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Mícheál Ó Domhnaill

Mícheál Ó Domhnaill (Irish pronunciation: [ˈmʲiːçaːl̪ˠ ˈd̪ˠoːnˠəl̠ʲ]; 7 October 1951 – 7 July 2006) was an Irish singer, guitarist, composer, and producer who was a major influence on Irish traditional music in the second half of the twentieth century.[1] He is remembered for his innovative work with Skara Brae, the first group to record vocal harmonization in Irish language songs, and The Bothy Band, one of the most influential groups in Irish traditional music. His reputation was enhanced by a successful collaboration with master fiddler Kevin Burke, and his work with the Celtic groups Relativity and Nightnoise, which achieved significant commercial and critical acclaim.

Mícheál Ó Domhnaill
Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, 1979
Background information
Birth nameMícheál Seosamh Ó Domhnaill
Born(1951-10-07)7 October 1951
Kells, County Meath, Ireland
Died7 July 2006(2006-07-07) (aged 54)
Dundrum, Dublin, Ireland
GenresIrish traditional, Celtic, folk
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, producer
Instrument(s)Guitar, vocals, banjo, mandolin, piano, organ, tin whistle, harmonium, harmonica
Years active1971–2006
Websitewww.michealodomhnaill.com

Ó Domhnaill was raised in Kells, County Meath, Ireland and spent his summers in the Donegal Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) area of Rann na Feirste, where the Irish language is the main spoken language. He inherited a deep love and understanding of Irish culture and Irish traditional music from his parents. In Donegal, Mícheál spent time with his aunt Neilí, a renowned singer who had a vast repertoire of Irish and English songs. He formed lifelong friendships with Pól and Ciarán Brennan (future members of Clannad) and Dáithí Sproule (future member of Skara Brae and Altan).

Early years edit

Mícheál Seosamh Ó Domhnaill[2] was born 7 October 1951 in Kells, County Meath, Ireland.[1] His father, Aodh, was a teacher, a singer, and a collector of traditional music for the Irish Folklore Commission. His mother, Bríd, was a choral singer. Mícheál's father was raised in the Donegal Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) area of Rann na Feirste, where the Irish language is the main spoken language. Mícheál, his two sisters, Maighréad and Tríona, and two brothers, Éamon and Conall, inherited a deep love and understanding of Irish culture from their parents. The family spent their summers in Rann na Feirste learning the Irish language and Irish traditional music.[3] During these summers in Donegal, Mícheál and his siblings spent time with their aunt Neilí, a renowned singer who had a vast repertoire of Irish and English songs. They also formed lifelong friendships with Pól and Ciarán Brennan (future members of Clannad) and Dáithí Sproule (future member of Skara Brae and Altan).[1]

Mícheál's musical literacy was encouraged throughout his early years. At the age of six, he started taking piano lessons from the Kells nuns, which left a lasting influence on him. He also sang in a choir founded by his father. At the age of twelve, Mícheál suffered an appendicitis. To ease the boredom of his recuperation, a religious brother who taught at Mícheál's school gave him a guitar. By the age of sixteen, Mícheál began devoting his musical energies to the guitar.[4] Throughout his early years, he and his sisters Tríona and Maighréad continued to sing the Irish songs together in close harmony. With their father's advice to "listen across one another" to pick up subtle shifts in harmony, the siblings developed a seamless texture to their singing.[5] Tríona would later recall, "We could just look at each other in the midst of a song, and that look would communicate so much. When you've close family ties, it's instinctive."[5]

Skara Brae edit

In the late 1960s, Mícheál and his sister Tríona began attending University College Dublin, where they met up with singer-guitarist Dáithi Sproule (future member of Altan) from Derry. They began performing together around Dublin, producing "beautiful, adventurous" arrangements of Irish Gaelic songs.[3] In the summer of 1970, Mícheál and Dáithi performed as the house band at Teach Hiudaí Beag in Gaoth Dobhair (Gweedore), Donegal. Later that year, Mícheál, Tríona, Maighread, and Dáithi formed the group Skara Brae, a name suggested by Mícheál in reference to Skara Brae, an archaeological site in the Orkney Islands in Scotland consisting of a bleak stone village built in the second millennium BC.[1]

In 1971, Skara Brae released an eponymous album of "beautifully performed Gaelic songs" on Gael Linn Records.[6] It was notable as the first recording to include vocal harmonisation in Irish language songs. In 2004, Ó Domhnaill described the influences on the group in an interview with the RTÉ radio program Rattlebag:

Once a year we'd go up and we'd meet the Derry lads, and we'd form great bonds and they had a great interest in the language and love for it, and as did we, and we kind of sparked off each other. And we used to go down to the lake after classes and we'd sing. We'd sing Beatles songs, but we'd also sing Irish songs. And experiment with chords. We learned a lot from the Beatles. We listened a lot to them and all the music that was happening at the time and we tried to bring that to bear ... on the Irish.[7]

Skara Brae's version of "Tá mé 'mo shuí" shows the unique influence of Rann na Feirste. The song is performed differently in other parishes of the same area.[8] The four voices are skilfully supported by Triona's harpsichord, and the unique guitar work of Mícheál and Dáithi.[6] Mícheál in fact was one of the first guitar players, along with Dáithí, in Irish traditional music to employ DADGAD tuning. His guitar style had a dramatic impact on guitarists who followed in the genre. Both Mícheál and Dáithí were influenced in their early years by John Renbourn and Bert Jansch.

In 1973, while playing the club circuit in Ireland and still a student at University College Dublin, Ó Domhnaill met Mick Hanly, a Limerick-born singer, guitarist, and dulcimer player, and soon the two formed a duo called Monroe. Playing a mixture of Irish, English, and Scottish ballads, many sung in Irish and Scottish Gaelic, Monroe's music centered on acoustic guitars, dulcimer, and voices, with "Hanly's brusque tones complimenting Mícheál's lower-key vocals".[1][9] As Monroe, Hanly and Ó Domhnaill toured Brittany often, meeting with other local and visiting Irish musicians. During this time, Brittany was enjoying a major folk revival, with artists like Alan Stivell, Tri Yann, and Sonnerien Du just emerging onto the scene.[1]

After graduating from the University College Dublin in 1973 with a degree in Celtic Studies, he took a position with the Irish Folklore Commission collecting songs in Donegal.[10] During that time he met many singers and musicians who shared his love of Irish traditional music. He played regularly at the Tabairne Hiudai Beag's and spent long hours with his aunt Neilí, learning and documented over 200 traditional songs she had collected and been singing for years.[10] Many of the songs he would later record he first learned from Neilí during his childhood and from this time of learning.[10]

In 1974, when he was just twenty two years old, Mícheál became the first presenter of the RTÉ radio program The Long Note, which featured Irish traditional musicians, many of whom had never previously been recorded.[9] In 1974, Hanly and Ó Domhnaill recorded a single, "The Hills of Greenmore", and toured with the group Planxty as their supporting act. After enlisting the help of some of the members of Planxty—Liam O'Flynn, Dónal Lunny, and Matt Molloy—Hanly and Ó Domhnaill signed a deal with Polydor Records and recorded the album, Celtic Folkweave, which would later be called a "seminal" album and a "predecessor to The Bothy Band".[1]

The Bothy Band edit

In late 1974, Ó Domhnaill co-founded the very popular group The Bothy Band, along with Matt Molloy (flute and tin whistle), Paddy Keenan (uilleann pipes and tin whistle), Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guitar, and production), Paddy Glackin (fiddle), and his sister Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (harpsichord, clavinet and vocals). Paddy Glackin was later replaced by Tommy Peoples, who was then replaced by Kevin Burke in May 1976. In the five years the Bothy Band were together, they emerged as one of the most exciting groups in the history of Irish traditional music. Much of their repertoire was rooted in the traditional music of Ireland, and their enthusiasm and musical virtuosity set a standard for future Irish traditional performers.[11]

On 2 February 1975, the Bothy Band made its debut at Trinity College Dublin. Despite their great legacy, the Bothy Band only recorded three studio albums during their brief career: The Bothy Band (1975), Old Hag You Have Killed Me (1976), and Out of the Wind – Into the Sun (1977). A live album After Hours was released in 1979. Their first album quickly established them as an important new band. Their second album, Old Hag You Have Killed Me, expanded their following considerably. In 1977, they released their final studio album, effectively establishing their reputation and legacy within the Irish traditional music community.[11]

In 1979, the group disbanded, but the former members went on to play influential roles in the development of Irish traditional music. Lunny returned for a while to Planxty and then helped to form the Celtic rock band Moving Hearts. He continued his work as a producer, working with artists like Andy M. Stewart. Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill moved to the United States and formed the short-lived band Touchstone. She later joined her brother to form both Relativity and Nightnoise.[11]

Kevin Burke and America edit

Upon the dissolution of the Bothy Band, Ó Domhnaill and fiddler Kevin Burke formed a duo and recorded the album Promenade (1979). Co-produced by Ó Domhnaill and Gerry O'Beirne for Mulligan Records, the album has been called "one of the finest duets ever recorded in Irish traditional music".[9] In contrast to the "propulsive power and bracing brinkmanship" produced by the Bothy Band, the duo set off on a different musical path that one reviewer from the Irish Echo called "soulful finesse".[10]

Their sound was unrushed, detailed, spellbindingly beautiful, yet still pulsing with vitality. For tunes, it was the ultimate rhythmic glide, smooth rather than slick, without a hint of coasting. For songs, it was respect and reflection conveyed with absolute conviction.[10]

The album's centerpiece and single was "Lord Franklin", which featured Ó Domhnaill's lilting vocals in English. He sang two other songs on the album in Irish.[10] Ó Domhnaill's guitar playing and Burke's Sligo-style Irish fiddling achieved a "relaxed vitality" through "compelling melodies, pulsing Sligo rhythms, intricate variations, and vocal perfection".[12]

In 1980, Ó Domhnaill and Burke moved to the United States where they toured extensively throughout the country.[10] In 1982, they released their second album, Portland, on Green Linnet Records, which was received with equal enthusiasm by Irish traditional music critics. Reviewers singled out the "tender, baring passion" of Ó Domhnaill's voice in his renditions of "Eirigh a Shiuir" and "Aird Ui Chumhaing".[9]

He treated traditional songs in Irish as the enduring testament of history handed down by those who experienced it rather than merely documented it. His acoustic guitar playing was, like himself, unobtrusive yet intense, focused on gimmick-free impact and ever-mindful that it must support, not supplant, Burke's melodic fiddling.[9]

While touring in Portland, Oregon in 1980, Ó Domhnaill met a young American woman, Peg Johnson, and the two soon began a romantic relationship. After dating for two years, they were married and settled into a house in Portland, where Ó Domhnaill lived for the next fourteen years.[10]

Nightnoise edit

In 1983, after seven years with the Bothy Band and several years collaborating with the master fiddler Kevin Burke, Ó Domhnaill began searching for a new project and a new sound. He met Billy Oskay in Portland, and the two began a new collaboration focused on a new and innovative music that integrated traditional Irish, jazz, and classical chamber music. This collaboration between the American violinist and Irish guitarist created a unique blend of musical forms. Together, they composed and recorded songs in Oskay's Portland home and were pleased with the result.

In late 1983, Ó Domhnaill's music career was altered when William Ackerman at Windham Hill Records heard one of the tracks recorded at Oskay's home.

I guess we were doing the soundtrack for Country at the time and Tom Bocci, who was in publishing at Disney, said hey listen, I've got this thing that I think you might be interested in. And he played a little of it for me and I said God, there's something in here that's really familiar to me. And he said, well do you know The Bothy Band. And I just went nuts. And he said this is Mícheál, you know, and I said God, great, I love it. So get me more.[13]

Ackerman soon offered Ó Domhnaill and Oskay a contract with Windham Hill Records. The tracks they recorded at Oskay's home were mixed and released in 1984 on their album Nightnoise. The album represented a real departure from Ó Domhnaill's Bothy Band roots, and the mellow, ambient instrumental style incorporating jazz and classical elements and forms full of spirituality almost defined what would be called New Age music.[3]

In 1985, Mícheál and his sister Tríona (vocals, clavinet) joined the two Scottish brothers Phil Cunningham (accordion, keyboard, whistle, bodhran) and Johnny Cunningham (fiddle) to form the group Relativity.[1] Together they released two critically successful albums: the self-titled Relativity (1985) and Gathering Pace (1987).[1]

In 1987, Tríona and Irish-American flutist Brian Dunning joined Ó Domhnaill and Oskay to form the band Nightnoise. The quartet's first album Something of Time was released by Windham Hill Records in 1987. It was followed by At the End of the Evening (1988) and The Parting Tide (1990).[14] These albums received significant commercial and critical acclaim, and helped the group develop an impressive reputation touring the United States, Japan, and Europe.[1] Their music effectively combined "original acoustic chamber music with an Irish feel mixing jazz, classical, folk and new age idioms."[1] Their original music made full use of the Ó Domhnaill's folk background, the folk/jazz combinations of Skara Brae, Brian Dunning's jazz background, and Bill Oskay's classical influences.[1]

Nightnoise gave Mícheál the opportunity to expand his musical vocabulary as well as his audience, while retaining the spirit of Irish traditional music that was so much a part of him.[13] In an interview with Echoes, Ó Domhnaill spoke of the prevailing influence of his Irish heritage in the new music he was creating:

We were pretty handcuffed and anchored by the tradition so we could still write music outside of the strictures of 6/8 time or 4/4 time, but they couldn't but sound Celtic because I'm Irish and whatever I write would have elements of the sum total of the listener experience I've had throughout my life. So the Celtic music is still there, the structure of the music is just different.[13]

Following Billy Oskay's departure from Nightnoise in 1990, Scottish fiddler Johnny Cunningham, a former member of Silly Wizard who had played with Triona and Mícheál in the band Relativity, took over Oskay's duties.[1] The band took on a much more Irish-centric sound, while still retaining their own signature style. The revamped Nightnoise went on to release the albums Shadow of Time (1994), A Different Shore (1995), and The White Horse Sessions (1997),[15] an album featuring three live concert performances from Málaga, Spain in 1995, and in-studio live performances recorded in the White Horse Studies in Portland,[16] with their Windham Hill colleagues as their audience.

The White Horse Sessions proved to be the last Nightnoise album. Cunningham left the band following its release, and was replaced by Irish fiddler John Fitzpatrick. The group recorded new material—both original compositions and covers of classic songs—but they were all made for albums other than their own.[15] Nightnoise officially disbanded towards the end of 1997. In a 1999 interview, Ó Domhnaill stated that Nightnoise had not broken up, and that the band would be getting together again shortly, but a reunion never occurred.

Later years edit

 
Mícheál Ó Domhnaill with Skara Brae at Gweedore, 2005

In 1997, Mícheál returned to Ireland, settling in Dundrum, Dublin.[3] In the late 1990s, he and former members of Nightnoise performed on a weekly television show called Brid Live, broadcast by RTE1 in Dublin. In 2001, he teamed up with his close friend Paddy Glackin, the original Bothy Band fiddle player, and together they toured and recorded the album Athchuairt.[3] Glackin later praised Ó Domhnaill for his role in popularising Irish language songs for a wider audience. "He took a lot of old songs," Glackin observed, "and re-fashioned them and made them accessible to a new generation."[3]

On 7 July 2006, Mícheál Ó Domhnaill died of a heart attack at his home. He was 54 years old.[17] On 11 July, a wake was held at the home of his sister Maighread and the following day a requiem Mass was said for Mícheál at the Church of the Holy Cross in Dundrum.[9] The funeral was attended by numerous musicians from across Ireland, including the remaining members of The Bothy Band, piper Liam O'Flynn, accordion player Tony MacMahon, and Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh.[18] Mícheál Ó Domhnaill was buried in St. Colmcille's Cemetery in Kells, County Meath.[9] Ireland's Minister for Arts, John O'Donoghue, in a press release said, "Mícheál Ó Domhnaill was one of Ireland's most gifted and well loved musicians. His contribution to the world of traditional and folk music was enormous. His passing is a great loss and he will be sadly missed."[19]

On 24 May 2007, a remarkable gathering of Irish traditional musicians and singers came together at Vicar Street in Dublin to celebrate the life and music of Mícheál Ó Domhnaill.[10] The performers included Paddy Keenan, Dónal Lunny, Kevin Burke, Mary Black, Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill,, and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill.[10]

Equipment edit

During his early career, Ó Domhnaill played a dark journeyman's Guild dreadnought guitar on stage and on recordings.[20] In 1977, he commissioned a custom-made guitar from luthier Kenny White who was based out of Portland, Oregon.[20] During the 1990s, he played a 1975 Martin D-28, which he used on his later recordings and stage appearances.[20] In a 1996 interview, Ó Domhnaill observed, "It's gotten louder, fuller, clearer, and more bell-like. It wasn't a great instrument when I bought it, but it was a Martin, and I knew it would improve if I played it. I have, and it's worked."[20] Ó Domhnaill also owned a custom-made guitar by another Portland luthier Terry Demezas.[20] He preferred medium-gauge phosphor-bronze strings, and used a large triangular Fender medium flatpick when not fingerpicking.[20] For much of his career, he performed with a small quiver of tin whistles and a pedal harmonium.[20]

Discography edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m O'Regan, John. . Green Man Review. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  2. ^ "Mícheál Ó Domhnaill". Discogs. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Irwin, Colin (22 July 2006). . The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  4. ^ Rynne, John. "Mícheál Ó Domhnaill Obituary". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  5. ^ a b Long, Siobhan (21 January 2009). "An Instinct for Beauty". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  6. ^ a b Winick, Steve. "Skara Brae". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  7. ^ Interview with Skara Brae members at the RTÉ Tribute to 2006 tribute to Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, 2006.
  8. ^ Metz, Marcus. "Skara Brae". Folk World. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Hitchner, Earle (19 July 2006). "A Quiet Man: Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, 1951–2006". Irish Echo. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Moya Brennan (director) (2011). An Bothy Boy: in omós do Mhícheál Ó Domhnaill (Television production). Dublin: TG4.
  11. ^ a b c Harris, Craig. "The Bothy Band". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  12. ^ "Kevin Burke & Michael O'Domhnaill". Green Linnet. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  13. ^ a b c "Tribute". Mícheál Ó Domhnaill. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  14. ^ a b "Mícheál Ó Domhnaill Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  15. ^ a b "Nightnoise". Discogs. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  16. ^ "The White Horse Sessions". Discogs. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  17. ^ Kerr, Áine (10 July 2006). . The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  18. ^ "Mícheál Ó Domhnaill Obituary". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  19. ^ O'Donoghue, John (9 July 2006). "Press Release". The Session. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g Kotapish, Paul (December 2006), "Mícheál Ó Domhnaill 1956–2006", Acoustic Guitar, no. 168, pp. 40–41, retrieved 27 February 2015

External links edit

  • Official website
  • "An Bothy Boy: in omós do Mhícheál Ó Domhnaill, cuid 1" on YouTube TG4 documentary (2011)
  • "An Bothy Boy: in omós do Mhícheál Ó Domhnaill, cuid 2" on YouTube TG4 documentary (2011)
  • "An Bothy Boy: in omós do Mhícheál Ó Domhnaill, cuid 3" on YouTube TG4 documentary (2011)
  • "Promanade" on YouTube by Kevin Burke and Micheál Ó Domhnaill (1978)
  • "Tiocfaidh an Samhradh" on YouTube by Mícheál Ó Domhnaill (1979)
  • "Lord Franklin" on YouTube by Micheál Ó Domhnaill and Kevin Burke (1979)
  • "Casadh an tSugain" on YouTube by Micheál Ó Domhnaill and The Bothy Band (1979)
  • "Glen of Aherlow" on YouTube by Kevin Burke and Micheál Ó Domhnaill (1980)
  • "The Daisy Field"/"The Abbey Reel" on YouTube by Kevin Burke and Micheál Ó Domhnaill (1980)

mícheál, domhnaill, irish, pronunciation, ˈmʲiːçaːl, ˠoːnˠəl, october, 1951, july, 2006, irish, singer, guitarist, composer, producer, major, influence, irish, traditional, music, second, half, twentieth, century, remembered, innovative, work, with, skara, bra. Micheal o Domhnaill Irish pronunciation ˈmʲiːcaːl ˠ oː ˈd ˠoːnˠel ʲ 7 October 1951 7 July 2006 was an Irish singer guitarist composer and producer who was a major influence on Irish traditional music in the second half of the twentieth century 1 He is remembered for his innovative work with Skara Brae the first group to record vocal harmonization in Irish language songs and The Bothy Band one of the most influential groups in Irish traditional music His reputation was enhanced by a successful collaboration with master fiddler Kevin Burke and his work with the Celtic groups Relativity and Nightnoise which achieved significant commercial and critical acclaim Micheal o DomhnaillMicheal o Domhnaill 1979Background informationBirth nameMicheal Seosamh o DomhnaillBorn 1951 10 07 7 October 1951Kells County Meath IrelandDied7 July 2006 2006 07 07 aged 54 Dundrum Dublin IrelandGenresIrish traditional Celtic folkOccupation s Musician composer producerInstrument s Guitar vocals banjo mandolin piano organ tin whistle harmonium harmonicaYears active1971 2006Websitewww wbr michealodomhnaill wbr com o Domhnaill was raised in Kells County Meath Ireland and spent his summers in the Donegal Gaeltacht Irish speaking area of Rann na Feirste where the Irish language is the main spoken language He inherited a deep love and understanding of Irish culture and Irish traditional music from his parents In Donegal Micheal spent time with his aunt Neili a renowned singer who had a vast repertoire of Irish and English songs He formed lifelong friendships with Pol and Ciaran Brennan future members of Clannad and Daithi Sproule future member of Skara Brae and Altan Contents 1 Early years 2 Skara Brae 3 The Bothy Band 4 Kevin Burke and America 5 Nightnoise 6 Later years 7 Equipment 8 Discography 9 References 10 External linksEarly years editMicheal Seosamh o Domhnaill 2 was born 7 October 1951 in Kells County Meath Ireland 1 His father Aodh was a teacher a singer and a collector of traditional music for the Irish Folklore Commission His mother Brid was a choral singer Micheal s father was raised in the Donegal Gaeltacht Irish speaking area of Rann na Feirste where the Irish language is the main spoken language Micheal his two sisters Maighread and Triona and two brothers Eamon and Conall inherited a deep love and understanding of Irish culture from their parents The family spent their summers in Rann na Feirste learning the Irish language and Irish traditional music 3 During these summers in Donegal Micheal and his siblings spent time with their aunt Neili a renowned singer who had a vast repertoire of Irish and English songs They also formed lifelong friendships with Pol and Ciaran Brennan future members of Clannad and Daithi Sproule future member of Skara Brae and Altan 1 Micheal s musical literacy was encouraged throughout his early years At the age of six he started taking piano lessons from the Kells nuns which left a lasting influence on him He also sang in a choir founded by his father At the age of twelve Micheal suffered an appendicitis To ease the boredom of his recuperation a religious brother who taught at Micheal s school gave him a guitar By the age of sixteen Micheal began devoting his musical energies to the guitar 4 Throughout his early years he and his sisters Triona and Maighread continued to sing the Irish songs together in close harmony With their father s advice to listen across one another to pick up subtle shifts in harmony the siblings developed a seamless texture to their singing 5 Triona would later recall We could just look at each other in the midst of a song and that look would communicate so much When you ve close family ties it s instinctive 5 Skara Brae editMain article Skara Brae band In the late 1960s Micheal and his sister Triona began attending University College Dublin where they met up with singer guitarist Daithi Sproule future member of Altan from Derry They began performing together around Dublin producing beautiful adventurous arrangements of Irish Gaelic songs 3 In the summer of 1970 Micheal and Daithi performed as the house band at Teach Hiudai Beag in Gaoth Dobhair Gweedore Donegal Later that year Micheal Triona Maighread and Daithi formed the group Skara Brae a name suggested by Micheal in reference to Skara Brae an archaeological site in the Orkney Islands in Scotland consisting of a bleak stone village built in the second millennium BC 1 In 1971 Skara Brae released an eponymous album of beautifully performed Gaelic songs on Gael Linn Records 6 It was notable as the first recording to include vocal harmonisation in Irish language songs In 2004 o Domhnaill described the influences on the group in an interview with the RTE radio program Rattlebag Once a year we d go up and we d meet the Derry lads and we d form great bonds and they had a great interest in the language and love for it and as did we and we kind of sparked off each other And we used to go down to the lake after classes and we d sing We d sing Beatles songs but we d also sing Irish songs And experiment with chords We learned a lot from the Beatles We listened a lot to them and all the music that was happening at the time and we tried to bring that to bear on the Irish 7 Skara Brae s version of Ta me mo shui shows the unique influence of Rann na Feirste The song is performed differently in other parishes of the same area 8 The four voices are skilfully supported by Triona s harpsichord and the unique guitar work of Micheal and Daithi 6 Micheal in fact was one of the first guitar players along with Daithi in Irish traditional music to employ DADGAD tuning His guitar style had a dramatic impact on guitarists who followed in the genre Both Micheal and Daithi were influenced in their early years by John Renbourn and Bert Jansch In 1973 while playing the club circuit in Ireland and still a student at University College Dublin o Domhnaill met Mick Hanly a Limerick born singer guitarist and dulcimer player and soon the two formed a duo called Monroe Playing a mixture of Irish English and Scottish ballads many sung in Irish and Scottish Gaelic Monroe s music centered on acoustic guitars dulcimer and voices with Hanly s brusque tones complimenting Micheal s lower key vocals 1 9 As Monroe Hanly and o Domhnaill toured Brittany often meeting with other local and visiting Irish musicians During this time Brittany was enjoying a major folk revival with artists like Alan Stivell Tri Yann and Sonnerien Du just emerging onto the scene 1 After graduating from the University College Dublin in 1973 with a degree in Celtic Studies he took a position with the Irish Folklore Commission collecting songs in Donegal 10 During that time he met many singers and musicians who shared his love of Irish traditional music He played regularly at the Tabairne Hiudai Beag s and spent long hours with his aunt Neili learning and documented over 200 traditional songs she had collected and been singing for years 10 Many of the songs he would later record he first learned from Neili during his childhood and from this time of learning 10 In 1974 when he was just twenty two years old Micheal became the first presenter of the RTE radio program The Long Note which featured Irish traditional musicians many of whom had never previously been recorded 9 In 1974 Hanly and o Domhnaill recorded a single The Hills of Greenmore and toured with the group Planxty as their supporting act After enlisting the help of some of the members of Planxty Liam O Flynn Donal Lunny and Matt Molloy Hanly and o Domhnaill signed a deal with Polydor Records and recorded the album Celtic Folkweave which would later be called a seminal album and a predecessor to The Bothy Band 1 The Bothy Band editMain article The Bothy Band In late 1974 o Domhnaill co founded the very popular group The Bothy Band along with Matt Molloy flute and tin whistle Paddy Keenan uilleann pipes and tin whistle Donal Lunny bouzouki guitar and production Paddy Glackin fiddle and his sister Triona Ni Dhomhnaill harpsichord clavinet and vocals Paddy Glackin was later replaced by Tommy Peoples who was then replaced by Kevin Burke in May 1976 In the five years the Bothy Band were together they emerged as one of the most exciting groups in the history of Irish traditional music Much of their repertoire was rooted in the traditional music of Ireland and their enthusiasm and musical virtuosity set a standard for future Irish traditional performers 11 On 2 February 1975 the Bothy Band made its debut at Trinity College Dublin Despite their great legacy the Bothy Band only recorded three studio albums during their brief career The Bothy Band 1975 Old Hag You Have Killed Me 1976 and Out of the Wind Into the Sun 1977 A live album After Hours was released in 1979 Their first album quickly established them as an important new band Their second album Old Hag You Have Killed Me expanded their following considerably In 1977 they released their final studio album effectively establishing their reputation and legacy within the Irish traditional music community 11 In 1979 the group disbanded but the former members went on to play influential roles in the development of Irish traditional music Lunny returned for a while to Planxty and then helped to form the Celtic rock band Moving Hearts He continued his work as a producer working with artists like Andy M Stewart Triona Ni Dhomhnaill moved to the United States and formed the short lived band Touchstone She later joined her brother to form both Relativity and Nightnoise 11 Kevin Burke and America editUpon the dissolution of the Bothy Band o Domhnaill and fiddler Kevin Burke formed a duo and recorded the album Promenade 1979 Co produced by o Domhnaill and Gerry O Beirne for Mulligan Records the album has been called one of the finest duets ever recorded in Irish traditional music 9 In contrast to the propulsive power and bracing brinkmanship produced by the Bothy Band the duo set off on a different musical path that one reviewer from the Irish Echo called soulful finesse 10 Their sound was unrushed detailed spellbindingly beautiful yet still pulsing with vitality For tunes it was the ultimate rhythmic glide smooth rather than slick without a hint of coasting For songs it was respect and reflection conveyed with absolute conviction 10 The album s centerpiece and single was Lord Franklin which featured o Domhnaill s lilting vocals in English He sang two other songs on the album in Irish 10 o Domhnaill s guitar playing and Burke s Sligo style Irish fiddling achieved a relaxed vitality through compelling melodies pulsing Sligo rhythms intricate variations and vocal perfection 12 In 1980 o Domhnaill and Burke moved to the United States where they toured extensively throughout the country 10 In 1982 they released their second album Portland on Green Linnet Records which was received with equal enthusiasm by Irish traditional music critics Reviewers singled out the tender baring passion of o Domhnaill s voice in his renditions of Eirigh a Shiuir and Aird Ui Chumhaing 9 He treated traditional songs in Irish as the enduring testament of history handed down by those who experienced it rather than merely documented it His acoustic guitar playing was like himself unobtrusive yet intense focused on gimmick free impact and ever mindful that it must support not supplant Burke s melodic fiddling 9 While touring in Portland Oregon in 1980 o Domhnaill met a young American woman Peg Johnson and the two soon began a romantic relationship After dating for two years they were married and settled into a house in Portland where o Domhnaill lived for the next fourteen years 10 Nightnoise editMain article Nightnoise In 1983 after seven years with the Bothy Band and several years collaborating with the master fiddler Kevin Burke o Domhnaill began searching for a new project and a new sound He met Billy Oskay in Portland and the two began a new collaboration focused on a new and innovative music that integrated traditional Irish jazz and classical chamber music This collaboration between the American violinist and Irish guitarist created a unique blend of musical forms Together they composed and recorded songs in Oskay s Portland home and were pleased with the result In late 1983 o Domhnaill s music career was altered when William Ackerman at Windham Hill Records heard one of the tracks recorded at Oskay s home I guess we were doing the soundtrack for Country at the time and Tom Bocci who was in publishing at Disney said hey listen I ve got this thing that I think you might be interested in And he played a little of it for me and I said God there s something in here that s really familiar to me And he said well do you know The Bothy Band And I just went nuts And he said this is Micheal you know and I said God great I love it So get me more 13 Ackerman soon offered o Domhnaill and Oskay a contract with Windham Hill Records The tracks they recorded at Oskay s home were mixed and released in 1984 on their album Nightnoise The album represented a real departure from o Domhnaill s Bothy Band roots and the mellow ambient instrumental style incorporating jazz and classical elements and forms full of spirituality almost defined what would be called New Age music 3 In 1985 Micheal and his sister Triona vocals clavinet joined the two Scottish brothers Phil Cunningham accordion keyboard whistle bodhran and Johnny Cunningham fiddle to form the group Relativity 1 Together they released two critically successful albums the self titled Relativity 1985 and Gathering Pace 1987 1 In 1987 Triona and Irish American flutist Brian Dunning joined o Domhnaill and Oskay to form the band Nightnoise The quartet s first album Something of Time was released by Windham Hill Records in 1987 It was followed by At the End of the Evening 1988 and The Parting Tide 1990 14 These albums received significant commercial and critical acclaim and helped the group develop an impressive reputation touring the United States Japan and Europe 1 Their music effectively combined original acoustic chamber music with an Irish feel mixing jazz classical folk and new age idioms 1 Their original music made full use of the o Domhnaill s folk background the folk jazz combinations of Skara Brae Brian Dunning s jazz background and Bill Oskay s classical influences 1 Nightnoise gave Micheal the opportunity to expand his musical vocabulary as well as his audience while retaining the spirit of Irish traditional music that was so much a part of him 13 In an interview with Echoes o Domhnaill spoke of the prevailing influence of his Irish heritage in the new music he was creating We were pretty handcuffed and anchored by the tradition so we could still write music outside of the strictures of 6 8 time or 4 4 time but they couldn t but sound Celtic because I m Irish and whatever I write would have elements of the sum total of the listener experience I ve had throughout my life So the Celtic music is still there the structure of the music is just different 13 Following Billy Oskay s departure from Nightnoise in 1990 Scottish fiddler Johnny Cunningham a former member of Silly Wizard who had played with Triona and Micheal in the band Relativity took over Oskay s duties 1 The band took on a much more Irish centric sound while still retaining their own signature style The revamped Nightnoise went on to release the albums Shadow of Time 1994 A Different Shore 1995 and The White Horse Sessions 1997 15 an album featuring three live concert performances from Malaga Spain in 1995 and in studio live performances recorded in the White Horse Studies in Portland 16 with their Windham Hill colleagues as their audience The White Horse Sessions proved to be the last Nightnoise album Cunningham left the band following its release and was replaced by Irish fiddler John Fitzpatrick The group recorded new material both original compositions and covers of classic songs but they were all made for albums other than their own 15 Nightnoise officially disbanded towards the end of 1997 In a 1999 interview o Domhnaill stated that Nightnoise had not broken up and that the band would be getting together again shortly but a reunion never occurred Later years edit nbsp Micheal o Domhnaill with Skara Brae at Gweedore 2005 In 1997 Micheal returned to Ireland settling in Dundrum Dublin 3 In the late 1990s he and former members of Nightnoise performed on a weekly television show called Brid Live broadcast by RTE1 in Dublin In 2001 he teamed up with his close friend Paddy Glackin the original Bothy Band fiddle player and together they toured and recorded the album Athchuairt 3 Glackin later praised o Domhnaill for his role in popularising Irish language songs for a wider audience He took a lot of old songs Glackin observed and re fashioned them and made them accessible to a new generation 3 On 7 July 2006 Micheal o Domhnaill died of a heart attack at his home He was 54 years old 17 On 11 July a wake was held at the home of his sister Maighread and the following day a requiem Mass was said for Micheal at the Church of the Holy Cross in Dundrum 9 The funeral was attended by numerous musicians from across Ireland including the remaining members of The Bothy Band piper Liam O Flynn accordion player Tony MacMahon and Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh 18 Micheal o Domhnaill was buried in St Colmcille s Cemetery in Kells County Meath 9 Ireland s Minister for Arts John O Donoghue in a press release said Micheal o Domhnaill was one of Ireland s most gifted and well loved musicians His contribution to the world of traditional and folk music was enormous His passing is a great loss and he will be sadly missed 19 On 24 May 2007 a remarkable gathering of Irish traditional musicians and singers came together at Vicar Street in Dublin to celebrate the life and music of Micheal o Domhnaill 10 The performers included Paddy Keenan Donal Lunny Kevin Burke Mary Black Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill and Triona Ni Dhomhnaill 10 Equipment editDuring his early career o Domhnaill played a dark journeyman s Guild dreadnought guitar on stage and on recordings 20 In 1977 he commissioned a custom made guitar from luthier Kenny White who was based out of Portland Oregon 20 During the 1990s he played a 1975 Martin D 28 which he used on his later recordings and stage appearances 20 In a 1996 interview o Domhnaill observed It s gotten louder fuller clearer and more bell like It wasn t a great instrument when I bought it but it was a Martin and I knew it would improve if I played it I have and it s worked 20 o Domhnaill also owned a custom made guitar by another Portland luthier Terry Demezas 20 He preferred medium gauge phosphor bronze strings and used a large triangular Fender medium flatpick when not fingerpicking 20 For much of his career he performed with a small quiver of tin whistles and a pedal harmonium 20 Discography editWith Skara Brae Skara Brae 1971 With Mick Hanly Celtic Folkweave 1974 With The Bothy Band The Bothy Band 1975 Old Hag You Have Killed Me 1976 Out of the Wind Into the Sun 1977 After Hours Live in Paris 1979 Best of The Bothy Band 1983 The Bothy Band Live in Concert 1995 With Kevin Burke Promenade 1979 Portland 1982 With Billy Oskay Nightnoise 1984 With Relativity Relativity 1985 Gathering Pace 1987 With Nightnoise Something of Time 1987 At the End of the Evening 1988 The Parting Tide 1990 A Windham Hill Retrospective 1992 Shadow of Time 1993 A Different Shore 1995 The White Horse Sessions 1997 Pure Nightnoise 2006 With Paddy Glackin Reprise Athchuairt 2001 With other artists Clannad 2 by Clannad 1974 guitar vocals Triona by Triona Ni Dhomhnaill 1975 guitar leiriu Noel Hill amp Tony Linnane by Noel Hill 1978 producer church harmonium If the Cap Fits by Kevin Burke 1978 guitar New Land by Touchstone 1982 producer guitar Thunderhead by Malcolm Dalglish 1982 producer guitar Jealousy by Touchstone 1984 producer guitar keyboards Heartland Messenger by Gerald Trimble 1984 guitar harmonium Matt Molloy by Matt Molloy 1984 producer First Flight by Gerald Trimble 1984 guitar Above the Tower by Magical Strings 1985 producer Fair Play by Puck Fair 1987 guitar whistle human whistle On the Burren by Magical Strings 1987 producer Heathery Breeze by Matt Molloy 1988 guitar Road North by Alasdair Fraser 1989 guitar Crossing to Skellig by Magical Strings 1990 producer An Ras by Tommy Hayes 1991 arranger guitar Open House by Kevin Burke 1992 producer Best of Ireland by Celtic Graces 1994 guitar vocals Brotherhood of Stars by Carlos Nunez 1997 guitar Migration by Valgardena 1997 performer Sun the Moon and the Stars by Jimmy Smyth 1998 composer Idir an Da Sholas by Maighread Ni Dhomnaill 2000 guitar Zoe Conway by Zoe Conway 2002 guitar Peace of Mind by Peace of Mind 2003 guitar Live in Belfast by Cathal Hayden 2005 guitar vocals Compilation albums Windham Hill Sampler 84 1985 Windham Hill Autumn Portrait 1985 A Winter s Solstice 1985 Flight of the Green Linnet 1988 Windham Hill Sampler 88 1988 A Winter s Solstice II 1988 Playing with Fire Celtic Fiddle Collection 1989 Sona Gaia Collection One 1990 Windham Hill The First Ten Years 1990 A Winter s Solstice III 1990 Windham Hill Sampler 92 1991 Heart of the Gaels 1992 Impressionists A Windham Hill Sampler 1992 A Winter s Solstice IV 1993 Bach Variations A Windham Hill Sampler 1994 Windham Hill Sampler 94 1994 A Winter s Solstice V 1995 Celtic Christmas A Windham Hill Sampler 1995 Celtic Twilight Vol 2 1996 Sanctuary 20 Years of Windham Hill 1996 Windham Hill Sampler 96 1996 Green Linnet 20th Anniversary Collection 1996 Carols of Christmas 1996 Celtic Christmas II 1996 On a Starry Night 1997 Holding up Half the Sky Women s Voices from Around the World Vol 1 1997 There Was a Lady The Voice of Celtic Women 1997 Celtic Love Songs 1997 Celtic Music Today 1997 Traditional Music of Scotland 1997 Candlelight Moments Serene Sounds 1997 Celtic Christmas III 1997 Her Infinite Variety Celtic Women in Music amp Song 1998 Putting on Airs 1998 Legends of Ireland 1998 Celtic Christmas IV 1998 Winter Solstice Reunion 1998 Joyful Noise Celtic Favorites from Green Linnet 1998 Celtic Woman 1999 Valley Best of the Thistle amp Shamrock Vol 1 1999 Celtic Christmas V The Millennium Edition 1999 Voice of Celtic Music 1999 Holding up Half the Sky Voices of Celtic Women II 1999 National Geographic Destination Ireland 2001 Celtic Christmas Silver Anniversary Edition 2001 The Dance Music of Ireland Jigs amp Reels 2002 The Acoustic Folk Box 2002 Christmas Adagios Holiday Classics to Touch Your Heart and Soul 2002 A Windham Hill Christmas 2002 Windham Hill Chill Ambient Acoustic 2003 Windham Hill Chill 2 2003 Very Best of Celtic Christmas 2004 Essential Winter s Solstice 2005 Quiet Revolution 30 Years of Windham Hill 2005 Winter s Songs A Windham Hill Christmas 2010 14 References edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m O Regan John Micheal o Domhnaill 1951 2006 Green Man Review Archived from the original on 20 March 2012 Retrieved 11 September 2011 Micheal o Domhnaill Discogs Retrieved 13 September 2011 a b c d e f Irwin Colin 22 July 2006 Micheal o Domhnaill Obituary The Independent Archived from the original on 12 November 2012 Retrieved 11 September 2011 Rynne John Micheal o Domhnaill Obituary The Irish Times Retrieved 13 September 2011 a b Long Siobhan 21 January 2009 An Instinct for Beauty The Irish Times Retrieved 22 February 2015 a b Winick Steve Skara Brae AllMusic Retrieved 17 September 2011 Interview with Skara Brae members at the RTE Tribute to 2006 tribute to Micheal o Domhnaill 2006 Metz Marcus Skara Brae Folk World Retrieved 17 September 2011 a b c d e f g Hitchner Earle 19 July 2006 A Quiet Man Micheal o Domhnaill 1951 2006 Irish Echo Retrieved 29 August 2014 a b c d e f g h i j Moya Brennan director 2011 An Bothy Boy in omos do Mhicheal o Domhnaill Television production Dublin TG4 a b c Harris Craig The Bothy Band AllMusic Retrieved 13 September 2011 Kevin Burke amp Michael O Domhnaill Green Linnet Retrieved 30 August 2014 a b c Tribute Micheal o Domhnaill Retrieved 17 September 2011 a b Micheal o Domhnaill Credits AllMusic Retrieved 13 September 2011 a b Nightnoise Discogs Retrieved 19 February 2015 The White Horse Sessions Discogs Retrieved 19 February 2015 Kerr Aine 10 July 2006 Musician Micheal o Domhnaill Dies at 54 The Irish Times Archived from the original on 29 March 2015 Retrieved 29 August 2014 Micheal o Domhnaill Obituary The Irish Times Retrieved 13 September 2011 O Donoghue John 9 July 2006 Press Release The Session Retrieved 21 February 2015 a b c d e f g Kotapish Paul December 2006 Micheal o Domhnaill 1956 2006 Acoustic Guitar no 168 pp 40 41 retrieved 27 February 2015External links editOfficial website An Bothy Boy in omos do Mhicheal o Domhnaill cuid 1 on YouTube TG4 documentary 2011 An Bothy Boy in omos do Mhicheal o Domhnaill cuid 2 on YouTube TG4 documentary 2011 An Bothy Boy in omos do Mhicheal o Domhnaill cuid 3 on YouTube TG4 documentary 2011 Promanade on YouTube by Kevin Burke and Micheal o Domhnaill 1978 Tiocfaidh an Samhradh on YouTube by Micheal o Domhnaill 1979 Lord Franklin on YouTube by Micheal o Domhnaill and Kevin Burke 1979 Casadh an tSugain on YouTube by Micheal o Domhnaill and The Bothy Band 1979 Glen of Aherlow on YouTube by Kevin Burke and Micheal o Domhnaill 1980 The Daisy Field The Abbey Reel on YouTube by Kevin Burke and Micheal o Domhnaill 1980 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Micheal o Domhnaill amp oldid 1218818135, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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