Off the back of playing Glastonbury, and the release of her thrilling new album Carry Them With Us, Christine Costello speaks with acclaimed smallpipes player Brìghde Chaimbeul about the sounds and inspirations behind her singular craft
Photos by Monika Ruman
Carry Them With Us is BrìghdeChaimbeul’s second solo album and features a combination of original compositions and songs inspired by Gaelic folklore and archive recordings. The album is as dark as it is whimsical from the soaring lilts of ‘Banish the Giant’ to weighted tragedies of ‘Oran an Eich Uisge’.
Chaimbeul’s rich understanding of her instrument adds a new layer of depth to these old tunes, injecting them with an infectious modernity that invites audiences to explore the history of the Highlands, all without losing the enigmatic charm of their origins.
Despite the Scottish roots and heavy Scottish influence in her music, Chaimbeul’s unprecedented popularity with Irish audiences continues to grow. While currently residing in Northern Ireland and a frequent collaborator with Irish musicians such as Radie Peat of Lankum, she believes there’s an added explanation for this resonance: “A lot of what I play is rooted in traditional music and although a lot of the material is Scottish, there’s a strong connection between Scottish and Irish traditions, not just in the language, but the songs as well.”
Friend of THE HOBBLEDEHOY Chris Crilly led this 70s-era Montreal-based Celtic group BARDE. The band released two LP’s at the time and, according to Chris “had considerable critical, if not overwhelmingly commercial, success in North America and elsewhere. ” We can understand why after listening to this lovely treatment of O’Carolan’s Fanny Power.
Turlough O’Carolan, (1670 – 25 March 1738) was a blind Celtic harper, composer and singer in Ireland whose great fame is due to his gift for melodic composition. Although not a composer in the classical sense, Carolan is considered by many to be Ireland’s national composer. Some of Carolan’s own compositions show influences of the style of continental classical music, whereas others such as Carolan’s Farewell to Music reflect a much older style of “Gaelic Harping”.
As darkness fell this evening, Athboy in Co Meath lit up to celebrate Sámhain.
By Laura Hogan
As darkness fell this evening, Athboy in Co Meath lit up to celebrate Sámhain.
“An Lasadh Suas” is the closing ceremony this Halloween night, on the fifth day of the Púca Festival in Co Meath.
A ceremonial fire was lit at Tlachtga, or the Hill of Ward in Athboy, and a procession lead to the Fair Green in the town.
Tlachtga is said to be the location where the ancient Irish lit a fire from which all fires in Ireland were rekindled.
In the Fair Green, four fire sculptures representing the hills of Tara, Loughcrew, Tailteann and Uisneach were set alight.
For the last number of days, people have been leaving messages for their ancestors in the fire installation “An Lasadh Suas”, which also went up in flames during the ceremony this evening.
Storytelling and sean nós singing provided the soundtrack for the cermony in Athboy, where people gathered from around 5pm.
Performances from Kíla and the Pyro Collective closed the event, which has attracted thousands of visitors over the five day event.
Fáilte Ireland says the festival was devised to promote Ireland as the “home of Halloween”, and attract tourism at a time of the year that might be quiet otherwise.
The origins of the Halloween we know today are rooted here in Ireland and the ancient Celtic tradition of Sámhain.
Meath is among the places said to be home of some these, marking the end of Harvest Season and the start of Winter.
The tour of the Porchie Fields
Earlier today in Trim, “mortal guide” Cynthia Simonet guided visitors through this world and an “other world”, with help from her “immortal” colleagues.
The tour in the Porchie Fields boasts views over Trim Castle and the River Boyne, as people learned about the tradition of wearing costumes and masks to protect themselves from the magical creatures who were said to enter this world on Sámhain.
Kilene Cass from Florida in the United States was among those on the walking tour overlooking Trim today. She said she had done some research on Sámhain before coming here.
Erin Tweed from Colorado had been on holidays in Ireland already, but extended her trip to celebrate Halloween and attend the Púca Festival.
In Athboy, a “harvest market” was in full swing. Among the activities, an axe throwing stand.
Benny Ennis said that while we don’t know if our ancestors participated in Axe throwing, there would have been a tradition of champions showing off their strength and skill at large gatherings.
Just after 6pm this evening, the ceremonial fire arrived at the Fair Green in Athboy, before a crowd of hundreds witnessed “An Lasadh Suas”.
Last year, the Púca festival generated €3 million for the local economy and organisers say that that figure has already been surpassed.
