Nóirín Ní Riain

Nóirín Ní Riain

Nóirín Ní Riain performs in 2009
Background information
Birth name Nora Mary Antoinette Ryan
(Irish: Nóra Máire Antoinette Ní Riain)
Origin Caherconlish, County Limerick, Ireland
Genres Irish Traditional
Folk
Celtic
Gregorian Chant
Instruments Vocals, surpeti, shruti box, Irish whistle, piano
Years active 1977 – present
Labels Daisy Discs (Ireland)
Gael Linn (Ireland)
Sounds True Inc. (USA)
Associated acts size2shoes
Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin
Website http://www.theosony.com

Nóirín Ní Riain (born 1951, Caherconlish, County Limerick) is an Irish singer, writer, teacher, theologian, and authority on Gregorian Chant (plainchant, plainsong). She is primarily known for spiritual songs,[1] but also sings Celtic music, Sean-nós and Indian songs. Nóirín plays an Indian harmonium (surpeti), shruti box and feadóg (whistle). She was Artist-in-Residence for Wexford and Laois. She performs with her sons Eoin and Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin under the name A.M.E.N.[2] and gives workshops about Sound as a Spiritual Experience.

Biography

Nóirín Ní Riain began singing lessons at seven years of age. She later studied music at University College Cork (UCC), specialising in religious music for post-graduate work. She developed as a performer, focusing particularly on religious, Irish traditional, and international religious music. She has performed extensively worldwide—notable events include: the International Peace Gathering at Costa Rica to introduce His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama in 1989, The United Nations summit at Rio de Janeiro 1992, the European Cultural Month at Kraków, Poland 1992, the UN Earth summit in Copenhagen 1995, and the World Women summit in Beijing 1995. She has performed in the Royal Festival Hall with Sinéad O'Connor, with the American composer John Cage, with the sons of Karlheinz Stockhausen—Markus and Simon, with Paul Winter at summer and winter solstice concerts in the Cathedral of St John the Divine in New York, and with the Scola Gregoriana of Notre Dame University, Indiana, where she performed the leading role in Anima, by Hildegard von Bingen. She sang several times in India as a delegate of the Irish government, and performed in war-torn Sarajevo.[3]

The Cork singer and teacher at UCC, Pilib Ó Laoghaire (1910–1976), was a great influence. He persuaded her to become a singer instead of studying law, and taught her Irish traditional sean-nós singing.[4] In UCC she studied under Aloys Fleischmann and Seán Ó Riada.

As a child, Nóirín often visited Glenstal Abbey in Murroe to listen to the chants of the Benedictine monks. Later she performed and made several recordings with them, under which the trilogy: Vox Clamantis in Deserto (Caoineadh na Maighdine), Vox Populi (Good People All) and Vox de Nube (A Voice from the Cloud).[5]

She has a PhD in theology. Her thesis was The Specificity of Christian Theosonetics, an in-depth study and representation of sounds—primarily vocal sounds—as a means to religious experience from a Christian perspective.[6]

Theosony

Main article: Theosony

Discography

Solo albums

Ní Riain & Sons

Nóirín has released two albums with her sons Eoin and Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin under the name 'Amen'. Ní Riain's sons are also well known as Irish pop band size2shoes.

Guest Roles / Collaborations

Albums Produced

Bibliography

Sources

References

  1. ↑ Her work and life is reviewed in this article, "Noirin sings through the pain", Sunday Independent, 18 October 2009, http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/noirin-sings-through-the-pain-1917127.html
  2. ↑ Amen, Nóirín Ní Riain & Sons, 2007, RMG Chart Entertainment Ltd
  3. ↑ Cover Gregorian Chant Experience, Sing and Meditate with Nóirín Ní Riain, 1997, The O'Brian Press Ltd.
  4. ↑ Celtic Women in Music, A Celebration of Beauty and Sovereignty, Mairéid Sullivan, 1999, Quarry Press Inc., p. 160.
  5. ↑ Celtic Threads, Exploring the Wisdom of our Heritage, edited by Padraigín Clancy, 1999, Veritas Publications p. 127
  6. ↑ Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Department of Theology and Religious Studies.
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