Iarla Ó Lionaird at St. Fin Barre's Cathedral

The 28th Beamish Cork Folk Festival Saturday, September 1st, St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral, 8pm Iarla Ó Lionaird & Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral is a fabulous venue. It is at one and the same time vaulted, cloistered, stark, opulent, and it was the perfect setting for tonight’s concert. Alone on the stage, in the darkened church, lit only by a blue light, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh whispered a greeting and opened. It opened softly and, in my mind’s eye, painted images of a lone fiddler calling the workers in from the bog. That sounded much better in my head. Moving from a dance to a haunting and back to a dance, he played two such in his, alas, short set. Can I say something about the venue again? The darkness of the church, the odd blue light, the shadows dancing on the walls as Mr Ó Raghallaigh played only served to enhance the whole experience. The organisers of this festival should be praised for realising that the performance is not just the performer in isolation but, in fact, begins as soon as the audience sets foot inside the door. But back to Mr Ó Raghallaigh. I loved the tone he achieved. As a classically trained musician, I am used to a particular range of timbres from the string section. Therefore it was wonderful to hear a traditional fiddle played with such virtuosity, to really appreciate the beauty of the sound. It’s hard to describe but the words hollow and wood came to mind (not wooden, let’s be clear). If you’re ever heard both a concert flute and an Irish flute played, you’ll know what I’m talking about. It has a haunting quality. The second half opened with a rather diffident Iarla Ó Lionaird approaching the mic and starting to sing. It was like a prayer. Let’s not beat about the bush here. I’ve heard this man sing before and, frankly, he could sing the alphabet and I’d be happy. Listening to his voice is like having really good, freshly brewed coffee. I could go on but we’d miss the gig. He opened solo, then welcomed Graham Henderson to the stage to accompany him on key board (later guitar) and, after that, brought up Niall Mac Coll on guitar. It was a very relaxed performance. It was a very relaxed audience. Despite the grandeur of the setting, it was more like an audience with friends. The second piece in the set, just voice and piano, after some pitching issues, was one which settled into his lower range and was mesmerising, heart-stopping. The set moved from the very traditional opening through diverse styles – a hint of the Smokie Mountains in one, French Arthouse in another, a touch of U2 in another still – with the bulk of it remaining in the folk-field. While I personally was not entirely sure about the choice of keyboard sound/style used to accompany some of the songs, Mr Ó Lionaird has the voice and skill to carry any tune above and beyond. The variety of music on offer tonight and the somewhat unusual choices in arrangement are also testament to an interest in the more experimental form, as shown previously with the Afro-Celt Sound System. It closed, as it opened, with a slow Irish air. Perfect. Now, I won’t pretend to know my jigs from my reels. I was not raised in a home steeped in Irish traditional music. But, to be glib, I know what I like and I liked this. But possibly bring a cushion next time? http://www.corkfolkfestival.com