Today sees the release of Mystics & Cynics, a visionary new album by celebrated Irish singer Caitríona O’Leary and internationally acclaimed German composer/pianist Boris Bergmann. The album marks the world premiere recording of Bergmann’s evocative new song cycle Taumelnd von Glut (Reeling in the Light), alongside works by Erik Satie, John Cage, and Hildegard von […]
The mixing and mastering of Mystics and Cynics is complete! The album, featuring a new song cycle by Boris Bergmann (Taumelnd von Glut), piano works and songs by Erik Satie, John Cage, and Hildegard von Bingen was recorded in Berlin last winter by Caitríona and Boris and will be released soon in February 2025 on […]
Day Six, the 14-minute music video featuring Caitríona singing Anakronos’ track, Amor, s’io posso uscir de’ tuoi artigli was an award winner at the 2024 Budapest Movie Awards, Stockholm Short Festival, Madrid Arthouse Film Festival and the Director Talents Movie Awards. It was a Semi-Finalist in the Berlin Short Festival, Berlin Lift-Off Global Network Awards […]
Caitríona is very thankful to have received another bursary from the Fingal County Council Artists’ Support Scheme. She is set to expand on her recent work by marrying more of Jorie Graham’s poems with the music of J.S. Bach and composing her own original settings to make an extended performance piece, Emergence, for her own […]
Caitríona has just finished filming Partita, a 52 minute long music film by director Eric Fraad, for which she wove some exquisite Jorie Graham poetry to select keyboard partitas by J.S. Bach, arranged them for voices and baroque string trio, directed and performed them in the gorgeous setting of Russborough House, Co. Wicklow. The film […]
Caitríona was interviewed by the Irish Independent ahead of her 16th November performance of her reworkings of the seminal Schubert song cycle, Winterreise. The original German poetry by Wilhelm Müller has been transcreated into Irish by the irrepressible Gabriel Rosenstock and the songs reworked by Caitríona into arrangements based on folk, traditional, and rock music. […]
Caitríona is grateful to have received a Culture Moves Europe grant to travel to Berlin and work with the amazing Boris Bergmann who has composed a song cycle for her. More news on the music soon!
Glyn Pursglove have reviewed The Red Book of Ossory by Anakronos for MusicWeb International. “The power and impact of these performances are the product of the seriousness with which Caitríona O’Leary and her colleagues take both the story of Ledred’s fierce treatment of his innocent victims and the spirituality of his Latin verses… There isn’t […]
Caitríona is grateful to have received another bursary from the Fingal County Council Arts Office to marry selected poems of the renowned contemporary Pulitzer prize-winning poet Jorie Graham to music by J. S. Bach as well as to her own original compositions.
Caitríona O’Leary takes Matthew Bannister of the popular Folk on Foot podcast to the Franciscan church where Bishop Waddinge is buried and to St Aidan’s Cathedral in Enniscorthy where the area’s most famous carol was collected.We also meet the retired fisherman Dixie Devereux whose father sang the carols every Christmas for 62 years – and […]
Caitríona O’Leary’ features in the TASTEMAKER section of The Business Post on November 11, 2022. She answers some questions put to her by Ben Haugh. What was your earliest ambition? To be Jana of the Jungle. What’s a scent that you associate with your childhood? The smell of burnt matches – this brings me right […]
Smock Alley Theatre – Friday, November 18 at 8pm. Kate Bush is an artist like none other – weaving rock, classical and folk music to extraordinary effect. Her lyrics are highly dramatic, drawing on a wide range of literary and cinematic sources, exploring themes of childhood, love, death, war and mythology. On Friday, November 18, […]
German magazine AUDIO has reviewed Citadel of Song by Anakronos. In “Citadel of Song”, the medieval ensemble Anakronos breathes new life into ten texts from Boccaccio’s “Decameron” with elements of fusion jazz, prog rock and contemporary classical music. With this revival of 14th century Italian love poetry, the Irish elfin-voiced singer Caitríona O’Leary confirms her […]
Caitríona is delighted to have received another Arts Council award (the Agility Award) to develop, compose, perform and record settings of medieval English poetry. The songs I write will form the first three in a song cycle, working title Dayes Eyes in This Dale. Stay tuned…!
The Island of Saints is a new ground-breaking feature length music film by director Eric Fraad inspired by the medieval/jazz fusion ensemble Anakronos’ highly-acclaimed album, The Red Book of Ossory and its backstory. The Island of Saints oscillates between three types of scenes; music performance scenes of Anakronos performing music from The Red Book of […]
Classical Explorer have reviewed Heresy Record’s latest release Strange Wonders: The Wexford Carols, Volume II calling it “A supremely beautiful Christmas disc; warming and different.” “This is the second volume of Caitríona O’Leary’s The Wexford Carols; it comes, perhaps, under the heading “folk/Classical”. Expertly produced by Ethan Johns and beautifully recorded by Dom Monks (who […]
Norman Lebrecht of Slipped Disc and Robert Hugill of Planet Hugill have featured Eric Fraad‘s new short film Love’s Fever on their websites. “A compelling piece of singer-acting, treat yourself.” Norman Lebrecht – Slipped Disc “…remarkably prescient” Robert Hugill – Planet Hugill Based on the song Deh Lassa La Mia Vita from the end of […]
Music critic Michael Dervan have given The Red Book of Ossory by Anakronos a 5 Star review in today’s Irish Times culture section. Read the review Press quotes for The Red Book of Ossory BUY CD
Photo: Laelia Milleri Ireland Performs, Facebook & Culture Ireland present Caitríona O’Leary in an online programme of unaccompanied songs: Ansacht na nAnsacht (Love of Loves). On Saturday May 2, 2020, Heresy Records’ recording artist Caitríona O’Leary will perform an online concert of unaccompanied songs for Ireland Performs, an initiative to support presentations by Irish artists […]
Lori Lander Murphy‘s piece on the irishphiladelphia.com website highlights Caitríona O’Leary‘s latest release Both Sides Now (Ón Dá Thaobh) – an Irish language version of the song Both Sides by Joni Mitchell. In it, Caitríona O’Leary says of Joni Mitchell: “She’s such an amazing songwriter. Her music just bowls me over, it really does. I […]
On Friday 24th January 2020, Heresy Records will release a digital single version of Joni Mitchell’s iconic song, Both Sides Now, in an Irish language translation sung by Caitríona O’Leary. She is accompanied on the recording by guitarist Dick Farrelly. Both Sides Now (Ón Dá Thaobh) was translated into Irish by the renowned Dublin-based poet Gabriel Rosenstock. […]
Colleen Taylor‘s article The best Irish Christmas albums to listen to this holiday season in IrishCentral recommends Caitríona O’Leary‘s The Wexford Carols. “This is an album that any Irish-American, any Irish person, and any lover of Irish history or music needs in their collection.” “The Wexford Carols preserves Christmas tradition in Ireland, recreating the choruses […]
Anne Marie Kennedy of Irish Music Magazine has reviewed The Wexford Carols by Caitríona O’Leary. “With her sophisticated style and unique delivery of Folk, Traditional and Early Music songs, Caitriona O’Leary is no ordinary chanteuse. Her most recent recording The Wexford Carols is a seasonal mix, and a collaborative work with guests: Grammy nominee Roseanne Cash, […]
Caitríona O’Leary talks to Ken Phelan of The Irish Independent about the musical collaboration that is Anakronos as they gear up for a major concert. Anakronos (Photo: Tara Slye) “Now performing with her new ensemble, Anakronos, Malahide vocalist and virtuoso Catríona O’Leary has taken her music in yet another new direction, blending medieval music with […]
Billboard #1 hit, THE WEXFORD CAROLS is now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming services for the first time. Featuring Caitríona O’Leary, Tom Jones, Rosanne Cash, Rhiannon Giddens & Producer Joe Henry, THE WEXFORD CAROLS is the first recording of Ireland’s greatest Christmas music. A collection of 17th and 18th […]
On Wednesday, 24 May International Literature Festival Dublin in association with IMRAM Irish Language Literature Festival, will present The Brecht Project: Songs From The Dark Times at the renowned Smock Alley Theatre. Songs From The Dark Times is being conceived and directed by American theatre and opera director, Eric Fraad, with music direction by the […]
Colleen Taylor’s article Christmas favourites old & new in The Irish Echo features THE WEXFORD CAROLS in a roundup of her Celtic Christmas favourites. ” This is an album that any Irish-American, any Irish person, and any lover of Irish history or music needs in their collection.” “What could be more important at Christmas than […]
Colleen Taylor of The Irish Echo reviews THE WEXFORD CAROLS. “If not for the history, then you must at least listen to “The Wexford Carols” for its incredible, all-star transatlantic folk singer lineup. This group of creative minds and musical custodians is truly unprecedented in folk music.” Read the full article Preview some […]
Caitríona O’Leary & Dúlra’s five date tour of Handel In Ireland begins tonight in The Dock, Carrick on Shannon. The concert features songs and dances that were popular in Ireland at the time, music that Handel would undoubtedly have encountered here, as well as some works by the maestro himself, reimagined in traditional Irish interpretation. […]
Following a standing room only concert at the Händel Festival in Halle, Germany in June 2015, Handel In Ireland – performed over five dates on a tour of Ireland – is Caitríona O’Leary & Dúlra’s celebration of Handel’s stay in Ireland in 1741 – 1742 during which time he premiered his most famous work, Messiah. […]
THE WEXFORD CAROLS by Caitríona O’Leary and featuring Tom Jones, Rosanne Cash & Rhiannon Giddens is Album of the Week, this week, on RTÉ 1 Radio. The album reached the Number 1 slot on the Billboard World Albums Chart in January 2015. Here’s what Tom Jones had to say on his Facebook page when he heard […]
At 8pm, on Friday October 16 2015 in Dublin’s Smock Alley Theatre, the celebrated Irish singer Caitríona O’Leary will perform a concert of works in Irish by the legendary Canadian singer songwriter Joni Mitchell. The concert entitled SWEET FIRE: The Joni Mitchell Project (ÍDE NA TINE: Tionscadal Joni Mitchell) is being produced and presented in […]
Caitríona O’Leary & Dúlra perform Händel In Ireland at the world renowned Händel Halle Festival in Germany tonight, June 10th. The concert speculatively re-imagines Händel’s famous visit to Ireland in 1741 – 1742 during which time he premiered his most famous work, Messiah. During his sojourn to Ireland he travelled to Cork. On his travels […]
We are delighted to announce that THE WEXFORD CAROLS by Caitríona O’Leary and featuring Tom Jones, Rosanne Cash & Rhiannon Giddens has jumped four places from last week’s Number 5 to the Number 1 slot on the Billboard World Albums Chart. Here’s what Tom Jones had to say on his Facebook page yesterday. Preview […]
International Record Review has reviewed THE WEXFORD CAROLS by Caitríona O’Leary. “I found the result compelling, haunting in its timeless beauty…” You can buy THE WEXFORD CAROLS CD with its beautiful book-style packaging from the Heresy Shop – FREE DELIVERY WORLDWIDE. THE WEXFORD CAROLS is also available as a digital download with a digital booklet […]
The Independent newspaper’s culture section Radar has given THE WEXFORD CAROLS a 3 Star review. Preview some tracks from THE WEXFORD CAROLS Buy THE WEXFORD CAROLS CD Download on iTunes or Amazon
German magazine IMAGE-HIFI features THE WEXFORD CAROLS in its roundup of Christmas CDs in an article by Winifried Dulisch. “The Wexford Carols are more than just songs for the holiday season. Their lyrics and melodies attest to the indomitable faith of the Irish Catholics, who were banned from saying holy mass since 1678 by their […]
The Los Angeles Times have again featured THE WEXFORD CAROLS in an article History sings as Caitríona O’Leary reclaims ‘The Wexford Carols’ by Randy Lewis. “For the vast majority of holiday albums that surface at this time of year, it often seems the biggest artistic choices involved are whether the featured artist sings “Rudolph the […]
THE WEXFORD CAROLS has been voted ‘hands down my favorite‘ by Ron Hogan in a list of his favourite holiday albums of 2014 on Beatrice.com “It’s also the most beautifully sounding record of this year’s holiday season, as Joe Henry’s production gives the proceedings an almost tangible atmosphere of place, with guest appearances by Tom […]
Early Music Today has reviewed THE WEXFORD CAROLS by Caitríona O’Leary featuring Sir Tom Jones, Rosanne Cash & Rhiannon Giddens You can buy THE WEXFORD CAROLS CD with its beautiful book-style packaging from the Heresy Shop – FREE DELIVERY WORLDWIDE. THE WEXFORD CAROLS is also available as a digital download with a digital booklet on […]
Philly.com has featured THE WEXFORD CAROLS in its article 2014’s Caravan of Christmas Music. “Or, even better, embrace “The Wexford Carols” (Heresy), a lovely collection of Ireland’s greatest Christmas music, as performed by singer Caitriona O’Leary, with help from Tom Jones and Rosanne Cash, and delicate production by Joe Henry.” Read the full article The […]
Rosanne Cash has been Grammy-nominated for Best Americana Album for The River & The Thread, in addition to being nominated in the categories of Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots song. She performs on several tracks on Heresy Record’s lastest release THE WEXFORD CAROLS by Caitríona O’Leary which also features Sir Tom Jones, […]
The New York Times has featured THE WEXFORD CAROLS in an article on new holiday albums by Jon Pareles. “The singer Caitríona O’Leary, who has extensively recorded Irish traditional and early classical music, researched and unearthed six melodies that may be the originals but had disappeared from annual performances in Wexford. With the producer Joe […]
The Los Angeles Times has featured THE WEXFORD CAROLS in its roundup of new holiday music releases. “This is easily the year’s most ambitious undertaking…” “Producer Joe Henry brings a fitting gravitas to the selections…” Read the article You can buy THE WEXFORD CAROLS CD with its beautiful book-style packaging from the Heresy Shop – […]
Michael Johnson of Facts & Arts in his piece The Irish Reinvent Christmas Music has reviewed THE WEXFORD CAROLS by Caitríona O’Leary. “You don’t have to be Irish to fall in love with music from the Emerald Isle. Yet the Christmas carols sung by Caitriona O’Leary took me by surprise and have provided the first […]
Alain Brunet of Canadian website LA PRESSE has awarded THE WEXFORD CAROLS a 4 Star review in its 2014 roundup of Christmas music Albums de Noël: vent de nouveautés pour les Fêtes. “The Irish singer Caitríona O’Leary chose this magnificent repertoire of “Christmas Carols” from County Wexford, published in 1684 by Luke Waddinge and in […]
Today’s edition of The Irish Times features an article by Tony Clayton-Lea on Heresy Record’s latest release THE WEXFORD CAROLS. The Wexford Carols as they have never been heard before Rewind: we are in Grouse Lodge Residential Recording Studios in Co Westmeath, the month is July and the heat from the sun is of the […]
Between 27th October and 3rd November Pandora Premieres is featuring The Wexford Carols. Pandora Premieres streams selected albums prior to their release date and gives listeners the option hear the album multiple times in any configuration one chooses and also to download the album from iTunes or Amazon. Pandora’s streaming service is available in the […]
Renowned record producer Joe Henry mentions working in Ireland on Heresy Record’s latest release THE WEXFORD CAROLS in an interview with Australia’s nation country magazine Country Update. “Yeah I’m producing a record of Irish Christmas music from the 1600’s, a group of songs known as “The Wexford Carols” with a traditional Irish singer called Caitríona […]
SLEEPSONGS by Caitríona O’Leary & Dúlra has been reviewed by Gwyn Parry-Jones at MusicWeb International. “Quite apart from the musical qualities, enormous care and imagination has gone into the presentation of the project. It comes in the form of a small hard-back book, the CD slipped inside the rear cover. The contents are illustrated with rather […]
SLEEPSONGS by Caitríona O’Leary & Dúlra has been reviewed by David Kidman at the Fatea Magazine website. “For Caitríona’s musical personality really does impart a special atmosphere to the disc: thrillingly intimate, intense and mesmeric – but never soporific (many of the tracks may be lullabies, but they won’t send you to sleep!). And the […]
Excellent piece on Caitríona O’Leary & Dúlra’s SLEEPSONGS by Michael Johnson of Facts & Arts. “As an arts snob, I had never paid much attention to Irish traditional music but here, in a new CD called “Sleepsongs” (Heresy 014, U.S. distribution by Naxos), the lovely Irish singer Caitriona O’Leary’s calming voice overwhelms from the first […]
SLEEPSONGS by Caitríona O’Leary & Dúlra has been reviewed by TGV Magazine in France. “The captivating voice of Caitríona O’Leary enchants the listener. In Sleepsongs, she performs a selection of lullabies and other songs on the theme of sleep with Dúlra, her excellent early music ensemble. They evoke Irish mythology, fairies, cursed princesses, and valiant […]
SLEEPSONGS, an album of Suantraí – ancient Irish lullabies and songs on the theme of sleep by Caitríona O’Leary & Dúlra has been reviewed by German music magazine AUDIO. Warning! This CD should not be played in a moving car, as it could impair the driver’s attention. Caitríona O’Leary has already released a CD of Joy […]
Irish Music Magazine has reviewed SLEEPSONGS by Caitríona O’Leary & Dúlra. “…a note about the booklet… It is nothing short of a work of art and one of the most evocative set of pages you are likely to find in any recording in any genre anywhere. Are the songs up to the art work? Yes […]
Heresy Records has released SLEEPSONGS by the critically acclaimed Irish band Caitríona O’Leary & Dúlra. The album also features celebrated guest artists from the world’s of early music, contemporary classical and jazz. SLEEPSONGS is an album of Suantraí – ancient Irish lullabies and songs on the theme of sleep. The album is released as a […]
Two reviews from TOCCATA ALTE MUSIK AKTUELL by Robert Strobl translated from German. From the passion to ecstasy is a small step, at least for us because we simply change the CD. And yet this new recording by Dulra brings us on a journey far to the north. It’s insular music again, this time from […]
Yesterday’s Irish Independent chose the upcoming The Wexford Carols concerts featuring Caitríona O’Leary and her band DÚLRA as one of their Favourite Things. Read the article Friday 6th December at 7:30pm Drogheda International Classical Music Series Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda Tickets: €16/€12 and €5 students/children, Box Office 041 9833946 Buy tickets online Saturday 7th December […]
Traditional Irish singer/early music specialist Caitríona O’Leary and her band DÚLRA along with special guest artists Lillis Ó Laoire, Nóirín Ní Riain and Matthias Loibner will perform a special holiday season concert featuring Ireland’s greatest Christmas music, The Wexford Carols. These remarkable folk carols from the 17th and 18th centuries are rarely performed and largely […]
DÚLRA‘s Caitríona O’Leary interviewed at the recent Beethovenfest Bonn
Supported by Culture Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland in Great Britain, acclaimed traditional Irish band DÚLRA featuring singer Caitríona O’Leary will perform a special concert on Friday 14th June at 7:30 PM at St. John’s Smith Square, London. The concert is being held in celebration of Ireland’s six-month Presidency of the Council of the […]
Geman magazine hifi and records review DÚLRA’s album Ecstasy. “The recommendation “File under Audiophile” should be added to the back cover.” “The recommendation on the back-cover states: “File under Traditional /World Music”. This target-group-definition for the pop market might obstruct the path to a larger audience for Dúlra (fiddle, cello, flute, percussion and other acoustic […]