Announcing my New Album – Fíoruisce – The Legend of the Lough, a Gaelic Folk Opera

 

JOHN SPILLANE Announces His Most Artistically Ambitious Work To Date FÍORUISCE – THE LEGEND OF THE LOUGH

A Folk Opera Composed by John Spillane

Featuring: John Spillane, Ríoghnach Connolly, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin,
Niamh Farrell, Nell Ní Chróinín, and more.

Release Date: Friday, 13th September 2024
Formats Available: CD and Digital
Pre-order: fioruisce.ie

Launch Event: Sunday, 15th September 2024, The Lough, Cork

John Spillane will share his most artistically ambitious work to date: Fíoruisce – The Legend of the Lough, on Friday 13th September 2024. The concept album, to be released on double CD and digital, features John alongside a stellar cast of collaborators: Ríoghnach Connolly, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Niamh Farrell, Nell Ní Chróinín, and more.

Audiences are invited to experience the world of Fíoruisce at the launch of the site-responsive art exhibition created by artist Megan Clancy at The Lough in Cork City, 4pm Sunday 15th September, followed by a listening party at MTU Cork School of Music. Admission is free however booking is essential. Book via Eventbrite.

Fíoruisce – The Legend of the Lough is a three-act Gaelic folk opera composed by Irish artist John Spillane. It is a macaronic or bilingual work. The work is an imagined re-Gaelicisation of the Victorian Cork fairytale Fior-usga collected by Thomas Crofton Croker in the 1800s and published in his book Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland (1828). The story is a surreal tale culminating in a drowned kingdom, which as lore tells us, becomes The Lough in Cork city as we know it today. They say, you can see the tops of the underworld towers on a clear day and hear the music of their big party on Midsummer’s night.

Enter this world through Spillane’s hugely ambitious concept album recorded at Wavefield Recordings, Clonakilty, which features the voices of some of the most talented folk and sean nós singers of the age including Ríoghnach Connolly, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Niamh Farrell, Nell Ní Chróinín, John Spillane himself of course, and more.

Described by Spillane as his “magnum opus,” this project draws on his lifelong dedication to storytelling, the Irish language, and music. The text is inspired by the wonderful richness of the literary and oral Gaelic storytelling tradition. The influences of an t-Athair Peadar Ó Laoghaire and the stories concerning the Fiannaíocht are evident in this work. Other inspirations include Seán Ó Tuama’s work through Compántas Chorcaí, an Irish theatre production company, his inspiring lectures on poetry at UCC and his An Duanaire 1600 – 1900 Poems of the Dispossessed. Other inspirations include the poem Sprid an Locha by Torna, a deep love of The Lough, and a fascination with the older Gaelic story that shines tantalisingly under the original Victorian Thomas Croker fairytale.

Using these elements, Spillane crafts an Irish-speaking ancient world. The album weaves common threads of Irish mythology, depicting scenes of war, curses, lullabies, lamentations, shapeshifting tricksters, scenes of love, a great fleadh, and eventually the climax – the drowning of the kingdom.

“I’m so thrilled to present this album in honour of the Lough of Cork. The Lough is a hidden gem and a natural place of healing. Fíoruisce means springwater. This Gaelic folk opera has been a labour of love over many years.” says John, “This story is based on the Victorian Cork fairytale Fior-usga by Thomas Cofton Croker which can be seen on a placard at the Lough. Crofton Croker’s version was first published in Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland 1825-28. It was translated to German by the Brothers Grimm as ‘Springwasser’. My epic saga is a re-Gaelicized folk-opera version of that story. I’m thrilled with the singers on this record. I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed performing it.”

Fíoruisce – The Legend of the Lough, a folk opera by John Spillane, will be available on CD and digital, Friday, 13th September 2024. Pre-order: fioruisce.ie

John Spillane launches Fíoruisce – The Legend of the Lough by unveiling a site-responsive art exhibition by artist Megan Clancy at The Lough in Cork City, 4pm Sunday 15th September, followed by a listening party at MTU Cork School of Music. Admission is free however booking is essential. Book via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/john-spillane-fioruisce-launch-tickets-936471540587?aff=oddtdtcreator

 

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Fógraíonn JOHN SPILLANE a Thionscadal Ceoil is Uaillmhianaí go dtí seo FÍORUISCE – THE LEGEND OF THE LOUGH Ceoldráma Gaelach trí ghníomh cumtha ag John Spillane.

 

Le Ríoghnach Connolly, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Niamh Farrell, Nell Ní Chróinín agus eile.

 

Dáta seolta: 13ú Meán Fomhair 2024.

Ar fáil ar CD agus réamh-ordú digiteach: fioruisce.ie

 

Seoladh ar an 15ú Meán Fomhair ag Loch Chorcaí.

 

Roinnfidh John Spillane an saothar is uaillmhianaí ealaíne a dhein sé riamh linn ar an 13ú Meán Fomhair 2024: Fíoruisce – The Legend of the Lough. Cloisfear ar an dlúthdhiosca coincheapa seo sár-ghuthanna na n-amhránaithe móra Ríoghnach Connolly, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Niamh Farrell, Nell Ní Chróinín agus eile.

Beidh fáilte roimh an bpobal uile teacht isteach sa domhan seo Fíoruisce ag seoladh an taispeántas ealaíne suíomh freagrach an an Loch fhéin i gCorcaigh ag 4 i.n. dé Domhnaigh an 15ú Meán Fomhair.

Beidh Cóisir Éisteachta ina dhiaidh sin i gCeolscoil Chorcaí MTU. Cead isteach saor in aisce ach caithfear bookáil ar Eventbrite.

Ceoldráma trí ghníomh is ea Fíoruisce – The Legend of the Lough cumtha ag an gceoltóir Éireannach John Spillane. Saothar dá-theangach is ea é. Ath-Ghaelú síofrúil ar an síscéal Victeoiriach Corcaíoch a bhailigh Thomas Crofton Croker agus a foilsíodh sa leabhar Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland 1828. Finscéal osréalach agus loch-mhaidhm ollmhór tragóideach ag an deireadh a bheireann an Loch so atá anois againn i gCorcaigh an lae inniu. Deirtear fós gur féidir díon an chaisleáin a fheiscint faoi uisce an Locha.

Tar thar tairseach isteach sa spás draíochta so leis an gceirnín síofrúil uaillmhianach coincheap so ó Spillane. Deineadh é a thaifead i stiúideo Wavefield i gCloch na Coillte agus na sár-ghuthanna is binne in Éirinn sa Ghaelainn fite fuaite anso ann. Ríoghnach Connolly, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Niamh Farrell, John é fhéin agus eile.

Is é seo an saothar is mó ón Spealánach go dtí seo nó a magum opus mar a thugann sé féin air. Tar éis a shaol a chaitheamh le scéalaíocht, le ceol Gaelach agus le cumadóireacht is é an duine ceart chun na hoibre seo é. Tá saibhreas na scéalaíochta Gaelainne ón mbéaloideas agus ón litríocht á láimhseáil le ceol anso. Tá anáil scéalta an Athar Peadar Ó Laoghaire le brath sna liricí so chomh maith le Fiannaíocht agus Rúraíocht. Faoi thionchar Sheáin Uí Thuama agus Compántas Chorcaí, An Duanaire – Poems of the Dispossessed, dáinín diamhair le Torna dar teideal Sprid an Locha, tá John faoi dhraíocht ag scéal Croker le fada agus thug sé faoin ath-Ghaelú ceolmhar so fé mar a bheadh an ceol faoi loch samhlaithe aige mar a chifeá barraí na dtúr sa chaisleán báite fén loch.

Tá domhan-thógáil déanta anso le béaloideas, le scéalaíocht agus le grá agus aithneofar téamaí móra na scéalta Gaelainne ar nós an Mhallacht, an Suantraí, Buaileam Sciath agus amhráin cogaidh, Fleadh agus Féasta agus a mheascán pearsanta fhéin déanta ag an údar de sheoda álainne na seana scéalta go dtugtar ag an deireadh sinn chun báite an ghleanna agus breith ár Locha féin.

“Tá lúcháir orm an saothar so in onóir do Loch Chorcaí a chur os bhúr gcomhair faoi dheireadh thiar thall. Seoid álainn is ea an Loch agus láthair nádúrtha leighis. Ó mo chroí amach a thugas faoin Opera Gaelainne so. Tá sé bunaithe ar an síscéal Victeoiriach Corcaíoch Fior-usga le Thomas Crofton Croker óna leabhar Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland 1825-28. Tá an scéal le léamh ar fhógra ar imeall an Locha. D’aistrigh ne Brothers Grimm chun na Gearmáinise faoin teideal Springwasser é. Is leagan ath-Ghaelaithe ceolmhar canta den scéal san an ceirnín so. Táim ana-bhuíoch go bhfuaireas na sár-amhránaithe áirithe seo a chuir lán a gcroí isteach sna liricí agus beocht sa cheol. Tá súil agam go mbainfidh sibh sult as a chairde.“

Beidh Fíoruisce – The Legend of the Lough, Ceoldráma Gaelach le John Spillane ar fáil ar CD agus íoslódáil digiteach,

Dé hAoine 13ú Meán Fomhair 2024. Réamh-ordú: fioruisce.ie

Seolann John Spillane Fíoruisce – The Legend of the Lough le taispeántas ealaíne suíomh freagrach leis an ealaíontóir Megan Clancy ag an Loch i gCorcaigh ag 4 i.n. dé Domhnaigh an 15ú Meán Fomhair.

Beidh Cóisir Éisteachta ina dhiaidh sin i gCeolscoil Chorcaí MTU. Cead isteach saor in aisce ach caithfear bookáil ar Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/john-spillane-fioruisce-launch-tickets-936471540587?aff=oddtdtcreator