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1
Q

Opening quote and place of birth

A

Seán Ó Riada, “the single most influential figure in the revival of Irish music”, was born John Reidy in Cork, 1931.

2
Q

Background in music

A

Background in music with his parents Seán Reidy and Julia Creedon. Took violin lessons aged seven and studied piano. He later studied music in Cork with Aloys Fleischmann. As a student, Ó Riada played piano with jazz/dance bands which later influenced his music.

3
Q

First three jobs( part of introduction)

A

He had many short stints of employment including a job with Radio éireann and work in Paris. His third job as musical director of Dublin’s Abbey theatre put him at the centre of artistic endeavour in Ireland.

4
Q

Mise Éire influence and invitation

A

Film director George Morrison invited Ó Riada to produce the score for film ‘Mise Éire’. The Irish public immediately realised Irish music had never sounded as good before. The film made Seán Ó Riada a household name.

5
Q

Describe Mise Éire music

A

He fused patriotic tunes like “Róisín Dubh” with classical ideas by using brass instruments to play the sweeping themes.
In one section his music captures the desolation of Dublin with a broken theme punctuated with timpani.

6
Q

Television work

A

His extensive music studies led him to broadcast series “Our musical heritage” in which he demonstrated the diversity of Irish music.

7
Q

Example of his fusion of irish and classical music

A

He presented Irish music in a new way with classical influences. This ‘classical’ training is evident in “Hercules dux Ferrarie: Nomos 1” written for strings in which I heard string techniques such as dissonant harmony.

8
Q

Who were ceoltóirí chualann

A

Ó Riada was also introduced to the musicians of Ceotoirí Chualann. This included Paddy Moloney, Martin Fay, Seán Keane and others, many of whom later formed the Chieftains

9
Q

Ceoltóirí chuallan music

A

The group composed the soundtrack of J.M Synge’s Playboy of the Western World. Songs they played were often well known but presented by Ó Riada in an exciting way.
He described céilí band music “like the buzzing of a bluebottle in an upturned jam jar”. I listened Ceoltóirí Chualann Reel and heard features including bodhrán accompaniment in the first part of the tune and the use of the harpsichord.
I felt a lilting quality to the music with the vocals.

10
Q

Why did Seán Ó Riada use the harpsichord

A

Ó Riada preferred the harpsichord sound as it was similar to that of a wire strung harp.

11
Q

Final occupation

A

In 1962 Ó Riada resigned from the Abbey theatre and became a lecturer in Irish music at University College Cork.

12
Q

While working in his final profession he moved. Talk of move and musical activity

A

He moved to Cúil Aodha, not far from where his mother was born and established the famous Coolea Male Voice Choir, writing gorgeous liturgical music including the Ó Riada Mass. The choir was continued by his brother Peadar after his passing.

13
Q

Death

A

His health was bad and with an addiction to alcohol he died aged 40.

14
Q

Final concluding quote

A

He was undoubtedly a musical genius and he “shattered the chains that had confined Irish music and released a shimmering cascade of sound”