Sean-nós singer and harpist Síle Denvir performs with Bláth na hÓige as part of Tradition Now in the National Concert Hall, Dublin on Friday 3 May. We asked her the BIG questions . . .
Síle is deeply influenced by her upbringing in the west of Ireland Connemara Gaeltacht. She is a founding member of the group Líadan and has toured with The Chieftains and her most recent collaborative project is Bláth na hÓige, a collective of sean-nós singers from various Gaeltacht areas.
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She is an academic at Dublin City University and has published two books on songwriters from Connemara, Tom a' tSeoighe: Amhráin (2020) and Ciarán Ó Fátharta: Amhráin (2008).
Her most recent album Anamnesis, a recording of sean-nós songs in collaboration with producer John Reynolds and cellist Caroline Dale, was released in 2023.
Síle was named Amhránaí na Bliana 2023 (singer of the year) in the prestigious TG4 Gradam Ceoil.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
I was brought up in Indreabhán in the Conamara Gaeltacht. We spoke Irish at home and I didn’t speak English until I was four. I work as a lecturer in DCU and I spend most of my time teaching students about Irish language song and poetry. I love to research and write about music, song and the traditional arts.
How would you describe your music?
I sing sean-nós songs and I play the harp so essentially I would describe it as Irish traditional music. I like experimenting with drones and soundscapes as a bed of sound for sean-nós songs. I’m also very interested in harmony singing and nothing gives me more pleasure than singing with the incredible Bláth na hÓige singers.
Who are your musical inspirations?
There have been so many! I was very lucky to have had three amazing teachers from a young age who still continue to inspire me - harpist Kathleen Loughnane, sean-nós singer Máire Phetair Uí Dhroighneáin and whistle player Mary Bergin.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
My dad brought my sister Siobhán and I to see a Mary Black concert in Leisureland in Galway when I was very young. His friend Máire Bhreathnach was the fiddle player in the band and we got to meet Mary which was very thrilling for an eight-year-old!
What was the first record you ever bought?
Blackwater by Altan.
What’s your favourite song right now?
My favourite song right now is Bánshoilse composed by Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin from his latest album The Deepest Breath. I’m very inspired by Eoghan’s ability to transcend time with his newly composed songs and still remain so rooted in traditional song.
Favourite lyric of all time?
My favourite lyric of all time is a verse from the sean-nós song Dónall Óg. It’s a very old love song but the feeling and emotion of the song is as current as it is ancient: "Bhain tú thoir agus bhain tú thiar dhíom, Bhain tú an ghealach gheal is an ghrian dhíom, Bhain tú an croí a bhí i lár mo chléibhe dhíom, ’Gus is rímhór m’fhaitíos gur bhain tú Dia dhíom". (Translation by Dairena Ní Chinnéide). "You took my east and you took my west, You took the moon and sun from me, You took the heart right out of me, And much is my fear that you took God from me".
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
It would have to be Holocene by Bon Iver.
Where can people find your music/more information?
You can find me through my website www.siledenvir.com. There’s information there about the songs I sing and about my research. My latest solo album Anamnesis is available on all streaming platforms where you will also find Bláth na hÓige’s debut album.
Alan Corr
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