CAOIN by Ceara Conway, a glór commission tours nationally this autumn as part of glór’s 21st birthday celebrations. The tour is produced by glór following the commissioned premiere at glór in April 2022, kindly supported by The Arts Council.
Known for her unique use of traditional song and lament in contemporary art, for this performance vocalist/artist Ceara Conway collaborates with musicians Kevin Murphy (cello) and Ultan O’Brien (viola, fiddle) of Slow Moving Clouds and Anna Mullarkey (piano, electronics) to bring you a collection of sean-nós and world music songs that explore the beautiful sounds and sentiments of love, loss and longing, found in traditional praise songs, lullabies with core emphasis on the traditional Irish ‘caoineadh’, lament.
Ceara Conway has gained recognition for her singing in traditional repertoires across cultures from Irish traditional sean-nós, to Portuguese, Arabic and African song and Georgian Chant. The essence of her music is its unique hybridity, a merging of her love and respect for tradition coupled with her interest in new styles, genres and contemporary music.
Performers
- Ceara Conway – vocals
- Anna Mullarkey – piano, electronics
- Kevin Murphy – cello
- Ultan O’Brien – violin, viola
2022 Tour Dates:
Sat 24th Sept, 8pm Áras Éanna, Inisheer: Click HERE to book tickets
Fri 30th Sept, 8pm Siamsa Tíre, Tralee: Click HERE to book tickets
Fri 7th Oct, 8pm Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise: Click HERE to book tickets
Fri 21st Oct, 8pm Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray: Click HERE to book tickets
Sat 22nd Oct, 8pm Belltable, Limerick: Click HERE to book tickets
Wednesday 26th October 8.30pm, Tradition Now, NCH, Dublin: Click HERE to book tickets
All songs traditional/copyright control
Arranged by Seán Mac Erlaine and Ceara Conway
Produced by Seán Mac Erlaine
CAOIN the album is commissioned by Creative Ireland Galway County Council.
CAOIN album was recorded at Camden Studios, Dublin, The Meadows, Wicklow and Lisseycasey, Clare
Mixed and mastered by Seán Mac Erlaine
Photography by Julia Dunin (cover), Dragana Jurišić (inside and back)
Caoin was born out of my love for singing Irish traditional sean nós songs that have melodies and narratives expressing feelings of loss, longing, and the sensibility of the ‘cry.’ Within Caoin you will hear laments (caointe) alongside praise songs, love songs, and lullabies. I have a grá (a love) for singing songs from all over the world but singing sean nós holds a special place in my heart for many reasons such as my Connemara roots, my love for the Irish language, and the pure visceral experience of singing melodic ornamented lines and notes. Most of all I love singing sean nós songs for the resonance that I experience when singing them, the emotions they express feel timeless and universal. Ceara Conway, November 2021
Conway provides heartfelt interpretations throughout, adroitly pitched vocals matched by delicate, poetically evocative accompaniments. Sung entirely in Irish, CAOIN pitches Ceara Conway at the forefront of a new generation of sean-nós singers.” ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Songlines Magazine
Ceara Conway is an Irish contemporary singer and visual artist. She creates experiential performance works that utilise traditional and contemporary songs, music and visual art to explore social issues such as the ecological crisis, migration and feminist concerns.
She has shown and performed work widely internationally and in Ireland, including the Katzen Arts Centre, Washington, tHE Barbican, UK, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Taigh Chearsabhaigh Museum, Galway Arts Centre, and the National Gallery of Ireland.
Ceara has performed with esteemed musicians such as Nick Roth, Caoimhín O Raghallaigh, Nóirín Ni Rian, Linda Buckley and LAU. She has performed at the Irish Embassy in Paris & Irish Embassy in Berlin and for visiting heads of state such as Christine Lagarde, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Jean -Claude Juncker
Recent projects include GOL with Brú Theatre (2021), Bealtaine Festival ‘Of Scent and Song’’ (2021), Viriditas, Galway ECOC & Saolta Arts (2020), Dóchas/Hope, Oireachtas na Gaeilge & Waterways Ireland (2019). The Feminist Supermarket, Ormston House, (2021), Pocahontas Opera House Residency, West Virginia, USA (2022). She has received numerous bursaries and awards from the Arts Council and City and County Arts Offices in Ireland.
Website – https://www.cearaconway.ie/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ceara_conway/
Facebook –https://www.facebook.com/ceara.conway
