• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Spellbinding Music

Genre-bending & spine-tingling

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe

Eithne Ní Uallacháin: Bilingua

February 5, 2015 By guillaume

Recorded more than 15 years ago but only released at the end of 2014 on the Gael Linn record label, “Bilingua” is an exquisite treasury of old verses and new songs performed by Irish traditional musician Eithne Ní Uallacháin (1957 – 1999), one of the true enchanting voices in Ireland.

As the Lá Lugh duo, Eithne Ní Uallacháin with husband and fiddle player Gerry O’Connor set to explore the music and song repertoire from the Oriel region of South East Ulster and released three recordings between 1987 and 1999  – the début Cosa gan Bhróga (1987) with flute player Desi Wilkinson, Lá Lugh (1991) and Brighid’s Kiss (1996).

Eithne Ní Uallacháin - Bilingua (2014)
Eithne Ní Uallacháin – Bilingua (2014)

Despite the long interval, “Bilingua” picks up where Lá Lugh’s last album Brighid’s Kiss (1996) musically left off. The album features traditional material and several newly composed songs based on fragments learned from historical collections, mediaeval Irish poetry, hymns from the monastic tradition while also drawing on the Irish Sean-nós tradition.

As well as that, a lot of the repertoire covered in “Bilingua” consists of macaronic songs whereby lyrics from two different languages – namely Irish Gaelic and English or Irish Gaelic and Latin – are used in the same song. More than a proficiency in two languages, the songs reflect both Eithne Ní Uallacháin’s bilingual upbringing and at a deeper level, a keen understanding of her dual cultural heritage.

Beautifully produced, arranged and packaged (the CD comes with a hardbound booklet featuring heartfelt tributes from friends and contemporary Irish singers as well as extensive notes on the songs), “Bilingua” seamlessly merges traditional instrumentation (flute, fiddle, guitar, low whistle, uilleann pipes and bouzouki) with piano, keyboards, fretless bass, djembe, shakers, cello and a string quartet.

Some arrangements also highlight the influence of the Breton tradition on the music of Eithne Ní Uallacháin with the presence of guitar player Gilles Le Bigot. Ever since they met in the early 1990s, the musician has been a long-time musical partner, either performing or recording with Lá Lugh and more recently with Gerry O’Connor – the pair released In Concert in 2006 and Oirialla in 2012. With his trademark open tuning style, the guitarist contributes to six tracks on the album, including two of his own compositions.

With new lyrics by Eithne Ní Uallacháin, “The Fishermen” originally appeared on Breton band Skolvan’s Swing & Tears (1994) as an instrumental, while “Bone” features a Breton Plinn gavotte by Gilles Le Bigot.

Eithne Ní Uallacháin’s profoundly expressive voice shines through every song she ever sang, but it is probably when singing Caoineadh (“the traditional Irish musical expression of grief”) or laments – old and new – that the singer truly achieves transcendence.

But grief can be translated from the light into the darkness;
In the belly of the shadow with all its shades digested
Its true colours will unfold.
And grief is in the leaving and grief is in the losing
And grief is in the ageing and grief is in the dying
But grief can be translated from the light into the darkness;
In the belly of the shadow with all its shades digested
Its true colours will unfold.
Ochón is ochón ó x 2
Its true colours are exotic
Its true colours are hypnotic
Its true colours are ecstatic
Its true colours are erotic…

“Grief” – comp. Eithne Ní Uallacháin based on Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire with new music by Dónal O’Connor

Contemporary and timeless, “Bilingua” is a peerless masterpiece from a sadly missed singer and musician.

A preview of all the songs on “Bilingua” with accompanying notes is available on http://www.eithneniuallachain.com/, a web page set up by the family of the singer.

“Bilingua” can be purchased from the Gael Linn website.

You May Also Like:

  • Lá Lugh: Mál Bhán Ní Chuilleannáin /The destitutionLá Lugh: Mál Bhán Ní Chuilleannáin /The destitution
  • Cuar: RoscannaCuar: Roscanna
  • Didier Squiban: Ridée de LoperhetDidier Squiban: Ridée de Loperhet
  • Michael McGoldrick: The otter’s setMichael McGoldrick: The otter’s set
  • Susanna Wallumrød: Who by fireSusanna Wallumrød: Who by fire
  • Ergodos Musicians: SongsErgodos Musicians: Songs

Filed Under: Contemporary, Folk, Ireland, Traditional Tagged With: Eithne Ní Uallacháin, songwriting

Subscribe to Spellbinding Music

Never miss a post and subscribe to Spellbinding Music via email. Receive weekly and enchanting musical updates straight into your inbox - and it's free!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Polly Knowles says

    February 7, 2015 at 6:45 pm

    Another wonderful gem to listen to.
    Without your fabulous music blog/site I would never perhaps known
    artists such as this.

    Thank you so very much it is beautiful.

    Reply
    • guillaume says

      February 7, 2015 at 7:55 pm

      Thank you for your kind words Polly.

      Reply
  2. Pierrick says

    August 27, 2018 at 3:44 pm

    We discovered “Bilingua” by chance during our recent trip in Ireland.
    It’s a real masterpiece, what a beautiful voice , supported by great musicians.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Polly Knowles Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About

Spellbinding Music is a blog which curates contemporary, modern classical, roots, jazz and folk music…and everything in between. … Read More about About

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Most Read this week

Follow via Email

Search

Recent Posts

Vyvienne Long - A Lifetime of High Fives (2019)

Vyvienne Long: A Lifetime of High Fives

Lisa Hannigan and s t a r g a z e - Live in Dublin (2019)

Lisa Hannigan and s t a r g a z e: Live in Dublin

Marcin Wasilewski Trio - Live (2018)

Marcin Wasilewski Trio: Live

Alexandra Stréliski - Inscape (2018)

Alexandra Stréliski: Inscape

Kokoroko EP - 2019

Kokoroko

Martin Hayes & Brooklyn Rider - The Butterfly (2019)

Martin Hayes & Brooklyn Rider: The Butterfly

Before Footer

Favourite and Featured Posts

Brigid Mae Power - The Two Worlds (2018)

Brigid Mae Power: The Two Worlds

Sudan Archives EP (2017)

Sudan Archives/Sink

Danish String Quartet - Last Leaf (2017)

Danish String Quartet: Last Leaf

Khruangbin - Con Todo El Mundo (2018)

Khruangbin: Con Todo El Mundo

Martin Hayes Quartet - The Blue Room (2017)

Martin Hayes Quartet: The Blue Room

Hurray for the Riff Raff - The Navigator (2017)

Hurray for the Riff Raff: The Navigator

Yann Tiersen - Eusa (2016)

Yann Tiersen: Eusa

Erik Satie et les Nouveaux Jeunes Version 2 (2015)

Erik Satie et les Nouveaux Jeunes Version 2

Footer

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2019 Spellbinding Music | Website by Pagecrafted

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Necessary Always Enabled