Parsons is one of the most distinctive voices in Irish music. Her voice has drawn comparisons to such venerated singers as Dolores Keane, June Tabor and Sandy Denny. The great Scottish balladeer Archie Fisher said of Niamh, “a songstress like her comes along once or twice in a generation.” It has been said that Niamh Parsons may not be the most famous Irish Balladeer, but many feel she’s the best. Described in the Boston Herald as both emotionally haunting and tonally as clear as crystal, Niamh’s albums have been ‘must-have’ collector’s items for any lover of songs and singing. Niamh has recorded six studio albums and one live album to date. For the last 7 years, Niamh has been playing in a duet with Ennis-based Graham Dunne—there is a spiritual bond between Niamh and Graham when they perform, which draws out the essence of the songs. Growing up in Dublin, Niamh’s music loving parents brought herself and her sister to the local folk club in The Old Shieling Hotel in Raheny, where the young girls were exposed to songs and singing from the likes of The Johnstons, Emmet Spiceland, Sweeney’s Men, Dolly McMahon, Danny Doyle and many of the other musicians and singers that were playing in Folk clubs at that time. “My father was a great singer, and on long journeys the family used to sing in the car—I don’t remember a time in my life when I was not singing—I love songs.” Niamh developed this love into a penchant for collecting songs. She is always on the lookout for songs that speak to her—listening to new albums, scouring the Traditional Music Archives in Dublin, sharing notes with a network of friends and other singers. Once she discovers a song she likes, Niamh views herself as the vehicle for the music. “For me the song is more important than listening to my voice,” she says. “I consider myself more a songstress than a singer—a carrier of tradition.” Throughout her career, Niamh has performed with a wide variety of artists, and has appeared at nearly every prestigious folk festival on either side of the Atlantic. As a member of the traditional Irish band Arcady (led by De Dannan’s Johnny “Ringo” McDonagh), she sang on their Shanachie recording Many Happy Returns. She appeared before President Clinton and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern in Capitol Hill, Washington, joined Grammy Award winner Paul Winter for an album and a summer concert in New York, and performed on “A Prairie Home Companion” when the show broadcast live from Dublin. Niamh’s recording career began with The Loose Connections, a band of top-notch Belfast musicians she formed with songwriter and bass-player Dee Moore. The band recorded two albums of contemporary and traditional material together. Their debut recording, Loosely Connected (Greentrax, 1992) met with the highest of praise. A beautiful mix of traditional Irish and contemporary songs, it featured the memorable “Tinkerman’s Daughter” and featured Brian Kennedy, piper John McSherry, guitarist Paul McSherry and a variety of wonderful Belfast musicians. The Loose Connections’ second album, Loosen Up (Green Linnet, 1997) was another buoyant mix of originals and well-chosen contemporary ballads, like Brid Murphy’s gorgeous “Clohinne Winds” and Tom Waits’ “The Briar and the Rose,” a powerful a cappella duet with Fran McPhail of the Voice Squad. Once again the album featured first-class musicians, including guitarist Gavin Ralston, world renowned Saxophone player Ritchie Buckley and Kilkenny accordion player Mick McAuley (now with Solas). In 1999, Niamh took a bold step and returned to her roots with her first solo album, Blackbirds and Thrushes (Green Linnet) a collection of traditional Irish ballads gathered from over 15 years of Niamh’s singing repertoire. In her words, “these songs are living in me.” The album won instant acclaim as a welcome return to traditionalism. The Boston Globe declared that it “expressed the sorrow and longing of the Celtic soul more deeply than any within recent memory”, and Irish Music Magazine called it “simply magnificent traditional singing.” At this stage, Niamh found her self alone, without a band, and called on the talents of her friend Graham. They formed a strong bond from the outset, and without doubt, he was the perfect foil for her voice. Keeping in form, Niamh’s next CD In My Prime (Green Linnet 2000) was another collection of mostly traditional material, and again received widespread praise. Folk Roots named it one of the top albums of the year and The Irish Voice called the album “a must-have disc for lovers of Irish song.” The album was nominated for Album of the Year by BBC Radio 2 (UK) and the Association for Independent Music (US). Over the next two years Niamh and Graham toured constantly, and Heart’s Desire was released in 2002. This album furthers the tradition of Irish song with unadorned settings and heartfelt delivery. She gathered together a collection of songs drawn from both traditional sources and modern writers including Mark Knopfler and Andy Irvine. The talented musicians who play on the album include in addition to her main accompanist, guitarist Graham Dunne, accordionist Josephine Marsh and Dennis Cahill, who produced the CD, and calls it “her best work yet.” Heart’s Desire is dedicated to the memory of her father, Jack Parsons. “Daddy had a beautiful voice,” says Niamh, “and a great ear for a good song.” In September 2005, Niamh and Graham recorded a concert at the Fylde Folk Festival, in the UK, and released this as a live album Live at Fylde which features many favourite of Niamh’s traditional songs, all on one album. The Old Simplicity is the latest CD to be released with Graham. Produced by Dennis Cahill again this album contains many relatively recent compositions; songs of hunger, of danger, of death and defeat, and ultimately, of love. This is a body of work that has proven Niamh Parsons one of the premier vocalists of her time and a keeper of the flame in Irish traditional song. GRAHAM DUNNE Young Dubliner Graham Dunne is a well-known guitarist in the Irish Traditional music scene. He is known for his sensitivity of touch as an accompanist, and his fiery ability as a soloist. Based in Ennis, Graham works as a full time guitarist with Niamh Parsons. For a year he worked with Sean Tyrell with whom he toured Ireland, France and Belgium, as well as working on the music for a documentary entitled “Necklace of Wrens”- a biographical account of the poet Michael Hartnett. In the summer of 1999, he performed in Sean’s critically acclaimed musical revival of “The Midnight Court” in Galway’s Premier Theatre Venue, The Town Hall. 1994 saw Graham finish his diploma in sound engineering but he decided he would be much more useful on the other side of the desk. Over the last few years, Graham has found himself accompanying such musical legends as Liz Carroll, Paddy Keenan and Tommy Peoples. He regularly worked with the Mary Custy Band who are based in Ennis, where he can often be found in sessions around the area. For the past nine years, Graham has been working with top traditional vocalist Niamh Parsons with whom he has toured the UK, Germany, Holland, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, USA, Australia and Ireland. Graham is also the featured guitarist on Niamh’s last four albums -‘In My Prime’ which was nominated for the BBC Radio 2 Album of the Year award and also for the AIFM Album of the Year award in the USA. The second album, ‘Heart’s Desire’, received rave reviews upon it’s release in May 2002. Produced by top guitarist Dennis Cahill, Graham can be heard here delivering two sets of tunes - a set of reels and a self-penned set of jigs. Accompanied by Dennis, these instrumentals add greatly to the album’s musical content. In addition, Graham can be heard on Niamh’s most recent albums, “Old Simplicity” and Live at Flyde. In 2001 Graham arranged and recorded a set of jigs with famed piper Mick Coyne, on the album ‘Both sides of the Coyne’. Graham also enjoys playing jazz with Mick when he is not touring with Niamh. In summer of 2002, Graham attended the Louis Stewart Jazz School in Kilbaha, Co. Clare where he played the closing concert as part of a guitar quintet featuring Louis himself. In September 2004, Graham released his first solo CD - GIOTÁRAÍ - on his own label Gramsham Records. Website: www.niamhparsons.com |
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