Our Song of the Day is Séadnadh Mór (The Lion and Fox) performed live by Preab Meadar – Lorcán Mac Mathúna (vocals) and Daire ó Breacáin (fiddle) – at Cos Cos Sean Nós. This performance is extra special in that they are joined by Sean Nós dancers Liam Scanlon and Caoimhe Ní Mhaolagáin who created new dance steps to go with the complex rhythms.
Preab Meadar’s debut album was released in 2014. It was a Featured Album of the Month and was also selected as one of our Best Albums of 2014.
Preab Meadar is also further reaching than academic study – it reaches into the ancient, inherited consciousness of the listener, it brings the voices of the past to the modern ear. Daire & Lorcán’s understanding of their art has resulted in a highly enlightening piece of work. I can’t recommend it strongly enough. Neil McFadyen (Folk Radio UK)
Lorcán Mac Mathúna wrote a beautiful article for Folk Radio UK on vocal dance traditions – Dancing to Poetry. The inspiration for this project began in Chanos del Someron, a tiny village high on the shoulder of a mountain in Asturias where all the village women had come down to the village’s only bar to sing and dance. Read the full article here which also explores Celtic Literature and how Syllabic poetry is easily transferred to the composition of rhythmic music.
“…It was exciting; a revelation; and it left my mind racing. There were different patterns in the rhythm, and in the relationship between notes and beats, and I could hear that they were linked directly to the contingencies of language.”
For those curious, Lorcán and Daire also provided an illustration of the dance for Séadnadh Mór:
You can order the album here http://lorcanmacmathuna.com/shop/preabmeadar.html