On Home Ground - Seamus Heaney Festival

Heaney and Songs of the Scribe: On Home Ground Festival

August 16, 2014

Pádraigín is to perform at On Home Ground, a festival that celebrates Seamus Heaney over four days in Magherafelt. Performing with Pádraigín will be Zoe Conway, John McIntyre, two of Ireland’s most gifted and versatile musicians, and Poets Leontia Flynn and Medbh McGuckian.

During Pádraigín’s artistic residency in the Seamus Heaney Centre, she collaborated with Seamus Heaney on setting his translations of early Irish lyrics to music, which includes Colum Cille Cecinit from his last collection Human Chain. Her singing of these song poems have been described by Heaney as ‘a totally absorbing experience’ and ‘songs of pure joy’. Medbh, a contemporary of Heaney, reads her favourite of his poems & Leontia unveils a new poem written since Heaney’s death.

Also joining Pádraigín will be two of Ireland’s most gifted musicians, Zoe Conway and John McIntyre who possess a rare facility of drawing on pieces from traditional, classical, jazz and world music, displaying the sheer range and wonderful versatility of their instruments. Included will be a new composition by Zoe in honour of Heaney.

For more information, please visit On Home Ground. A full copy of the programme is available as a PDF.

About Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin

Of County Armagh and Louth parentage, Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin was raised in an Irish speaking family of eight. She is a multifaceted traditional artist: a professional singer since 1999 and a researcher, song writer, author and composer.