THE POET'S
DREAM is now available in USA from CDBaby,
or click
for the Rest of the World.
... REVIEWS of The Poet's Dream ...
"When one looks for heros in our tradition, Art Sinnott
and Paddy Berry are national treasures. They've carried the flame
through good and bad, and both inspired and preserved for us the
wealth of beauty that is our traditional music and songs. They
did so out of a deep love of place, as well as the joy that this
music brings. I am happy to say that with this CD the flame is
in good hands. This is a Jewel, a record of our local
history, lovingly performed with the sensitivity of those who
understand naturally how this music should be treated. The singing
is wonderful and the accompaniment tasteful and restrained as
is Paul's production, allowing the songs to tell their story and
transport us to situations both moving, joyful, humorous, and
stark. Some material never before recorded, as well as a brilliant
new song from Paul which shows the depth of talent on show here.
It is fitting that the tribute to Art Sinnott (who encouraged
me to keep going on the uilleann pipes) should be sung by Paddy
Berry, another hero of mine. It's like a link with the unbreakable
chain of friendship, respect for those who championed the music
and a deep sense of passing on the torch, which is what traditional
music is all about. Thank you Paul, Helen, Padraig Sinnott,
Tom Murphy and Paddy Berry. The Poet's Dream is simply beautiful.
I'm sure Art Sinnott and MJ O'Reilly are very proud." - Brendan
Wade (of Elandir,
and formerly The Wild Swans and Cry Before Dawn)
"The completion of any complex and difficult project
is worthy of praise, but I had glimses of what was attempted here
with THE POET'S DREAM. I would have to say that courage, persistence
and most of all sensitivity to the material, the memory and indeed
the tradition shines out in this production. I would also have
to say that in everything that has been attempted they have been
successful beyond any evaluation and even I would say, their own
high expectations. Without equivocation or condition I would have
to say that this is a fabulous piece of work and a realisation
of the all its aspirations. The connection on THE POET'S DREAM
is that these are all Wexford songs but with a very distinctive
Monageer flavour and hugely influenced by the Cooper and O'Reilly
dynasties. Eighty percent of songs are from these two families.
They are all folk songs, some have accompaniment, some without,
but all are reflective of the tradition of singing in Wexford
and how it has evolved and indeed continues to evolve in the great
sea of time, occurrence and travel. This is not just an album
of folk songs, but a whole lot more. It provides a panoramic view
of an area over 150 years, and not through historians or commentators
but through the voice of the population. I know Paul and Helen
well as both artists of the highest calibre and people. There
is nobody better qualified as singers to perform these songs,
and their connection to these songs goes a lot deeper as blood,
family and songs are intertwined here. Paul’s connection
to the album is through his late father, a giant of traditional
song, and grandfather and relations. And we are reminded of this
only recently with the death of the late Liam Cooper, which re-inforces
the necessity for this type of project. Helen too comes from a
family steeped in music and folklore. Her father Art Sinnott was
one of the most outstanding men of 20th Century and gave us our
anthem. And what of the songs? There are slow songs, fast songs,
local and national songs, political, satirical, songs of work,
fleadhanna, '98, The Strawberry Fair, hospitality and songs about
our love of place. D’Arcy’s House is a song full of
fun and humour and also a song with a smile. But there is an extra
delight as the album ends with a breathtakingly beautiful song
composed by Paul - The Wild Geese of Killyleagh - demonstrating
that not only is the craft moving on to new generations but, if
anything, is even improving. To finish, THE POET'S DREAM is more
than just a fabric, it is a magic carpet that can whisk us to
our past, present and future. It is A BRILLIANT PRODUCTION."
- Niall Wall, All-Ireland Traditonal Singing Champion
"Original and unusual ... a fine production. The arrangements
give the album a sense of continuity; when you listen to song
number one right up to song number twenty six, you can see the
link, the thread, through them, and this is important when the
collection is mostly from one or two sources." - Dan
Walsh, Historian, Journalist and Broadcaster
"A very, very fine collection of songs from different
parts of the county." - Áine Hensey, RTÉ
Radio One
"This collection is produced to the very highest
of standards ... The way in which a tradition of balladeering
that extends over five generations has been presented as a coherent
whole on the album is very impressive ... While The Poet's Dream
is mainly about the human voice, putting previously unreleased
songs on record, it also serves to underline the versatility of
Paul O'Reilly as an instrumentalist." - Enniscorthy
Guardian
"A brave and inspiring project, remembering some of
the best and most prominent Wexford songs composed during the
19th and 20th centuries." - Scallta Media
"I was bowled over by The Poet's Dream; a masterpiece."
- John Ennis, Traditional Singer
"A great album. There are some songs on it
I heard perhaps only once, and I often thought what had happened
to them. But here they are now, written down in front of me."
- M.M.
"The Poet's Dream is a considerable achievement and
one of great emotional significance. This is not lost in the renditions
of the songs and knowing that there is such a special connection
between singer and song always increases the listening pleasure
... It is obvious that a lot of dedicated creative work has gone
into the making of this recording. You are not just 'getting them
down' but sending them out in full flight." - J.M.
"The design, research and presentation are first class."
- A.Ó C.
"Seriously good in so many ways." - A.L.
"Marvellous work!" - F.C.
Now available in USA from CDBaby,
or click
for the Rest of the World.
Paul's new album, with guest lead vocalist Helen Kirwan,
THE POET'S
DREAM, is available now.
A double-album of 26 tracks, including previously unreleased
songs composed by MJ O’Reilly, the Cooper family
of Monageer, and Paul O’Reilly, together with new
arrangements of songs from the Paddy Berry collections,
it covers many topics ranging from steam threshings, fleadhs,
lamentations, risings, hunger strikes, local scuffles,
the Queen’s bed, hunts, Jack Barry, the Strawberry
Fair, the village of Monageer, the railway tunnel and
many more ...
With lead vocals by Paul and Helen Kirwan, and performances
by Paddy Berry, Padraig Sinnott and Tom Murphy, this double-album
is a document of the past, a recording of hits of their
time; hits that never made the charts but brought so much
joy, and sometimes controversy, to the people of the day.
As well as vocals, lilting and whistling, Paul also plays
guitar, bouzouki, bodhrán, mandolin, keyboard and
whistle on the album. It was recorded and mixed by Paul
in his studio, and mastered by Aidan Foley at Masterlabs.
The cover image is a painting by Paul's good friend, and
Wexford artist, John Cullen. The booklet contains 28-pages,
containing all lyrics and a background-note by Paul on
each track. The total running time is approx. 130 minutes.
Helen Kirwan was raised in a townland
called Meaugh, close to “Bookey’s Stream”,
“The Harrow” and “Boolavogue”,
famed in history and in song. A regular on Local &
National radio, Helen has recorded and released her own
album and also participated with other family members
in the acclaimed “With Pike In Hand”. In 1998
Helen sang “Boolavogue” at the official commemorations
in Enniscorthy and for the ‘98 Pageant in Wexford,
following in the footsteps of her late father, Art Sinnott,
who performed the same song in the 1948 production. In
the same summer Helen also performed for President of
Ireland Mary McAleese on the “Bright May Meadows”
of Boolavogue. Helen is one of the leading members of
the Ferns Traditional Singing Group and Whisht!.
Listen to Dan Walsh's intimate interview with Paul about the
album, broadcast on June 3rd, 2009, on South East Radio. During
the interview Paul talks candidly about his father and grandfather,
the link to the Coopers of Monageer, the five generations of composers
on the album, the concept behind the album, working through the
arrangements, and the many connections between the people involved
in the production.
... Part
1 (8:04 mins, 4.7M MP3) ... Part
2 (8:07 mins, 4.7M MP3)
... OTHER COMMENTS on The Poet's Dream ...
"Very well produced ..." - S.B. "That track number two [The Adolescent Patriots] ...
excellent!" - C.C. "Really fab ... Really nice listening." - B.S. "The guitar sounds brilliant!" - M.P. "Listened to CD last night and it's absolutely brilliant.
Well done!" - J.C.
THE POET'S
DREAM: 26 Folk Songs from County
Wexford - DOUBLE CD WITH
HELEN KIRWAN
(2009)
"This is a Jewel, a record of our local history,
lovingly performed with the sensitivity of those who understand
naturally how this music should be treated." - Brendan
Wade
THE CUCKOO'S
NOTE - CD WITH
WHISHT! (2007)
"I was absolutely taken by what I heard... a
fantastic hour of solo traditional singing." - Áine
Hensey, RTÉ Radio One
Colm O'Hare of Hotpress
wrote: "Wexford-based singer-songwriter Paul
O'Reilly blends folk, country and traditional styles in
equal measure on this impressive self-produced debut".
"An
interesting, clear and strong voice at work" - Soho Theatre Company,
London
"Imaginative and energetic, with a confident handling of character
and dialogue." - Royal Court, London (Script review)
"An engaging piece of theatre, particularly in its warm characterization
and its involving relationships." - Abbey Theatre, Ireland (Script
review)
"We found the writing rich, imaginative and vibrant. The piece
had colour, texture and a strong dramtic charge." - hampstead theatre,
London (Script review)
"A powerfully melodic singer, with a masterful touch on his
well-crafted guitar accompaniments" - Wexford Song Club
"Wexford-based O'Reilly shows plenty of promise here" -
Hotpress
“WHISHT! brought a powerful tonality to the choral and string
orchestral harmony. These distinct tonalities brought three forces together
and created the sound world, which coloured by the haunting accordian
brought us to many unusual and personal harbourings." - START Magazine
"Whisht! traditional singing group provided excellent tremelous
vocals on Macquarie Harbour which is spooky and atomspheric ... Currach
features excellent vocals from Helen Kirwan, with the male vocals equally
strong. It is an intimate, genuinely moving performance, with hushed playing
[from the Irish Chamber Orchestra] during which you could see a sudden
tremor of life in the conductor's [Fergus Sheil's] hand as he went about
his work ... The Harbour was written by Irish poet, Winifred Letts, and
speaks of the Wexford coastline. It was an ideal finish to the musical
event, including all of the choirs, with a paroxysm of emotion provided
by Paddy Berry of Whisht!" (David Looby, The Echo)
"Currach, by Tony Curtis, was sung by Paddy Berry, Helen Kirwan,
Paul O'Reilly and Niall Wall with delicate monochromes, and a vocal beauty
at once as fleeting as wild tulips" (Tom Mooney, The Echo)
"The word Whisht or éist means to be silent, stop or
listen, and listen you will to these six top exponents of the unaccompanied
song in the traditional idiom.... sixty minutes of wonderful ballad singing."
- Liam Gaul, County Wexford Free Press
"Lovers of Irish song will be enthralled by this album."
- Geoff Wallis, www.irishmusicreview.com
"It is wonderful to see the best singers in the county coming
together to pool their talents for our enjoyment. Each song and singer
is a delight." - Sean Ó Dubhghaill, South East Voice
"I was absolutely taken by what I heard... a fantastic hour
of solo traditional singing." - Áine Hensey, RTÉ Radio
One
"Beautifully produced." - Paddy Ryan, South East Radio
"... a lovely album, well worth having ..." - Dan Walsh,
South East Radio