Caoineadh Airt uí Laoghaire

Written by Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill on the death of her husband Art Ó Laoghaire in 1773, the Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire is generally acknowledged to be a masterpiece of Irish-language poetry. The challenge of setting it to music would be a daunting one for any composer, but Peadar Ó Riada is more than able for the task. The distinctive throaty singing style of the women’s choir at Cúil Aodha (not all that far from Ó Laoghaire’s home near Macroom) produces a primordial, otherworldly effect that contrasts intriguingly with Ó Riada’s starkly modern piano accompaniment. While the piece is divided into five parts, each explicated in both Irish and English in the liner notes, they are presented together as a single 48-minute track – including the sound of echoing footsteps at the start as the choir enters the hall and an explosion of rapturous applause at the finish. It’s not quite the same as being there, but it comes damn close.