Nyahh. It sounds better than it reads.

April 17, 2007 7:19 PM

Joe Heaney told lots of stories, and sang pretty well too. His style of music, Sean-Nós out of Connemara is rare indeed nowadays, but there are songs like Úna Bhán that stand on their own poetic merit, and others like Cunnla that are altogether less stodgy than one might think. If it's too Irish for you, how about meeting the language halfway?
posted by StrikeTheViol (7 comments total)

I couldn't find any sound files in your links...but this is kind of interesting. (sean nos description starts about 1:18) And this is lovely...
posted by Liosliath at 8:41 PM on April 17, 2007

ah, the audio in the interviews is in tiny nearly invisible realaudio buttons...

http://www.mustrad.org.uk/sound/skib.ra

http://www.mustrad.org.uk/sound/curragh.ra

http://www.mustrad.org.uk/sound/una.ra
Una Bhan

http://www.mustrad.org.uk/sound/heaney3.ra

http://www.mustrad.org.uk/sound/heaney5.ra
My last link

http://www.mustrad.org.uk/sound/heaney1.ra

http://www.mustrad.org.uk/sound/heaney2.ra
posted by StrikeTheViol at 8:53 PM on April 17, 2007

I passed through my friends' town last night,
Yet I found nothing with which to cool or wet my mouth;
The graceful girl, glum and with madder on her fingers, said,
"Thrice woe is me, that I did not meet you in solitude."

That's good. Jim Morrison-esque. (did i just embarrass meself?)
posted by longsleeves at 9:00 PM on April 17, 2007

Shameless promotion of a commercial site but I feel like supporting eMusic for continued DRM-free eclecticism.
posted by adamsc at 10:19 PM on April 17, 2007

This Sean-Nós singer is totally kick-ass. I highly recommend this CD of unaccompanied singing.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 10:36 PM on April 17, 2007

TG4 often have programs with Sean Nós singers. The content on their site often changes, but many of their music programs can be seen by clicking on the "ceol - cartlann" link.

Most of the details are in Irish, but they sometimes have translations as well.
posted by Fence at 1:54 AM on April 18, 2007

Great stuff.

Iarla Ó Lionaird is a young sean-nós singer who puts a bit of a modern slant on the old tradition.
posted by El Brendano at 1:56 AM on April 18, 2007 [3 favorites]