Fiona Tyndall Releases New Single, “An Mhaighdean Mhara”, featuring Fergal Scahill, Brendan Hayes & Seán Whelan
Irish traditional artist Fiona Tyndall has released heartfelt new single, “An Mhaighdean Mhara”, on May 22nd - the second release from her forthcoming full Irish-language album, “Éinin an Cheóil”.
“An Mhaighdean Mhara”, translating to “The Mermaid”, is a song notably collected by Seamus Ennis - renowned Dublin uileann piper - from Síle Ní Ghallchóir (Síle Mhicí). The song describes a man who went out on a fishing trip one day, when a mermaid (Méirí Shinídh), came to the stern of his boat. Wrapped in a cloak, she came home with the fisherman, who later stole and hid the cloak in a stack of oats. The two later married, rearing two children - Máire Bhruinnil and Pádraig Bán.
One day, the daughter found the beautiful cloak hidden away, telling her mother, who took back her garment and returned to sea. Every day, she would return to see her daughter, combing the child’s hair, and speaking to her. The lyrics of “An Mhaighdean Mhara” depict one of these conversations (source, ITMA).
The single features narrative fiddle, mandolin and percussive dialogue from Fergal Scahill (Formerly of We Banjo 3 - Best Folk Album Winner at the 2018 RTÉ Folk Awards), piano, bass and Fender Rhodes by Brendan Hayes, long-time collaborator of Tyndall’s, and guitar from renowned Irish and World music artist and producer Seán Whelan (Puck Fair, Hotfoot, The Café Orchestra).
Hailing from County Clare, Fiona Tyndall has been immersed in Irish and Celtic music traditions since childhood. Moving to the USA in later life, spending time in both Boston, Massachusetts and Princeton, New Jersey, she now splits her time between both countries, deepening Irish-American cultural connections and carrying on the tradition passed onto her by her father.
An enduring figure in the Irish traditional genre, Tyndall’s debut album, “Deirin De”, blended traditional Irish language lyrics with innovative musical and vocal arrangements, receiving high praise from Siobhán Long (The Irish Times) and Karan Casey.
Her discography spanning English-language, Irish-language and both original and traditional works, her passion for preserving the Irish language and culture through song has led to incredible collaborations with esteemed musicians, songwriters and arrangers such as Fergal Scahill (We Banjo 3), Kieran Munnelly (The David Munnelly Band), Gabriel Donoghue and Tim Edey (BBC ALBA/Scotland Best Traditional Musician 2020, BBC Radio Two Musician of the Year 2012).
Single Credits:
Vocals & Backing Vocals - Fiona Tyndall
Piano - Brendan Hayes
Guitar - Seán Whelan
Fender Rhodes - Brendan Hayes
Mandolin - Fergal Scahill
Bass - Brendan Hayes
Fiddle - Fergal Scahill
Bodhrans - Fergal Scahill
Shaker - Brendan Hayes
Arrangement - Fiona Tyndall / Brendan Hayes
Produced by - Brendan Hayes
Mixed by - Barry Conboy
About “Éinín an Cheoil”
“Éinín an Cheóil”, meaning “Birdsong”, is Fiona Tyndall’s upcoming album due for release on Wednesday, September 17th. Recorded in Oakley Studios in Blackrock, Dublin and Shorefire Studios in Longbranch, New Jersey, the album was fully produced by Brendan Hayes and mixed/mastered in BAZ Studios, Portumna, Co. Galway.
A highly personal and passionate collection, the album was inspired by Tyndall’s father, Buadhach Tóibín, a traditional singer and collector of Irish music. Meticulously hand-writing the lyrics of over 200 songs in the old Irish script in a bound ledger, he had the foresight to accompany some of the songs with tonic solfa (a musical system in which a series of syllables represents the seven notes of a scale), so that his children would have the melodies to sing.
Tyndall came into possession of this wonderful manuscripted collection following her father’s passing, upon which she decided to record a selection of the preserved songs. As a child, she had learned many directly from her father, as he also taught students from all over Ireland each summer at Coláiste Eoghain Uí Comhraidhe in Carrigaholt, Co. Clare (a residential Irish college).
A carefully archived digital copy of her father’s manuscript of songs will be available at the Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) in Dublin, Ireland upon “Éinin an Cheóil’s” release on September 17th.
Photo by Brendan Burke - shootmydog.ie
Artwork by Viv Tyndall
