Album Notes

Lorcán Mac Mathúna was born in Cork in 1976 into a family with a passion for traditional music and singing. Much of his singing has been passed to him by his father Séamus and were passed to him by masters of the tradition from places like Cúl Aodha, where he lived at a time when the nation seemed to discover its rich heritage through people like Seán Ó Riada. Séamus, a well known flute player, fell in love with the spirited and often humorous local style and has passed that love and understanding on to Lorcán. Lorcán has developed a confident, measured style which expresses the feeling of his songs and connects the listener to the emotions of the songs creators. Lorcán has sung in concert as a guest of West Cork Music in Bantry, on radio on Céilí house, and frequently with Comhaltas.

Lorcán, and the live version of this CD, have been described in glowing terms by critics in his native land. His rendition of an eerie eighteenth-century elegy, Tuireamh Mhic Finín Dhuibh (track 8 on this CD), was described by the Journal of Music in Ireland(JMI) as Commanding. They went on to say:
“Mac Mathúna has, on this evidence, both the voice and the attitude to place him in the first rank of the new wave of traditional singer.”

This venture brings this style of singing into a new realm. One where the unaccustomed listener can readily recognise the musical quality of the songs without having to “acquire a taste.” To cultivate a taste for these often soulful and passionate melodies is a fulfilling journey in itself, but a little help from sympathetic instrumental development of the melodic lines of the tunes puts a thrill into the experience and brings a whole new dimension to the experience. Musicians such as Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and Mick O Brien are no strangers to innovation when it comes to music and their intuitive playing on this album ensure an experience to be relished.