Mícheál Ó Domhnaill

Mícheál Ó Domhnaill
Mícheál Ó Domhnaill (1979)
Background information
Born	7 October 1951(1951-10-07)
Origin	Dublin, Ireland
Died	7 July 2006(2006-07-07) (aged 54)
Genres	Irish traditional Celtic Folk Jazz
Occupations	Musician, Composer
Instruments	Guitar, vocals, banjo, mandolin, piano, organ, tin whistle, harmonium, harmonica
Years active	1971–2006
Associated acts	Skara Brae The Bothy Band Kevin Burke Relativity Nightnoise
Website	www.michealodomhnaill.com

Mícheál Ó Domhnaill (Irish pronunciation: [mʲiːçaːɫ oː dˠɔwnˠɨlʲ]; 7 October 1951 – 7 July 2006) was an Irish singer, guitarist, and composer, who was a major influence on Irish traditional music in the second half of the twentieth century.^[1] He became famous for his work with Skara Brae, The Bothy Band, Relativity, Nightnoise, and a successful collaboration with fiddler Kevin Burke.^[2]

Early years

Mícheál Seosamh Ó Domhnaill^[3] was born 7 October 1951 in Dublin, Ireland and grew up in Kells, County Meath. His father, Aodh, was a teacher, a singer, and a collector of traditional music for the Irish Folklore Commission. His mother, Bríd, was a choral singer. Mícheál's father was raised in the Donegal Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) area of Rann na Feirste, where the Irish language is the main spoken language. Mícheál, his two sisters, Maighréad and Tríona, and two brothers, Éamon and Conall, inherited a deep love and understanding of Irish culture from their parents. The family spent their summers in Rann na Feirste learning the Irish language and Irish traditional music.^[2] During these summers in Donegal, Mícheál and his siblings spent time with their aunt Neilí, a renowned singer who had a vast repertoire of Irish and English songs. They also formed lifelong friendships with Pól and Ciarán Brennan (future members of Clannad) and Dáithí Sproule (future member of Skara Brae and Altan).^[1]

Mícheál’s musical literacy was encouraged throughout his early years. At the age of six, Mícheál started taking piano lessons from the Kells nuns, which left a lasting influence on him. He also sang in a choir founded by his father. At the age of twelve, Mícheál suffered an appendicitis. To ease the boredom of his recuperation, a religious brother who taught at Mícheál’s school gave him a guitar. By the age of sixteen, Mícheál began devoting his musical energies to the guitar.^[4]

Skara Brae

Main article: Skara Brae (band)

In the late 1960s, Mícheál and his sister Tríona began attending University College Dublin, where they met singer-guitarist Dáithi Sproule (future member of Altan) from Derry. They began performing together around Dublin, producing "beautiful, adventurous" arrangements of Irish Gaelic songs.^[2] In the summer of 1970, Mícheál and Dáithi performed as the house band at Teach Hiudaí Bhig in Gaoth Dobhair (Gweedore), Donegal. Later that year, Mícheál, Tríona, Maighread, and Dáithi formed the group Skara Brae, a name suggested by Mícheál in reference to Sacra Brae, an archaeological site in the Orkney Islands in Scotland consisting of a bleak stone village built in the second millennium BC.^[1]

In 1971, Skara Brae released a self-titled album of "beautifully performed Gaelic songs" on Gael-Linn Records.^[5] It was notable as the first recording to include vocal harmonization in Irish language songs. In 2004, Ó Domhnaill described the influences on the group in an interview with the RTÉ radio program Rattlebag:

Once a year we'd go up and we'd meet the Derry lads, and we'd form great bonds and they had a great interest in the language and love for it, and as did we, and we kind of sparked off each other. And we used to go down to the lake after classes and we'd sing. We'd sing Beatles songs, but we'd also sing Irish songs. And experiment with chords. We learned a lot from the Beatles. We listened a lot to them and all the music that was happening at the time and we tried to bring that to bear ... on the Irish.^[6]

Skara Brae's version of "Tá mé 'mo shuí" shows the unique influence of Rann na Feirste. The song is performed differently in other parishes of the same area.^[7] The four voices are skillfully supported by Triona's harpsichord, and the unique guitar work of Mícheál and Dáithi.^[5] Mícheál in fact was one of the first guitar players, along with Dáithí, in Irish traditional music to employ DADGAD tuning. His guitar style had a dramatic impact on guitarists who followed in the genre. Both Mícheál and Dáithí were influenced in their early years by John Renbourn and Bert Jansch.

In the early 1970s, Mícheál became the first presenter of the RTÉ radio program The Long Note, which featured Irish traditional musicians, many of whom had never previously been recorded. In 1973, while Mícheál and Tríona were still students at University College Dublin, Mícheál formed a musical partnership with Mick Hanly. They recorded one album, Celtic Folkweave, which was released by Polydor Records in 1973.^[8]

The Bothy Band

Main article: The Bothy Band

In late 1974, Ó Domhnaill co-founded the very popular group The Bothy Band, along with Matt Molloy (flute and tin whistle), Paddy Keenan (uilleann pipes and tin whistle), Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guitar, and production), and his sister Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (harpsichord, clavinet and vocals). Glackin was later replaced by Tommy Peoples, who was then replaced by Kevin Burke in May 1976. In the five years the Bothy Band were together, they emerged as one of the most exciting groups in the history of Irish traditional music. Much of their repertoire was rooted in the traditional music of Ireland, and their enthusiasm and musical virtuosity set a standard for future Irish traditional performers.^[9]

On 2 February 1975, the Bothy Band made its debut at Trinity College, Dublin. Despite their great legacy, the Bothy Band only recorded three studio albums during their brief career: The Bothy Band (1975), Old Hag You Have Killed Me (1976), and Out of the Wind – Into the Sun (1977). A live album After Hours was released in 1979. Their first album quickly established them as an important new band. Their second album, Old Hag You Have Killed Me, expanded their following considerably. In 1977, they released their final studio album, effectively establishing their reputation and legacy within the Irish traditional music community.^[9]

In 1979, the group disbanded, but the former members went on to play influential roles in the development of Irish traditional music. Lunny returned for a while to Planxty and then helped to form the Celtic rock band Moving Hearts. He continued his work as a producer, working with artists like Andy Stewart. Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill moved to the United States and formed the short-lived band Touchstone. She later joined her brother to form both Relativity and Nightnoise.^[9]

Nightnoise

Main article: Nightnoise

In 1983, after seven years with the Bothy Band and several years collaborating with the master fiddler Kevin Burke, Ó Domhnaill began searching for a new project and a new sound. He met Billy Oskay in Portland, Oregon and the two began a new collaboration focused on a new and innovative music that integrated traditional Irish, jazz, and classical chamber music.^[10] This collaboration between the American violinist and Irish guitarist created a unique blend of musical forms. Together, they composed and recorded songs in Oskay's Portland home and were pleased with the result – a unique understated sound that had a "rough but fresh quality that engendered a serene atmosphere."^[10]

In late 1983, Ó Domhnaill's music career was altered when William Ackerman at Windham Hill Records heard one of the tracks recorded at Oskay's home.

I guess we were doing the soundtrack for Country at the time and Tom Bocci, who was in publishing at Disney, said hey listen, I've got this thing that I think you might be interested in. And he played a little of it for me and I said God, there's something in here that's really familiar to me. And he said, well do you know The Bothy Band. And I just went nuts. And he said this is Mícheál, you know, and I said God, great, I love it. So get me more.^[11]

Ackerman soon offered Ó Domhnaill and Oskay a contract with Windham Hill Records. The tracks they recorded at Oskay's home were mixed and released in 1984 on their album Nightnoise. The album represented a real departure from Ó Domhnaill's Bothy Band roots, and the mellow, ambient instrumental style incorporating jazz and classical elements and forms full of spirituality almost defined what would be called New Age music.^[2]

In 1985, Mícheál and his sister Tríona (vocals, clavinet) joined the two Scottish brothers Phil Cunningham (fiddle) and John Cunningham (accordion, keyboard, whistle, bodhran) to form the group Relativity. Together they released two critically successful albums: the self-titled Relativity (1985) and Gathering Pace (1987).

In 1987, Tríona and Irish-American flutist Brian Dunning joined Ó Domhnaill and Oskay to form the band Nightnoise. The quartet's first album Something of Time was released by Windham Hill Records in 1987. It was followed by At the End of the Evening (1988) and The Parting Tide (1990). These albums received significant commercial and critical acclaim, and helped the group develop an impressive reputation touring the United States, Japan, and Europe. Their music effectively combined "original acoustic chamber music with an Irish feel mixing jazz, classical, folk and new age idioms."^[1] Their original music made full use of the Ó Domhnaill's folk background, the folk/jazz combinations of Skara Brae, Brian Dunning's jazz background, and Bill Oskay's classical influences.^[1]

Nightnoise gave Mícheál the opportunity to expand his musical vocabulary as well as his audience, while retaining the spirit of Irish traditional music that was so much a part of him. In an interview with Echoes, Ó Domhnaill spoke of the prevailing influence of his Irish heritage in the new music he was creating:

We were pretty handcuffed and anchored by the tradition so we could still write music outside of the strictures of 6/8 time or 4/4 time, but they couldn't but sound Celtic because I'm Irish and whatever I write would have elements of the sum total of the listener experience I've had throughout my life. So the Celtic music is still there, the structure of the music is just different.^[11]

Following Billy Oskay's departure from Nightnoise in 1990, Scottish fiddler Johnny Cunningham, a former member of Silly Wizard who had played with Triona and Mícheál in the band Relativity, took over Oskay's duties. The band took on a much more Irish-centric sound, while still retaining their own signature style. The revamped Nightnoise went on to release the albums Shadow of Time (1994), A Different Shore (1995), and The White Horse Sessions (1997), an album featuring live concert performances mixed in with in-studio live performances, with their Windham Hill colleagues as their audience.

The White Horse Sessions proved to be the last Nightnoise album. Cunningham left the band following its release, and was replaced by Irish fiddler John Fitzpatrick. In a 1999 interview, Ó Domhnaill stated that Nightnoise had not broken up, and that the band would be getting together again shortly. The band did indeed record new material (both original compositions and covers of classic songs), but they were all made for albums other than their own. Nightnoise officially disbanded towards the end of 2003.

Later years

Mícheál Ó Domhnaill with Skare Brae at Gweedore (2005)

In 1997, Mícheál returned to Ireland, settling in Dundrum, Dublin. In 2001, he teamed up with his close friend Paddy Glackin, the original Bothy Band fiddle player, and together they toured and recorded the album Athchuairt. Glackin later praised Ó Domhnaill for his role in popularising Irish language songs for a wider audience. "He took a lot of old songs," Glackin observed, "and re-fashioned them and made them accessible to a new generation."^[2]

On 7 July 2006, Mícheál Ó Domhnaill died from a fall at his home. He was 54 years old.^[12] On 11 July, a wake was held at his sister Maighread's home. On 12 July, a requiem Mass was said for Mícheál at the Church of the Holy Cross in Dundrum. The funeral was attended by numerous musicians from across Ireland, including the remaining members of The Bothy Band, piper Liam O'Flynn, accordion player Tony MacMahon, and Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh.^[13] Mícheál Ó Domhnaill was buried in St. Colmcille's Cemetery in Kells, County Meath.^[14]

On 24 May 2007, a remarkable gathering of Irish traditional musicians and singers, including Paddy Keenan, Donal Lunny, Kevin Burke, Mary Black, Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill, and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, came together at Vicar Street in Dublin to celebrate the life and music of Mícheál Ó Domhnaill.

Discography

With Skara Brae

• Skara Brae (1971)

With Mick Hanly

• Celtic Folkweave (1974)

With The Bothy Band

• The Bothy Band (1975)
• Old Hag You Have Killed Me (1976)
• Out of the Wind – Into the Sun (1977)
• After Hours (Live in Paris) (1979)
• Best of The Bothy Band (1983)
• The Bothy Band Live in Concert (1995)

With Kevin Burke

• Promenade (1979)
• Portland (1982)

With Billy Oskay

• Nightnoise (1984)

With Relativity

• Relativity (1985)
• Gathering Pace (1987)

With Nightnoise

• Something of Time (1987)
• At the End of the Evening (1988)
• The Parting Tide (1990)
• A Windham Hill Retrospective (1992)
• Shadow of Time (1993)
• A Different Shore (1995)
• The White Horse Sessions (1997)
• Pure Nightnoise (2006)

With Paddy Glackin

• Athchuairt / Reprise (2001)

With other artists

• Clannad 2 by Clannad (1974) (guitar, vocals)
• Tríona by Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (1975) (guitar, leiriu)
• Noel Hill & Tony Linnane by Noel Hill (1978) (producer, church harmonium)
• If the Cap Fits by Kevin Burke (1978) (guitar)
• New Land by Touchstone (1982) (producer, guitar)
• Thunderhead by Malcolm Dalglish (1982) (producer, guitar)
• Jealousy by Touchstone (1984) (producer, guitar, keyboards)
• Heartland Messenger by Gerald Trimble (1984) (guitar, harmonium)
• Matt Molloy by Matt Molloy (1984) (producer)
• First Flight by Gerald Trimble (1984) (guitar)
• Above the Tower by Magical Strings (1985) (producer)
• Fair Play by Puck Fair (1987) (guitar, whistle, human whistle)
• On the Burren by Magical Strings (1987) (producer)
• Heathery Breeze by Matt Molloy (1988) (guitar)
• Road North by Alasdair Fraser (1989) (guitar)
• Crossing to Skellig by Magical Strings (1990) (producer)
• An Rás by Tommy Hayes (1991) (arranger, guitar)
• Open House by Kevin Burke (1992) (producer)
• Best of Ireland by Celtic Graces (1994) (guitar, vocals)
• Brotherhood of Stars by Carlos Nunez (1997) (guitar)
• Migration by Valgardena (1997) (performer)
• Sun the Moon and the Stars by Jimmy Smyth (1998) (composer)
• Idir an Dá Sholas by Maighread Ní Dhomnaill (2000) (guitar)
• Zoë Conway by Zoë Conway (2002) (guitar)
• Peace of Mind by Peace of Mind (2003) (guitar)
• Live in Belfast by Cathal Hayden (2005) (guitar, vocals)

Compilation albums

• Windham Hill Sampler '84 (1985)
• Windham Hill: Autumn Portrait (1985)
• A Winter's Solstice (1985)
• Flight of the Green Linnet (1988)
• Windham Hill Sampler '88 (1988)
• A Winter's Solstice II (1988)
• Playing with Fire: Celtic Fiddle Collection (1989)
• Sona Gaia: Collection One (1990)
• Windham Hill: The First Ten Years (1990)
• A Winter's Solstice III (1990)
• Windham Hill Sampler '92 (1991)
• Heart of the Gaels (1992)
• Impressionists: A Windham Hill Sampler (1992)
• A Winter's Solstice IV (1993)
• Bach Variations: A Windham Hill Sampler (1994)
• Windham Hill Sampler '94 (1994)
• A Winter's Solstice V (1995)
• Celtic Christmas: A Windham Hill Sampler (1995)
• Celtic Twilight, Vol. 2 (1996)
• Sanctuary: 20 Years of Windham Hill (1996)
• Windham Hill Sampler '96 (1996)
• Green Linnet 20th Anniversary Collection (1996)
• Carols of Christmas (1996)
• Celtic Christmas II (1996)
• On a Starry Night (1997)
• Holding up Half the Sky: Women's Voices from Around the World, Vol. 1 (1997)
• There Was a Lady: The Voice of Celtic Women (1997)
• Celtic Love Songs (1997)
• Celtic Music Today (1997)
• Traditional Music of Scotland (1997)
• Candlelight Moments: Serene Sounds (1997)
• Celtic Christmas III (1997)
• Her Infinite Variety: Celtic Women in Music & Song (1998)
• Putting on Airs (1998)
• Legends of Ireland (1998)
• Celtic Christmas IV (1998)
• Winter Solstice Reunion (1998)
• Joyful Noise: Celtic Favorites from Green Linnet (1998)
• Celtic Woman (1999) Valley
• Best of the Thistle & Shamrock, Vol. 1 (1999)
• Celtic Christmas V: The Millennium Edition (1999)
• Voice of Celtic Music (1999)
• Holding up Half the Sky: Voices of Celtic Women II (1999)
• National Geographic: Destination Ireland (2001)
• Celtic Christmas: Silver Anniversary Edition (2001)
• The Dance Music of Ireland: Jigs & Reels (2002)
• The Acoustic Folk Box (2002)
• Christmas Adagios: Holiday Classics to Touch Your Heart and Soul (2002)
• A Windham Hill Christmas (2002)
• Windham Hill Chill: Ambient Acoustic (2003)
• Windham Hill Chill 2 (2003)
• Very Best of Celtic Christmas (2004)
• Essential Winter's Solstice (2005)
• Quiet Revolution: 30 Years of Windham Hill (2005)
• Winter's Songs: A Windham Hill Christmas (2010)^[15]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} O'Regan, John. The Green Man Review "Mícheál Ó Domhnaill". http://www.greenmanreview.com/cd/essay_domhnaill.html The Green Man Review. Retrieved 11 September 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Irwin, Colin. The Independent "Mícheál Ó Domhnaill Obituary". http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/micheal-o-domhnaill-408855.html The Independent. Retrieved 11 September 2011. 
3. ^ Discogs "Mícheál Ó Domhnaill". http://www.discogs.com/artist/M%C3%ADche%C3%A1l+%C3%93+Domhnaill?noanv=1 Discogs. Retrieved 13 September 2011. 
4. ^ Rynne, John. The Irish Times "Mícheál Ó Domhnaill Obituary". http://nightnoise.com/General/27/irish-times-obituary-for-micheal-odomhnaill The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 September 2011. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Winick, Steve. Allmusic "Skara Brae". http://www.allmusic.com/album/skara-brae-r103192 Allmusic. Retrieved 17 September 2011. 
6. ^ Interview with Skara Brae members at the RTÉ Tribute to 2006 tribute to Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, 2006.
7. ^ Metz, Marcus. Folk World "Skara Brae". http://www.folkworld.de/5/cds2e.html Folk World. Retrieved 17 September 2011. 
8. ^ Hitchner, Earle. "A Quiet Man: Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, 1951-2006" in The Irish Echo, 19 July 2006.
9. ^ ^{a b c} Harris, Craig. Allmusic "The Bothy Band". http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-bothy-band-p763/biography Allmusic. Retrieved 13 September 2011. 
10. ^ ^{a b} Zackheim, Ben. Musician Guide "Nightnoise". http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608003890/Nightnoise.html Musician Guide. Retrieved 13 September 2011. 
11. ^ ^{a b} Mícheál Ó Domhnaill "Tribute". http://www.michealodomhnaill.com/images/tributes%20online/The%20Echoes%20Blog%20-%20Blog%20Archive%20-%20Micheal%20O%20Domhnaill%20of%20Nightnoise%20and%20The%20Bothy%20Band%20Passes.htm Mícheál Ó Domhnaill. Retrieved 17 September 2011. 
12. ^ Kerr, Áine. "Musician Mícheál Ó Domhnaill Dies at 54" in The Irish Times July 10, 2006.
13. ^ Irish Times "Mícheál Ó Domhnaill Obituary". http://nightnoise.com/General/27/irish-times-obituary-for-micheal-odomhnaill Irish Times. Retrieved 13 September 2011. 
14. ^ Hitchner, Earle. "A Quiet Man: Micheal O Domhnaill, 1951-2006" in The Irish Echo, 19 July 2006.
15. ^ Allmusic "Mícheál Ó Domhnaill Credits". http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mchel-domhnaill-p70720/credits Allmusic. Retrieved 13 September 2011. 

External links

• Mícheál Ó Domhnaill 1951-2006 Official Website
• "Promanade" by Kevin Burke and Micheál Ó Domhnaill (1978)
• "Tiocfaidh an Samhradh" by Mícheál Ó Domhnaill (1979)
• "Lord Franklin" by Micheál Ó Domhnaill and Kevin Burke (1979)
• "Casadh an tSugain" by Micheál Ó Domhnaill and The Bothy Band (1979)
• "Glen of Aherlow" by Kevin Burke and Micheál Ó Domhnaill (1980)
• "The Daisy Field"/"The Abbey Reel" by Kevin Burke and Micheál Ó Domhnaill (1980)

Persondata
Name	Ó Domhnaill, Mícheál
Alternative names	O'Domhnaill, Michael
Short description	Irish musician
Date of birth	1952
Place of birth	Kells, County Meath, Ireland
Date of death	July 8, 2006
Place of death	Dublin, Ireland