Lauren MacColl & friends with Bláithín Mhic Cana, Piaras Ó Lorcáin & Lauren Ní Néill and Fèis an Earraich
08
Sultain / September 2025
19:30
GMT
Tha 20 bliadhna o choisinn Lauren NicColla – fìdhlear 19 bliadhna a dh’aois on t-Eilean Dubh – Duais Young Folk aig BBC Radio 2. On t-àm sin, tha Lauren air iomadadh pròiseact a ghabhail os làimh, nam measg a’ stèidheachadh còmhlan fìdhle RANT, còmhlan seinn Salt House agus obrachadh còmhla ri iomadh seinneadair agus neach-ciùil.
Tha Lauren air còig chlàran fhoillseachadh leatha fhèin, làn de cheòl na fìdhle agus, nas tric thairis air na bliadhnaichean, a sgrìobhadh fhèin.
Bidh Anna Massie (giotàr) agus Calum MacGilleRuaidh (mandoilin, giotàr teanor) còmhla rithe a’ cluich fuinn o a clàran gu lèir agus o a clàr ùr, ‘Haar’ – cruinneachadh de cheòl stèidhichte air sgeulachdan mu na cladaichean agus tachartasan ann an linneachan taobh sear na Gàidhealtachd.
Tha Bláithín Mhic Cana, Piaras Ó Lorcáin, and Lauren Ní Néill a’ tighinn còmhla gus dualchas chiùil Ulaidh a chomharrachadh tro sheinn san t-seann-nòs agus puirt air a’ chlàrsach.
’S ann à sgìre Oriel a tha Bláithín agus Piaras, ’s tha iad ainmeil airson mar a lìbhrigeas iad òrain san t-seann-nòs. Bidh Bláithín a’ seinn anns a’ chòmhlan Tempest, agus tha i a’ creidsinn gu mòr ann a bhith a’ glacadh caractar cultarail ann an òrain. Tha guth air leth aig Piaras, ’s tha e air luchd-èisteachd ùra a tharraing tro phuist air loidhne agus obair còmhla ri còmhlain mar Bláth na hÓige. ’S ann à Derry a tha Lauren Ní Neill, ’s bidh i a’ togail air traidisean eachdraidheil na clàrsaich ann an Ulaidh gud puirt ùra a chruthachadh. Tro a h-obair acadamaigeach agus co-obrachadh le Conradh na Gaeilige, tha i a’ cleachdadh cuirmean-ciùil mar chothroman rannsachaidh , a’ brosnachadh an luchd-èisteachd gus smaoineachadh air cànan, àite agus traidiseanan.
Còmhla, tha an triùir a’ toirt sealladh de thraidiseanan ciùil Ulaidh dhan luchd-èisteachd, a’ ceangal an t-àm a dh’fhalbh ria an là an-diugh tro òrain, clàrsach agus cànan."
It's 20 years since Lauren MacColl – a wide-eyed 19 year old fiddler from the Black Isle – was crowned the winner of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award. It was to be a springboard for a varied couple of decades, founding both fiddle quartet RANT and song-trio Salt House, and collaborating with countless singers and instrumentalists.
The thread through it all has been no less than five solo releases to date, showcasing her rich, darkly-toned fiddle sound and increasingly, her own writing.
She's joined by Anna Massie (guitar) and Calum McIlroy (mandolin, tenor guitar) for a delve through the back catalogue and to showcase her latest album 'Haar' - a collection of music based on coastal tales and happenings from around the eastern firths of the Highlands.
Bláithín Mhic Cana, Piaras Ó Lorcáin, and Lauren Ní Néill come together to celebrate Ulster’s rich musical heritage through a unique blend of sean-nós singing and harp traditions.
Both from the Oriel region, Bláithín and Piaras are acclaimed for their deeply expressive sean-nós performances—Bláithín, also a singer with the band Tempest, is a passionate educator and advocate for reclaiming cultural identity through song, while Piaras is a once-in-a-generation voice who has drawn new audiences with his viral success and award-winning work with bands like Bláth na hÓige.
Lauren Ní Néill, a traditional harper and academic from Derry, draws on Ulster’s historic harping tradition while exploring contemporary developments. Through her doctoral research and collaborations with Conradh na Gaeilge, she uses performance as a form of research, creating engaging lecture-performances that invite audiences to explore language, place, and tradition in a rich, living cultural experience.
Together, the trio offer a deeply moving and insightful journey into Ulster’s living musical traditions, connecting past and present through song, harp, and language.