Vocal Chords

Iarla O Lionaird talks to friend and fellow Celtic singer Julie Fowlis about her journey as a singer, a performer and a mother, through the songs that are rooted in the Scottish tradition as they find common ground and a sense of connectedness as native gaelic speakers. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie

Iarla O Lionaird meets folk singer Peggy Seeger at her home in Oxford to explore her life's journey in song and song composition. Peggy talks of her childhood growing up under the influence of her older half brother Peter Seeger and in a home where legendary singers like Lead Belly and Woody Guthrie would visit to meet her parents, song collectors and composers Charles Seeger and Ruth Crawford Seeger. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie

Iarla Ó Lionáird meets sisters Maighread and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, two of Ireland's most respected traditional singers, and shares a conversation of family, song and language with them. From the stories of their father, the singer and folk song collector Aodh Ó Domhnaill, and his sister, the blind singer Neilí Ni Domhnaill, natives of Rann na Feirste, Donegal, to their own roots in the Meath Gaeltacht. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie

Glen is in conversation with fellow singer Iarla O Lionaird about his life and work in song. Glen Hansard's vocal journey began as a young teenager busking on the streets of Dublin but it has taken him to some of the biggest arenas in the world and an academy award for best song in the film 'Once'. He talks to Iarla about a life dedicated to music and shares a song 'Didn't He Ramble' written after the death of his father. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie

Composer Linda Buckley is Iarla's guest in this episode of Vocal Chords. Linda's music draws on a sonic landscape of natural and made sounds and she frequently uses the human voice in her work, often singing herself in wordless cadences. Linda writes for both electronic and acoustic forces, and the diverse instrumentations of her work include Javanese Gamelan, choir, multi-channel tape, prepared piano and orchestra. Linda and Iarla discuss childhood, inspirations and influences in this candid, compelling conversation. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie

Iarla's guest in this edition of Vocal Chords is the singer and vocal coach Veronica Dunne. Veronica or 'Ronnie' as everyone knows her celebrated her 90th birthday in 2017 and in this extended interview at her home she traces her life in song from her childhood, when singing competed with horses for her attention, to her debut at Covent Garden in La Boheme. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie

In this episode presenter and The Gloaming frontman Iarla O Lionaird explores the narrative power of a song, from songs of love and war to protest and empowerment, and explores how song is at the heart of remembering. Voices you hear in this episode include singers Christy Moore, Treasa Ni Mhoillain, Peter Gabriel, Sinead O Connor, Francis Devine, Grace Toland and composer Brian Irvine. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie

In episode four of Vocal Chords, presenter and singer Iarla O Lionaird explores the power and spirit of the combined voice from church choirs to street protest, from prison camps to the factory floor. Iarla takes the journey from the unique sound of Robert Hollingworths solo voice ensemble, I Fagiolini, and grammy award winning folk choir Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares to the deep bass tones of Welsh mining mens choirs and the Singing Revolution of the Baltic States. South African singers talk of toyi toyi protests when the power of the marching crowds singing carried them for miles. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie

In the final episode of this series of Vocal Chords presenter and singer Iarla O Lionaird delves into the harmonies and crossovers of global vocal experience and sounds from his own roots in Peter Gabriels Real World Records family to the story of a Muslim Imam who now sings Irish sean nós songs and says his ability to do so comes from his roots in incanting the Quran. Voices heard in this episode include Peter Gabriel Sinead O Connor Muhammad Al Hussaini Thomas Hylland Eriksen Jaime Jones and Niillas Holmberg. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie

As part of Vocal Chords Iarla visited the home of world renowned singer Peter Gabriel to talk to him about the voice and what singing means in his life. They share a wide ranging discussion about the voice and singing. He talks about his journey as a singer and what performance, song and singing means to him and Gabriel shares his favourite music, from the Beatles’ ‘Love me do’ and songs of the “Pakistani Pavarotti”, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to his key musical influences including Otis Redding and Nina Simone. In Conversation with Peter Gabriel won Silver in the Best Music Special category of the New York Radio Awards. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie

As part of the Vocal Chords series, Iarla and recordist Michael Gallen travelled to Sinead O’Connor’s home to talk to her about singing and what the voice means to her. Sinead is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s greatest vocal talents and has a strong global following, her success in the late 80’s and early 90’s included the iconic cover of “Nothing compares 2 u” by Prince, and a grammy winning album “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got”. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie

A life lived with the company of song and the singing voice is how Christy Moore describes it and in this his 70th year he shares his journey with fellow singer, The Gloaming's frontman Iarla O Lionaird. Moore traces his vocal story from his childhood growing up not just in a singing family but in friendship with his boyhood friend Donal Lunny. This Vocal Chords special gives voice to Moore's story, his music and his musical influence. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie

After sound comes language. In this episode presenter and The Gloaming singer, Iarla O’Lionaird explores the roots of traditions and folk song and how language, culture, identity and belonging are all tightly interwoven with song and singing. Song, Iarla says, becomes a vocal map to ourselves, to our roots, to our home. Voices in this episode include singers Christy Moore, Steve Byrne, Julie Fowlis, Francis Devine, Grace Toland, Frances Black, Treasa Ni Mhoillain and South African singers Nomfusi, Otto Maidi, Bafana Nhlapo. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie

Episode 1 of Vocal Chords explores the idea that, as anthropologist Thomas Hylland Eriksen says, to look at the voice is to look at what it means to be human, while New York vocalist Meredith Monk talks of singing as joining the world vocal family. Iarla O’Lionaird explores our journey of voice and sound and finds what unites us and divides us. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie