Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh's New Album

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 5:52 pm

CD's been shipped, hopefully get it tomorrow.

aguyanon · Post by **aguyanon** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 2:21 pm

Since I speak American and don't suddenly switch into a fake accent to say "Neeecarawgwa" or "El SalvaDORRRRR", I'll stick with saying something like Maureen McAuliff

Fair point, but Maureen is not an English rendition of Muireann, it is itself an anglicised version of Mairín, meaning little Mary. There is no English version of Muireann, just as there is no english for Tchaikovsky.

Incidentally, Mc Auliffe is not her surname. It bugs the hell out of Irish people who have Gaelic surnames when people anglicise them automatically. Ever wonder why she doesn't use Mc Auliffe herself?

No one expects you to pronounce it perfectly, or to have a perfect rendition of Neeecarawgwa, but there's a reason why Bombay or Peking are not so called anymore. The Irish had english foisted upon them for centuries, please world, don't foist.

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 9:48 pm

Well, I just got the album.

It's good. She has a beautiful voice and it comes through here. There is a mix of traditional type songs and ones that could easily make it into rotation on a mainstream American easy listening station like Western Highway. There are the Irish songs obviously, but I got the feeling that I could play them for my girlfriend (who isn't into sean nos at all) and she would enjoy them. Some of the songs, to me, actually have a very Eastern-Canadian feeling to them, Cape Bretonesque (I'm trying to think back on the names, I may be wrong, but I think something like The Isle of Malachy is an example).

The most impressive song (again, I could have the order and titles wrong) to me is Persuasion. At times I thought I was listening to an opera singer the masterful way she could use her voice.

The songs make up a much bigger chunk of the cd than they did in Morning Star (disapointingly for me). There are only two sets of tunes. In the first one she plays the whistle. I certainly enjoyed it (Hardiman the Fiddler). Her style is tight and crisp, I could hear shades of Maloney/Potts. Obviously some might have a problem with the amount of ornamentation, but it works for me.

The other set is The Humours of Whiskey and there she picks up the flute. I loved it. She starts with The Low Highland which is incredibly simple, I was mad I was not at home so I could try and learn it. It's followed by a fast, driven reel that is an absolute blast to listen to. If this was a Danu set, it would be my favourite, hands down.

Well there you go. I don't know how much play it will get. I love her voice, but you have to be in a mood for it. Walking to work with it doesn't work very well.

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 4:20 pm

OnTheMoor wrote:Well, I just got the album.

It's good. She has a beautiful voice and it comes through here. There is a mix of traditional type songs and ones that could easily make it into rotation on a mainstream American easy listening station like Western Highway. There are the Irish songs obviously, but I got the feeling that I could play them for my girlfriend (who isn't into sean nos at all) and she would enjoy them. Some of the songs, to me, actually have a very Eastern-Canadian feeling to them, Cape Bretonesque (I'm trying to think back on the names, I may be wrong, but I think something like The Isle of Malachy is an example).

The most impressive song (again, I could have the order and titles wrong) to me is the one after Persuasion. At times I thought I was listening to an opera singer the masterful way she could use her voice.

The songs make up a much bigger chunk of the cd than they did in Morning Star (disapointingly for me). There are only two sets of tunes. In the first one she plays the whistle. I certainly enjoyed it (Hardiman the Fiddler). Her style is tight and crisp, I could hear shades of Maloney/Potts. Obviously some might have a problem with the amount of ornamentation, but it works for me.

The other set is The Humours of Whiskey and there she picks up the flute. I loved it. She starts with The Low Highland which is incredibly simple, I was mad I was not at home so I could try and learn it. It's followed by a fast, driven reel that is an absolute blast to listen to. If this was a Danu set, it would be my favourite, hands down.

Well there you go. I don't know how much play it will get. I love her voice, but you have to be in a mood for it. Walking to work with it doesn't work very well.

BrassBlower · Post by **BrassBlower** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 4:46 pm

aguyanon wrote: Incidentally, Mc Auliffe is not her surname. It bugs the hell out of Irish people who have Gaelic surnames when people anglicise them automatically. Ever wonder why she doesn't use Mc Auliffe herself?

Not to split hairs or be argumentative, but isn't Nic the Scots Gaelic female prefix, and Ní the Irish Gaelic prefix? I suppose it isn't unheard-of for Irish women to adopt the Scots prefix in their own names.

aguyanon wrote: please world, don't foist.

Probably good advice.

aguyanon · Post by **aguyanon** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 1:06 pm

Crappy attempt at explanation withdrawn.

Getting back on topic, I got a copy of the album, and I LOVED it. I think it absolutely rocks. I reckon An Spealadoir is my favourite, followed by The Banks of the Nile.

This is a cracker of an album.

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 3:46 pm

Nope. Nic is the feminine of "Mac" and is a contraction of Iníon Mhic.

If the basic family name is not a "Mac", then the feminine form is Ní.

"Nic Amhlaoibh" is literally "daughter of the son of Olaf". It's funny to get this sort of mix of gaelic and viking in the one name.

Coincidentally, today I had a meeting with an Icelandic lady called Asgeirsdottir. An Italian colleague just thought it was too hard to say until I explained that it means "Oscar's daughter", Oscar being the anglicised form of Asgeir. Later it occurred to me that the same name occurs in Northern Ireland in a gender-standardised form as McCusker. Must mention that to Ms A the next time I see her.

BTW, I love the record, but then I'm biased

. You're all just going to have to buy a copy for yourselves and one for each of your friends and make up your own minds.

aguyanon · Post by **aguyanon** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 6:39 pm

If the basic family name is not a "Mac", then the feminine form is Ní.

Oh yeah, you're right.

alurker · Post by **alurker** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 10:37 pm

The Weekenders wrote:Since I speak American and don't suddenly switch into a fake accent to say "Neeecarawgwa" or "El SalvaDORRRRR", I'll stick with saying something like Maureen McAuliff...

PS. I don't say bodhran right, either. And I say "Union pipes" or "Irish pipes" instead of Uilleann for similar reasons. It's just so much easier ...

Hey Weeks, have you recently been in the Burren, Co. Clare, Ireland, by any chance?

alurker · Post by **alurker** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 10:50 pm

Cathy Wilde wrote: BTW, wow, The Artist Formerly Known As Shane the Pogue has really looked rugged in the last few photos I've seen of him. Is he gonna make it?

"He'll never last another year at the rate he's going." I think it was 1986 when I first heard that and I must have heard it about every year or so since. McGowan will outlive the lot of us and rightly be installed as king.

ashboomstick · Post by **ashboomstick** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 3:31 am

alurker wrote:
Cathy Wilde wrote: BTW, wow, The Artist Formerly Known As Shane the Pogue has really looked rugged in the last few photos I've seen of him. Is he gonna make it?
"He'll never last another year at the rate he's going." I think it was 1986 when I first heard that and I must have heard it about every year or so since. McGowan will outlive the lot of us and rightly be installed as king.

I dunno, man. He was looking pretty rough last pic I saw of him...

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 4:02 am

ashboomstick wrote:
alurker wrote:
Cathy Wilde wrote: BTW, wow, The Artist Formerly Known As Shane the Pogue has really looked rugged in the last few photos I've seen of him. Is he gonna make it?
"He'll never last another year at the rate he's going." I think it was 1986 when I first heard that and I must have heard it about every year or so since. McGowan will outlive the lot of us and rightly be installed as king.
I dunno, man. He was looking pretty rough last pic I saw of him...

Good likeness, but you'll want to remove a few (most?) teeth from that photo.

alurker · Post by **alurker** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 6:50 am

Joseph E. Smith wrote:
ashboomstick wrote:
alurker wrote: "He'll never last another year at the rate he's going." I think it was 1986 when I first heard that and I must have heard it about every year or so since. McGowan will outlive the lot of us and rightly be installed as king.
I dunno, man. He was looking pretty rough last pic I saw of him...

Good likeness, but you'll want to remove a few (most?) teeth from that photo.

Good likeness right enough but I can't be sure it's him. I'd need to hear the accompanying laugh/snigger.