***PRESS RELEASE ***
Contact: Lorcán Mac Mathúna,
info@lorcanmacmathuna.com
Fjord and Glen - Songs of Ireland and Scandinavia
Northern Lights tour (January, February, 2013)
What is the language of music? In Dubh
agus Geal - Darkness and Light, Northern Lights combine Irish and Scandinavian
traditional music and songs based on how they make you feel,
and take you on a journey that spans the North Sea.
"spectacular... highly charged ...deeply expressive" ****
(The Irish Times)
“This album defies reviewers in the best possible way” ***** (Folkradio)
“definitely one of the best Celtic influenced albums from 2011” (folkworld)
18 months after
the release of their critically acclaimed debut album,
Dubh agus Geal – Darkness and light, Northern
lights are set for their first Irish tour in February 2013.
The Ireland and Belgian based group, who played to ten packed
houses (and two sell out shows) in Belgium in January 2012
will be performing to Irish audiences for the first time
since the (June) 2011 release of Dubh agus Geal. With music
described as “A bold ride into unchartered territory” (The
Irish Times) this tour is long overdue.
Northern Lights combine Irish and Scandinavian traditional
music and songs based on how they make you feel. It
takes you on a journey through exile, superstition,
ghosts and ic-bound seas. From Ireland to Norway and
Sweden. Through unfamiliar sounds with a familiar tone.
A tone
born of an innate need in all people and traditions –the
need to express human passions.
With Northern Lights, De Cock and Mac Mathúna, backed
by the percussive guitar of Decker, have found extraordinary
similarities in how themes that are common to all
people (superstition, exile, and lament of the dead, for
instance)
are expressed in Ireland and Scandinavia. They believe
that these expressions of human nature are so fundamental
that you
recognise them
instantly regardless of language. In Northern Lights
they have found resonant touchstones in the musical sounds
of
traditions separated by language and distance, and
have created a powerful dialogue with them.
Northern Lights are: Lorcán Mac Mathúna (voice,
srutti); Raphael de Cock (uilleann pipes, low whistle, voice,
chatkhan, hardanger fiddle, jews harp); and Rémi Decker
(guitar, pipes).
Dates:
Thu, January 17, 21:00: Sea Angling club, Howth
Sun, January 20, 20:30 : Balor Arts Centre, Ballybofey,
Tue, January 22, 20:30: The Grand Folk Club, At the Grand
Social 35 Lwr Liffey Street Dublin
Wed, January 23, 20:00: St. John’s, Listowel,
Thu, January 24, 21:00: De Barra’s Clonakilty
Fri, January 25, 20:00: Áras Inis Gluaire, Mayo
Thu,
February 7, 20:00: Christchurch, Waterford
Fri, February 8, 20:00: Wireless Folk. The Franciscan Church,
Henry Street, Limerick,
Sat, February 9, 20:00 The Hawk’s Well Theatre,
Sligo -with WeBanjo3
What is Northern Lights
Northern Lights is a Gaelic-Norse song project which illustrates
how the themes of folk music are transmitted throughout different
traditions. It is a performance dialogue of songs from Ireland
and Scandinavia which takes its direction from the mood and
colours of songs separated by language but placed in the
same emotional sphere. A dialogue of conjoined songs and
switching language it presents a soundscape which conveys
the local and the universal at once.
