Music
31 Oct 23

Emily Magner Hurley releases album to raise stuttering awareness and combat stigma

Emily Magner Hurley has released her sophomore album entitled Orainn

Irish musician, stuttering advocate and secondary school teacher, Emily Magner Hurley, has released an album to raise awareness for stuttering awareness and mental wellbeing.

Cork musician Emily Magner Hurley released her debut album Airs & Graces to "sooth fans through an incredibly difficult period".

Stuttering Awareness Mental Wellbeing Ireland (SAMWI) was established in 2019 with the aim of giving hope and support to those who live with a stutter. Emily has been part of the team from the start and the energy and care with which the team has set about their task is mirrored in Magner Hurley’s own work. In recent years Emily has used her compositional prowess to provide a musical backdrop for many of the messages of hope and support that SAMWI have released.

'Orainn' is a 10-track affair with each track offering a meditative take on a capella, jazz fusion, and classical styles. Each track has a title in Irish from the opener 'An Mhaighdean Mhara' to the album's closer 'Tiocfaidh ar Samhradh'.

'Orainn' meaning 'us' in Irish, makes use of traditional and original songs but deploys choral harmonies and techniques more commonly found in jazz or classical music of the romantic era. Magner herself is no stranger to choirs and the enormous benefit they pose to singers and listeners alike, have previously been education officer at the Association of Irish Choirs administration.

'Bhríd Óg Ní Mháille' is dedicated to deputy White House Chief of Staff Jen O’Malley-Dillon who has been an ardent supporter of the SAMWI campaign.

The SAMWI campaign has found strong support in the United States where US President Joe Biden has flourished while living with a stutter. SAMWI’s messages have reached the Oval Office and with them, Magner Hurley's music.

Orainn track listing: