvdd John Jones spoke to Kernan Andrews about the choir and the importance of singing in Welsh culture. ^ Kernan
W a l e s is f a m o u s for m a n y things, but m o s t o f all for the q u a l i t y and r e p u t a t i o n o f its singing. Male Meibion the Town be an The Caernarfon or Cor in in on for not the Voice Choir, Tadur for the cerdd dant. The from programme the rich tradition singing, and such 'O will songs of as feature c l a s s i c Welsh Chapel exceptional ambassadors for has in n o r t h W a l e s , w h e r e c h o i r c o m e from. "Where from come in Welsh day Caernarfon predominant The received education bilingual university. be is lo has the we the day also with a W e l s h m u s i c o v e r the y e a r s . Eight times they have w o n the National including 2001 Eisteddfod, Wales, a t h r e e in a r o w Premier Britain, who their their Caernarfon, Hall Theatre opportunity 'Jerusalem' Nefol from 1994 to 1 9 9 6 . In A u g u s t they w o n the in t h e Choral C o m p e t i t i o n and h a v e performed Europe, and U S A , where they toured with Bryn Terfel, is n o w the c h o i r ' s patron. For the identity the Welsh, in is rooted language," he says. language major b o o s t s schools Strong

W e l s h , w i l l be p e r f o r m i n g

Addfwyn' Oen (O English language

Heavenly classics 'Osiris' and

L a m b ) interspersed with s o m e s u c h as ' O I s i s ' and f r o m t h e MAGIC

Saturday March 16 and it will G a l w e g i a n s to e x p e r i e n c e o n l y W e l s h m u s i c , but W e l s h language. ' T h e majority o f our s o n g s will be through Welsh," songs, and The it explains Jones. "There w i l l be traditional W e l s h f o l k and songs from operas form of W e l s h s i n g i n g . voice sings another j o i n s into a wonderful

programmes, and a s il i s , in

FLUTE

D y l a n T h o m a s ' SUNSET POEM set to m u s i c by A H Troyte. Choir singing and d o m i n a n c e o f Church music is understandable churches as it w a s the kept the "The in which

Jones s a y s there is nothing lo complacent lo ihe about regards language's worries

language. O f the s e v e n Celticnations, Wales is the strongest linguistically. Cymraeg. the is proper name for W e l s h , population. important language. united

future. " T h e r e are

about the language and s o m e s t a t i s t i c s thai s h o w its b e e n declining in s o m e areas but a lot o f m o n e y has been put into it." However, The Royal of is a Ihe most individual of Welsh "It's

Welsh l a n g u a g e alive through its r e a d i n g s and choirs. c h a p e l s w e r e very s t r o n g

a l s o the cerdd dant. a unique harp p l a y s o n e t u n e a n d the but whole."

spoken by 21.5 per cent o f the S o n g is t h u s a n medium for the been with "Wales has politically

Wales in t i m e s g o n e by," s a y s Jones. "All this singing in the chapel choirs is w h e r e w e get from and the the hymn music

festivals," says Jones. a n d s o u t h W a l e s in

National Eisteddfod o f W a l e s is i h e n a t i o n ' s c e l e b r a t i o n t h e l a n g u a g e a n d all n e v e r l e s s than "The competitive W e l s h . H e r e the l a n g u a g e Eisteddfod is things

peripatetic, it's h e l d in north August of a n d i n v o l v e s all a s p e c t s

Sixty t w o o f the c h o i r ' s 7 0 members will be joined by performing be Meinir in G a l w a y a n d t h e y w i l l soloists

England since the 1536 A c t o f U n i o n , " s a y s J o n e s , "but has preserved its o w n culture and music." C y m r a e g is s p o k e n mostly

singing. For many

centuries

m u s i c , d a n c e , art. and drama t h r o u g h Ihe m e d i u m o f t h e Welsh language There is a l s o the bardic Gorseddyd. Il is .it

this is h o w the choral

triumphant.

has been preserved in Wales." The CMVC have been

L l o y d Jones o n harp and N i a

and p e r h a p s

Welsh at its strongest." Il is Tilting thai at this time of year a Welsh choir should be performing in Galway as St Patrick is said lo have come from Wales. He was certainly a Celtic Briton. "Most scholars think he came

from Stralhclyde in Scodand." says Jones, "which was a Welsh speaking area at that time and that he was bom in 385 AD in Bannwen." Booking K now open at the Town Hall Theatre or by phone(091) 569777.