Where the Irish of the Delaware Valley meet

Who is (are) your favorite female performers in Irish music?

Help me out here! I have a strong commitment to playing women performers on my show. I have my own personal favorites: Singers include Maura O'Connell, Dolores Keane, Aoife Clancy, Niamh Parsons and Mary Greene (yes, I like Mary Black too). Musicians include Joan Hanrahan (fiddle), all of Cherish the Ladies in all of their different configurations, the Kane sisters, Maeve Donnelly (fiddle), Shannon Heaton (flute), Angelina Carberry (banjo) and Josephine Marshe (box & concertina). Tell me some of yours so I can add some variety to the show! And if you have favorite tracks off the cd's tell me that as well.

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Permalink Reply by Jeff Meade on January 29, 2008 at 11:17am: Frank Dalton will be shocked—shocked!—to hear this, but I am a huge fan of Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh. Aside from being cuter than a bug's ear, she has a smoky vocal quality that really stands out against the rest. On her solo CD on the Compass label, "Fainne An Lae," I really love track 6, "Slán le Máigh," and track 11, "Banks of the Nile."
On the instrumental side, I'm always amazed by our friend and frequent visitor to the Delaware Valley, Gráinne Hambly. On her second CD, "Golden Lights and Green Shadows," I love the slow air "An Draigheann" ("The Blackthorn"). It's track 4. I put it on in the car and hit "Repeat."; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lisa Carbrey on January 29, 2008 at 11:32am: Dolores Keane is probably my favorite these days. Also Mary Black and Francis as well. I really enjoy any Cherish the Ladies song with Joanie Madded on the whistle. I'll add to your list of musicians Liz Carroll having seen her at the festival in Boston a few years ago. I did really enjoy seeing Angelina at your house concert last summer, she was so talented and such a nice person.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Denise on January 30, 2008 at 3:20pm: I'm partial to Eileen Ivers, although these days she's more Irish-like than traditional. I also love Altan, which features Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh on the fiddle and vocals--does that count? What about Terry Kane? I know she has at least one CD out and she has such a lovely voice -- I could listen to her for hours. I'm waiting for that Rosaleen McGill to make a CD too. . . .; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by george benz on February 4, 2008 at 12:29pm: Three instrumentalists not to be missed: Sharon Shannon (box / exuberant energy), June McCormack (flute / lyrical), and Mary McNamara (concertina / pure Clare trad.); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kathy DeAngelo on February 6, 2008 at 9:59am: Hi Marianne: of course you have to put Grainne Hambly in that category! One of the great harp players. She visited and played live on your show last year when she and Billy Jackson were on tour here. She has 3 CDs--all gems-- Between the Showers, Golden Lights Green Shadows and the latest, The Thorn Tree.
Grainne and Billy will be here on tour in March. Catch them on March 8 at the Cultural Center at the Chester County Historical Society on High St, West Chester and then on March 9 at the Perkins Center for the Arts in Moorestown.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jeff Meade on February 6, 2008 at 10:30am: I wonder if there isn't a way to fit this into the Ceili Festival? At the very least, she ought to be selling the book here in Philly. (And if she came to Philly, I know a couple of bozos who have an irish web site who probably would interview her for a story.); ▶ Reply to This