Nóirín Ní Riain

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Nóirín Ní Riain (born 1951, Caherconlish, County Limerick) is an Irish singer, writer, teacher, theologian and an authority on Gregorian Chant (plainchant, plainsong). She is primarily known for spiritual songs, but also sings Celtic music, Sean-nós and Indian songs. Nóirín plays an Indian harmonium (Surpeti), Shruti box and Feadóg (whistle). She was Artist-in-Residence for Wexford and Laois. Now she is performing with her sons Eoin and Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin under the name A.M.E.N. [1] and gives workshops about "Sound as a Spiritual Experience".

Contents

[edit] Biography

Nóirín Ní Riain began to take singing lessons at seven years of age. She later went on to study music at University College Cork (UCC), specialising in religious music for post-graduate work. Alongside this she developed as a performer, focusing particularly on religious, Irish traditional and international religious music. She has performed extensively worldwide. Notable events include: the International Peace Gathering at Costa Rica to introduce His Holiness the XIV Dalia Lama in 1989; The United Nations summit at Rio de Janeiro 1992; the European Cultural Month at Krakow, Poland 1992; the UN Earth summit in Copenhagen 1995; the World Women summit in Beijing 1995, she has performed in the Royal Festival Hall with Sinéad O'Connor; with the American composer John Cage; with the sons of Karlheinz Stockhausen, Markus and Simon; with Paul Winter at the summer and winter solstice concerts in the Cathedral of St John the Divine, New York; with the Scola Gregoriana of Notre Dame University, Indiana, where she performed the leading role in Anima, by Hildegard von Bingen; she has sung several times in India as a delegate of the Irish government, and performed in war-torn Sarajevo.[2]

The Cork singer and teacher at UCC, Pilib Ó Laoghaire, was of great influence. He persuaded her to become a singer instead of studying law and learned her that old and precious heritage of Ireland, the sean-nós singing.[3] In UCC she studied under Aloys Fleischmann and Seán Ó Riada.

The Swiss mystic Joa Bolendas told about her: "Nóirín once told me that she had to sing the way her Celtic soul dictated. I prayed about this and an answer came in the following words: Nóiríns singing embodies a transmission of the spirit by means of heredity from the period 550 to 670 and 730 C.E.! Informative patterns have also come to her since birth, and through her natural development in life. Thus she has acquired the typical features of a singer of Celtic Christian songs."[4]

Already as a child she often visited Glenstal Abbey in Murroe to listen to the chants of the Benedictine monks. Later she performed and made several recordings with them under which the trilogy: Vox Clamantis in Deserto (Caoineadh na Maighdine), Vox Populi (Good People All) and Vox de Nube (A Voice from the Cloud)[5].

She has a PhD in theology with her thesis entitled - "The Specificity of Christian Theosonetics" and focuses on an in-depth study and representation of Sounds - primarily vocal sounds - as a means to religious experience from a Christian perspective. [6]

[edit] Discography

  • Seinn Aililiú, 1978, Gael-Linn.
  • Caoineadh na Maighdine (The Virgin's Lament), 1980, Gael-Linn.
  • Good People All (Darkest Midnight), Religious Songs from the Irish Tradition, 1982, Glenstal Records.
  • Stór Amhrán, A Wealth of Songs from the Irish Tradition, 1988, Ossian Publications Ltd.
  • Vox de Nube, 1989, Gael-Linn.
  • Nóirín Ní Riain with The Monks of Glenstal Abbey, 1990, CBS Records.
  • Soundings, Spiritual Songs from many Traditions, 1993, Ossian Publications Ltd.
  • River of Stars, Audio Book, 1996, Sounds True Inc.
  • Celtic Soul (Anima Celtica), With the Paul Winter Consort and Friends, 1996, Earth Music Productions.
  • Gregorian Chant Experience, Sing and Meditate with Nóirín Ní Riain, 1997, The O'Brian Press Ltd.
  • Mystical Ireland, (The Virgin's Lament + Vox de Nube + Darkest Midnight), 2004, Sounds True Inc.
  • Biscantorat: Sound of the Spirit from Glenstal Abbey, 2004 CD, 2005 CD/DVD, Hummingbird Records.
  • Amen, Nóirín Ní Riain & Sons, 2007, RMG Chart Entertainment Ltd.

Also featuring on:

  • Óró Damhnaigh, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, 1977, Gael-Linn.
  • James Last at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, 1984, Polydor.
  • Solstice Live, Paul Winter, 1992, Earth Music Productions.
  • Sieben Psalmen, Meditation in Wort und Klang, Markus & Simon Stockhausen, Pater Friedhelm Mennekes, 1994, EMI Classics.
  • Lumen, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, European Song Contest, 1996.
  • Illumination, Richard Souther, 1997, Sony.
  • Agnes Browne, Anjelica Huston, 1999, Hell's Kitchen Films/October Films.
  • In deiner Nähe, Close to you, Markus Stockhausen, 2001, Aktivraum.
  • Sanctuary, Various Artists, July 2008, Independent.

Producer/director:

  • In Praise of Mary, The Cistercian Nuns of St. Mary's Abbey Glencairn, 2007, The Daisy Label.

[edit] Bibliography

  • The Female Song in the Irish Tradition in: Irish Women, Image and Achievement ed. Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Dublin 1985, Arlen House, p. 73-84.
  • Im Bim Babaro, Rabhcáin do Leanaí, Children's Songs from the Irish Tradition, 1987, The Mercier Press.
  • Stór Amhrán, A Wealth of Songs from the Irish Tradition, 1988 (2007), Ossian Publications Ltd.
  • Gregorian Chant Experience, Sing and Meditate with Nóirín Ní Riain, 1997, The O'Brian Press Ltd.
  • Digging for Sound in the Celtic Tradition, Nóirín Ní Riain, Celtic Threads, Exploring the Wisdom of Our Heritage, edited by Padraigín Clancy, 1999, Veritas Publications, p. 119-129.
  • The Specificity of Christian Theosony, 2008(?), Veritas Publications.

[edit] Sources

  • Alive in God's World, Human Life on Earth and in Heaven as described in the visions of Joa Bolendas, 1997, Lindisfarne Books, p. 21-22.
  • Celtic Women in Music, A Celebration of Beauty and Sovereignty, Mairéid Sullivan, 1999, Quarry Press Inc., p. 159-169.

[edit] Further reading

  • Irish Music Magazine, Vol 3 No 5, December 1997/January 1998. Spiritual Memories by John O'Regan, p. 84-85.
  • Sacred Moments, A Photographic Journey by Valerie O'Sullivan, 1998, Veritas Publications, p. 94-97.
  • The Irish Eyes, spring 2006, Nóirín Ní Riain... The Theology of listening by Michael Walsh.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Amen, Nóirín Ní Riain & Sons, 2007, RMG Chart Entertainment Ltd
  2. ^ Cover Gregorian Chant Experience, Sing and Meditate with Nóirín Ní Riain, 1997, The O'Brian Press Ltd.
  3. ^ Celtic Women in Music, A Celebration of Beauty and Sovereignty, Mairéid Sullivan, 1999, Quarry Press Inc., p. 160.
  4. ^ Alive in God's World, Human Life on Earth and in Heaven as described in the visions of Joa Bolendas, 1997, Lindisfarne Books, p. 21-22.
  5. ^ Celtic Threads, Exploring the Wisdom of our Heritage, edited by Padraigín Clancy, 1999, Veritas Publications p. 127
  6. ^ Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Department of Theology and Religious Studies.
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