CD140   CÓR

CÓR Traditional Irish Songs arranged for chorus and instruments by David Mooney CELTIC AYRES (Dublin) Cór na nÓg RTÉ (Children's Choir of Radio Telefïs Éireann) Blánaid Murphy, director Complete texts and note 62'28" total playing time CD140     $15.95

Alison Thomas, piano   •   Denise Kelly, harp   •   Una Murphy, flute
Ronan O'Snodaigh, bodhrán   •   Mary Gallagher, violin

CONTENTS

She Moved Through the Fair
Beidh aonach amárach
'S í do Mhaimeo í
Rakes of Mallow
Phil the Fluther's Ball
Down by the Salley Gardens
Thugamar fé in an Samhradh L ìnn
The Lark in the Clear Air
Don Oíché Úd í mBeithil
Suantraí na Maigdhine
Wexford Carol
Óró 's é do bheatha 'bhaile
Famine Lament
Dúlamám
The Coulin
Ardaigh Cuain
Silent, O Moyle
Derry Air (Danny Boy)
The Cat's Ramble to the Child's Saucer
Lord of the Dancing Day

 Listen:

'S í do Mhaimeo í

Phil the Fluther's Ball

NOTES

David Mooney

David Mooney, creator of the unique vocal arrangements on this CD, was born in Sligo, Ireland in 1964. He began piano studies at the age of four. At age twelve Mooney won a scholarship to the Schola Cantorum at St. Finian's Colege in Mullingar, Ireland. There he studied piano with Mabel Swainson and organ and composition with Fr. Frank MacNamara .

Mooney continued his studies at the National University of Ireland at Maynooth, graduating with a B.A. degree in Music and French and an M.A. degree in Music. He continued his studies at University College Dublin where he completed a Ph.D. in Musicology in 1999.

In 1988, Mooney joined the staff of Ireland's largest musical institution, the Conservatory of Music and Drama at the Dublin Institute of Technology. He has lectured in piano and academic studies at the graduate and post-graduate levels and is particularly committed to teacher education. Mooney is currently Head of the Department of Keyboard Studies. He is a contributor in the latest edition of the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

Mooney's choral arangements are sung regularly in Ireland and in the United Kingdom. Recordings of his works are featured on Scenes of an Irish Christmas and Ireland's Voices for Peace (both on the Viking Records, Ireland, label).

The arrangements for the RTÉ Cór na nÓg were commissioned for them by their director at the time, Blánaid Murphy. All arrangements except Lord of the Dancing Day (which is published by Stainer & Bell Ltd. of London) are published by E.C. Schirmer Music Compnay, a division of ECS Publishing, Boston, MA.

Blánaid Murphy

Beginning her career in London where she studied piano with Beatrice Franklova and organ with Ian Curror, Blánaid Murphy was awarded an organ scholarship to Selwyn College, Cambridge, graduating in music in 1987. Mr. Murphy continued her studies in Stuttgart under Konrad Richter and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg with Hartmut Holl. She also founded the Murphy Singers in Stuttgart. As a keyboard player and conductor she has performed throughout Europe.

At the time of this recording, Blánaid Murphy was the conductor of the RTÉ (Radio Telefis Éireann) Cór na nÓg, the Children's Choir of the Irish state radio and television network. She is also director of the Carlow Choral Society.

Blánaid Murphy was the choral director of the Philharmonic Chorus of Dublin for the record-breaking (and still ever-popular) recording, Faith of Our Fathers featuring the late Irish tenor, Frank Patterson. In 1998 she formed the Canzona Choir in Carlow, performing Bach's St. John Passion in Dublin and Wexford, and recording Scenes of an Irish Christmas. She brought together several choirs and children's choirs from Dublin and Northern Ireland to record Voices for Peace to raise funds for a cross-border choral trust.

In fall of 2002 Blánaid Murphy was appointed director of the world-renowned Palestrina Choir of men and boys at Dublin's St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral. She thus became perhaps the only woman to be chief director of a major, world-class cathedral choir. Since then she has commissioned new music and brought the Palestrina Choir to a new level of performance. She also made the decision to form in 2002 the Dublin Bach Singers, who have since become one of Dublin's premiere choruses, performing the large works of Bach and the Cecilia Orchestra.

Celtic Ayres
Dublin, Ireland
Blánaid Murphy, director

Cór na nÓg RTÉ
Dublin, Ireland
Blánaid Murphy, director

© 2008 ARSIS Audio