Charlie Lennon – Áille na hÁille: evocative suite about 1916 signatories

Áille na hÁille/A Terrible Beauty
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Artist: Charlie Lennon
Genre: Traditional
Label: Gael Linn

Charlie Lennon's new suite, commissioned by Gael Linn, adds to the depth and breadth of interpretation of our past in this centenary year.

Lennon uses a wide range of traditional idioms to add light and shade to what is an evocative work, with signatories’ personal histories acting as vignettes that unite to form a cohesive narrative.

Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh brings a spare and poignant edge to the two songs referencing Pearse and Plunkett.

The true unifying force is Lennon, who uses jigs, double jigs, slow airs and a sweeping sonata for violin and piano (featuring Finghin Collins and Elizabeth Cooney) to tell these tales with no small degree of chutzpah.

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Flute, whistle, concertina, percussion and fiddle sit comfortably alongside the more architectural forms of the RTÉ ConTempo Quartet. gael-linn.ie

Siobhán Long

Siobhán Long

Siobhán Long, a contributor to The Irish Times, writes about traditional music and the wider arts