Irish soprano Eimear Quinn makes a return to recording with her epic celtic classical crossover album Ériu, accompanied by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, and released last week.
The renowned Irish singer and Eurovision winner (The Voice, in 1996) has crafted a collection of orchestral songs, all Irish in origin, to include a brand new setting of Vide Cor Meum by Mayo-born composer Patrick Cassidy.
Retitled Love Endless with a lyric in English by famed lyricist Brendan Graham (You Raise Me Up) the much-loved aria is reimagined as a duet for voice and cello, played by Gerald Peregrine.
Eimear feels a deep spiritual connection with her motherland, and draws strength from standing on the shoulders of the powerful women gone before her.
The title Ériu is the eponymous mother-goddess of Ireland, who gave her name to Éire.
Eimear also collaborated with Brendan Graham on the album, to write The Watchman, an anthem of hope and solidarity for our times. The single garnered more than 20,000 streams in it’s first month of release.
Other original compositions include Jasmine Flower,with the legendary fiddle player John Sheahan (The Dubliners), and a song co-written with award-winning British composer Sarah Class, a rhythmic and powerful ode to Ireland called Hibernia.
Eimear’s work with the Belfast composer and musician Neil Martin yields a striking setting of Silent O Moyle for voice and cello, as featured in the Royal Albert Hall during President Higgin’s state visit to Britain.
And among the many other inspiring tracks on the new album Ériu is Neil Martin’s orchestration of Crucán na bPáiste, which includes the accordion playing of Máirtín O’Connor.
