On the 27th of February 2024, the uileann piper, singer and music collector Seamus Ennis will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the RTÉ Folk Awards.
J.J. O'Shea's two-part radio series for The Lyric Feature, A Living Voice, documents a recent initiative of the Irish Traditional Music Archive which saw contemporary musicians enter a dialogue with Ennis’ work as a collector.
Programme maker J.J. O'Shea writes about A Living Voice below:
When Seamus Ennis was collecting music and song for The Irish Folklore Commission in the 1940s he was particularly drawn to the rich music traditions of Connemara and Donegal. And he was repeatedly drawn to singers and musicians who had a rich store of music and song and from whom he wanted to collect as much material as possible. Ennis didn`t have audio recording equipment at this time and so he recorded the material in handwritten music transcriptions.
These transcriptions now form an important part of the archives of the National Folklore Collection.
"I often think of archives as almost like a blood transfusion service for a person like me." So speaks traditional fiddle player Dermot McLaughlin in the Lyric Feature production A Living Voice as he reflects on the value of music archives and his role in the project initiated by the folklorist Ríonach uí Ógáin.
When Ríonach was examining the handwritten transcriptions of music and song collected by Seamus Ennis during his time with The Irish Folklore Commission in the 1940s, which are now archived in The National Folklore Collection in UCD, she noticed there were several pieces no longer heard in the general repertoire as well as different versions of well-known tunes.
She wondered how contemporary traditional musicians and singers might interpret these same songs and tunes today.
Ríonach approached several well-known traditional artists who had associations with either Connemara or Donegal and who readily came on board and agreed to select some of the songs or tunes collected by Ennis and record them. The results would then be given a platform on the Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) website under the title Macalla Ó Chartlann or Echoes from an Archive. The website was launched on October 5th 2023 – the anniversary of Ennis`death.
A Living Voice is a two-part series in which the musicians and singers reflect on their relationship with the source singers from whom Ennis collected the material and on the difference between learning songs and tunes from archived transcriptions of music notation as opposed to learning through the oral tradition or from audio recordings.
The musicians and singers are also invited to explore their own roots and motivations and the meaning that traditional music has for them today.
In the first episode, the focus is on Connemara; we hear melodeon player Johnny Óg Connolly play and discuss the tunes An Stoirm is an Bháisteach and Hardiman the Fiddler. Bríd Ní Mhaolchiarán sings Binsín Luacra and considers the role of ornamentation in traditional song, while flute player, Neansaí Ní Choisdealbha interprets The Mist on the Mountain and The Angry Peeler. Éamonn Ó Donnchadha explores his relationship with traditional song and interprets the song Affey Gibbons. Catríona Ní Cheannabháin sings a version of Cailín Deas Crúite na Mbó (A Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow) with words quite different to the well- known version.
Music that Ennis collected in Donegal provides the inspiration for the second episode, where we'll hear singer and fiddle player Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh interpret the song Cuach na Londubh Buí and the tune Tóg do Chionn.
Fiddle player Dermot McLaughlin considers Séamus Ennis as a collector and performs the tunes Australian Waters and A Pinch of Snuff.
Singers Lillis Ó Laoire and Brían Ó Domhnaill give us the songs Mo Chúranán and An Cailín Rua in their own unique interpretations and fiddle player Paddy Glackin considers the Donegal style of fiddle playing and performs the tunes The Blackbird among the Berries and The Curragh Races.
Paddy is joined by Dermot McLaughlin on a sensational version of Seán sa Cheo which the duo play in octaves and singer Maighread Ní Dhomnaill performs the song Goidé sin don Té sin and is accompanied by her sister Tríona on the piano for the song Conlach Glas an Fhómhair.
The programes are made with the support of Coimisiún Na Meán.
A Living Voice will be broadcast on the Lyric Feature on the 18th and 25th of February at 6pm, and will also be available from the RTÉ Radio App and other podcast platforms.