Searc mo Chléibh, Love of My Heart by Finola Ó Siochrú

While I gratefully acknowledge the singers from whom I have learnt these songs, they are not in any way responsible for the words printed here, which are often a mixture of versions and may be liable to the some distortion due to memory loss over time!

It is with great trepidation that I have added some music to five of these songs. It is not traditional to so so, nor do the songs need it. But neither would it have happened traditionally that one singer would sing ten songs in a row, without an interval of music, dancing or other voices to break the intensity and provide variety! With the exception of the two rythmic songs, which are like dance tunes, the music was added afterwards and in a minimal way.

What the critics have been saying since its release:

“The singer is indeed blessed with a voice that lingers long after the listener to savour the beauty of the melody and every thought and mood expressed in words”

Aidan O’Hara, Irish Music Magazine, Nov.’99

“Life, love and death are her themes expressed with a light, measured, melodic accompaniment, and also in an a cappella splendour of scooped and bent notes, dramatically on An Goirtin Eornan”.

Fintan Vallely, Sunday Tribune, Nov.99.

“She seems to find evocative depths in her repertoire which few other singers of her generation can mine so elegantly or make so easy of the ear”.

Jackie Hayden, Hot Press, Jan. 2000

“There is extraordinary fluting polish to the voice, the upper register keen as a scalpel of feeling so pure and dark...”

Mic Moroney, Irish Times July 99

“Finola O Siochru presents songs such as An Goirtin Eornan, An Clár Bog Deil and Máirin de Barra in a voice which transcends the language barrier and is arguably one of the most haunting ones on the Irish music scene”.

Deirdre Ni Grianna, The Avenue, Oct. 99.

“Finola possesses a voice of remarkable clarity and purity...Although she has immersed herself in sean-nos, her vocal technique remains as individual as a fingerprint while maintaining the conventions of the form”.

Pat Ahern, Examiner, July 99.

“Éist le glor milis, mealltach Fhinola Ni Shiochru, agus is baolach duit searc do chleibhe a thabhairt do. Glor Muimhneach is ea glor Finola, agus is saibhrede traidisiun na Mumhan an ceirnin seo.”

Cuisle, Mean Fomhair 99.

“This is an album of considerable strength which restores sean-nos singing to us in all its dignity and style. O Siochru’s is a distinct voice and should be heard. This is a very fine tribute indeed to traditional singing”.

Fred Johnson, Galway Advertiser, Feb. 2000

“I can well remember the first time I heard Finola singing and I was stopped dead in my tracks...There’s a clarity, a beauty, a sensitivity, and a quiet power which is combined with this extraordinary purity..it reminds me of the contradictions we find in high art or work of this calibre and size...the quiet power and wonderful freedom of expression and yet incredible discipline, the warmth of inclusiveness combined with an extraordinary sense of mystery”.

Liam O’Flynn speaking at the Dublin launch, 1 July 99.

“An immaculate collection of West Kerry songs...delivered with a voice rich with purity and passion”.

Geoff Wallis & Sue Wilson, The Rough Guide to Irish Music 2001.

Voted “Female Vocalist of the Year” by Chicago Irish American News, March 2001.

Some more reviews:

http://www.irishamericannews.com/columnists/Margeson/febmargeson.htm

Tradition in Review

February 2001

by Bill Margeson

Four, count `em! Lots of good stuff and new discoveries here.

First, just back from New Year's in Ireland. Enough snow we thought we

were in Elgin! Country ground to a halt, as Ennis is not used to seeing

ANY snow (it had been eight years for God's sakes!) and here were three

inches in the middle of downtown!

Just gave us more time for sessions and music shopping. And we have

come a cropper with some major discoveries! First up is a major new

talent for us all. The regular reader knows we don't swoon for sean nos

(old style) singers. While incredibly vital for the tradition, we often

find their voices too thin or reedy for modern ears.

Then, WHAM! Here comes Finola O Siochru. Lovely! Fab! Her album is,

translated, Love of My Heart. Every song is in Irish, but Finola does

the right thing by giving us notes in the liner for each of the

songs-its meaning, where it comes from, what it means-the whole bit.

Wonderful. All 10 of the selections are love songs.

While a Dubliner now, Finola's roots are all in the Dingle Peninsula,

and the Blasket Islands in particular. Several songs are from The

Dingle-and a couple can be directly traced to those now-deserted but

lovingly remembered Blaskets.

The album is produced by Steve Cooney, so you know the values are

right. Maire Breatnach puts in an appearance on fiddle, as does Brenda

Begley on button box. David James also chimes in with some lovely cello

work.

The cover is strikingly photographed with Finola's lovely visage (we

always wanted to use the term "visage" in a column!) on the front. This

is class stuff. A gorgeous voice. Big Time. Strong, feminine and deep

all at the same time. A lovely album with several shadings for the

listener.

Proof that sean nos can be made accessible to everyone by the right

talent. And Finola IS the right talent. Beautiful voice. Magic. Hard to

find. It is in the shops in Ireland, and we know Shay Clarke has it in

his Blarney stores in Woodfield, Harlem-Irving, Randhurst and Spring

Hill Malls. May also be at Paddy's on the Square in Long Grove. Any

other shops that have it, let us know and we'll pass it on!

This gal is a SERIOUS contender for Female Vocalist of the Year in next

month's column! Rating: 4 Harps.

_____________________________________________________________________

http://www.irishamericannews.com/columnists/Margeson/marmarg.htm

Female Vocalist of the Year

Finola O'Siochru completely captivated us with her Love of My Heart.

She is an amazing talent. Sean nos at its very best. We know you can

get this album at the Blarney Stores around Chicago. You should. What a

voice! A tough album to find, but oh!! so worth the effort! We raved

about her in the review we did on the album, and still listen to her

magic frequently. Spectacular.

________________________________________________________________________

http://celticgrooves.homestead.com/CGCatalogI_O.html

Our Catalogue

I-O

FINOLA O'SIOCHRU: SEARC MO CHLEIBH - LOVE OF MY HEART

One of the most impressive vocal albums (sean-nos singing in Gaelic) of

the past year. Five of the 10 tracks have instrumental accompaniment

(Steve Cooney, Maire Breatnach, Brendan Begley), quite successful for

the most part. O'Siochru's voice deserves to be heard. Full Gaelic

texts are included. Rating: **** [$24.99]

http://www.irishamericannews.com/columnists/Margeson/febmargeson.htm

Tradition in Review

February 2001

by Bill Margeson

Four, count `em! Lots of good stuff and new discoveries here.

First, just back from New Year's in Ireland. Enough snow we thought we

were in Elgin! Country ground to a halt, as Ennis is not used to seeing

ANY snow (it had been eight years for God's sakes!) and here were three

inches in the middle of downtown!

Just gave us more time for sessions and music shopping. And we have

come a cropper with some major discoveries! First up is a major new

talent for us all. The regular reader knows we don't swoon for sean nos

(old style) singers. While incredibly vital for the tradition, we often

find their voices too thin or reedy for modern ears.

Then, WHAM! Here comes Finola O Siochru. Lovely! Fab! Her album is,

translated, Love of My Heart. Every song is in Irish, but Finola does

the right thing by giving us notes in the liner for each of the

songs-its meaning, where it comes from, what it means-the whole bit.

Wonderful. All 10 of the selections are love songs.

While a Dubliner now, Finola's roots are all in the Dingle Peninsula,

and the Blasket Islands in particular. Several songs are from The

Dingle-and a couple can be directly traced to those now-deserted but

lovingly remembered Blaskets.

The album is produced by Steve Cooney, so you know the values are

right. Maire Breatnach puts in an appearance on fiddle, as does Brenda

Begley on button box. David James also chimes in with some lovely cello

work.

The cover is strikingly photographed with Finola's lovely visage (we

always wanted to use the term "visage" in a column!) on the front. This

is class stuff. A gorgeous voice. Big Time. Strong, feminine and deep

all at the same time. A lovely album with several shadings for the

listener.

Proof that sean nos can be made accessible to everyone by the right

talent. And Finola IS the right talent. Beautiful voice. Magic. Hard to

find. It is in the shops in Ireland, and we know Shay Clarke has it in

his Blarney stores in Woodfield, Harlem-Irving, Randhurst and Spring

Hill Malls. May also be at Paddy's on the Square in Long Grove. Any

other shops that have it, let us know and we'll pass it on!

This gal is a SERIOUS contender for Female Vocalist of the Year in next

month's column! Rating: 4 Harps.

_____________________________________________________________________

http://www.irishamericannews.com/columnists/Margeson/marmarg.htm

Female Vocalist of the Year

Finola O'Siochru completely captivated us with her Love of My Heart.

She is an amazing talent. Sean nos at its very best. We know you can

get this album at the Blarney Stores around Chicago. You should. What a

voice! A tough album to find, but oh!! so worth the effort! We raved

about her in the review we did on the album, and still listen to her

magic frequently. Spectacular.

________________________________________________________________________

http://celticgrooves.homestead.com/CGCatalogI_O.html

Our Catalogue

I-O

FINOLA O'SIOCHRU: SEARC MO CHLEIBH - LOVE OF MY HEART

One of the most impressive vocal albums (sean-nos singing in Gaelic) of

the past year. Five of the 10 tracks have instrumental accompaniment

(Steve Cooney, Maire Breatnach, Brendan Begley), quite successful for

the most part. O'Siochru's voice deserves to be heard. Full Gaelic

texts are included. Rating: **** [$24.99]

http://www.folkworld.de/13/d/irishcd.html

Da der Sean nós-Gesang so etwas wie eine Renaissance erlebt, darf ein

kurzer Hinweis auf zwei hochkarätige Wiederveröffentlichungen älterer

Aufnahmen und auf eine brandneue Einspielung nicht fehlen. Rinn na

nGael ist eine Kollektion von 19 Songs, die Nioclás Tóibín in den

frühen 60er Jahren aufgenommen hat. Er gilt als einer der besten Sean

nós-Sänger überhaupt, was ihm dereinst den Titel "The King of Irish

Song" einbrachte. Aus den späten 80er Jahren stammen die Aufnahmen von

Dara Bán Mac Donnchadha, die jetzt unter dem Titel Rogha Amhrán ihre

CD-Premiere erleben. Am leichtesten zugänglich für ungeübte Ohren

dürfte Searc Mo Chléibh von Finola æquot; Siochrú sein, die nicht 100%ig auf

die Gegenwart von Instrumenten verzichten mag, sondern gewitzterweise

gelegentlich auch Steve Cooney (Gitarre), Máire Breatnach (Fiddle) und

Breanndán æquot; Beaglaoích (Akkordeon) zum Zuge kommen läêt. Dies ist ein

feines Debüt einer groêartigen Sängerin, von der wir möglicherweise

noch viel hören werden.

http://www.fiddle-dervish.de/angebot.html

Average Customer Review: 5