Ciara Considine: Album News & Reviews

Ciara joins her fellow Celts Iona Leigh and J.Eoin, performing solos at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith, London. Performing solos on the Irish clarsach harp there in March, including 'She Moved Through The Fair' and 'Black Is The Colour', the audience was treated to unaccompanied Irish flute 'Sally Gardens' in May and June and her 'Sean Nos' rendition of 'Farewell My Love'. The venue is a breeding ground of London's Celtic talent and always proves to be a great night out !

    

The Trad Sessions in the South London Irish Association are also a hub of inspiration. 'Spancil Hill', 'The Coolin' and endless jigs and reels resound from the popular London Trad sessions.

 

In August Ciara also joined some of Ireland's finest musicians in Inisheer (Aran Islands) at the famous trad sessions. The Islanders and visiting musicians get together in the famous Rory's pub and Ned's pub and treat the listeners to Irish gems of ballads, hornpipes, jigs, reels and aires til dawn!  

"This is truly a wonderful compilation of songs from Ciara Considine. You can tell that this woman's entire life has been steeped in music. She has formal training in piano and flute, and has studied music at the college level as well. As her love for Irish folk music grew, Considine taught herself the harp, Celtic lyre, tin whistle and Irish flute, making her an extremely well-rounded musician. We all know that training does not necessarily an artist make, but in this case, it helped form the depth and breadth of the music you hear".

"Considine's voice is without a doubt one of the most interesting I've ever heard. She has a rich, full sound, and is able to convey both emotion and energy through her vocals. On tracks like "She Moved Through The Fair," her voice takes on an ethereal quality, adding yet another dimension to the song. Each track is expertly crafted and the arrangements are fresh and interesting. The real gem of the album, however, is Considine's voice, used as instrument; both blended and contrasted with the music, depending on what is called for. The music left me feeling satisfied--much like a wonderful dinner with all the trimmings".

"Traditional Celtic music, with ethereal flute, tin whistle, lyre, harpsichord, piano, and cello. This CD's songs are playable for the folk show because the songs are traditional tunes arranged to hear with the lyrics plainly and easily understood interspersed with unique beautiful arrangements of flutes, whistles, and stringed instruments. The more you listen, the more you appreciate the songs and tunes for the music and the Celtic beauty".

"Listening to your album is like watching a movie and seeing things with each new viewing that were missed. Your music is like that, all kinds of beautifully Celtic feelings come out of listening to the music in different ways. And there is always something new to enjoy even though the arrangements are clean and simple. I suppose they are really intense but simple sounding at the right time I'll be hit with something exciting. I'm homesick for Ireland and my family has been here since the 1840's".

"I review a lot of albums. Yours was fresh and different from most that I review. I'm glad I had the notion to go on myspace and look for music that day".

"Ó Mo Chroi" is such a beautiful recording by Ciara Considine. Her interpretation of "Kilkelly, Ireland" is outstanding and emotional. As the listener, I could visualize and feel the sadness of the story. The instrumentation on all of the tracks creates a unique sound and a marvelous blending of instruments. The inner notes are excellent giving good background to each track and the timing of each piece is so very valuable to a Presenter. Ciara Considine has a beautiful voice; this recording "Ó Mo Chroí" is a ‘keeper’ and an excellent addition to your music library".

"I just heard "Kilkelly" on Marc Gunn's podcast. It brought tears to my eyes. Beautiful, just purely, purely beautiful! The kind of music we do requires your heart to show, and yours does!"

"Absolutely fell in love with your version of "Kilkelly" after hearing it on the Marc Gunn's Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. Absolutely heart-breaking. Brilliant job weaving the male voice into the mix, gives me goosebumps every time I hear it... evokes the author of those letters in such a haunting manner. "Black is the Colour" shares that same haunting beauty that drew me to this CD. Absolutely beautiful arrangement on both pieces. The vocals interlace with the instrumentation so subtly, it's refreshing. All around, it's an excellent album. So nice of Marc Gunn to put your music in my ears!"

Buy Album Ó Mo Chroí - Of My Heart - Ciara Considine

CD Now only £6 !  50% Discount + free postage !

 

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