At Home and Abroad

Entitled Music of Ireland Vol. I, this is the first in a groundbreaking new recording series. The complete project will present the music of early Ireland, spanning some 300 years: 1500 to 1800, contrasting Irish repertory and the parallel music of the non-Gaelic inhabitants. It is the first ever undertaking of its kind and brings together many of the best historical and traditional musicians and singers in Ireland, and some of the finest international early music performers. SIOBHÁN ARMSTRONG is one of Europe's foremost historical harpists, performing and recording 16th-to 18th-century opera and chamber music with many of Europe's most prestigious historical performers, and also collaborating with some of Ireland’s best traditional musicians. She plays a large collection of copies of single and multi-row harps from the Middle Ages to the baroque, including a copy of the medieval Trinity College or Brian Boru harp, and is happiest accompanying vocal music: plainchant to polyphony; sean-nós song to early opera. Siobhán played modern harps, read Music at Trinity College Dublin in the 1980s, and was a professional choral singer, before specialising in historical harps. She founded and chairs The Historical Harp Society of Ireland. In 2014, Middlesex University, London, awarded her a three-year post-graduate research bursary to pursue PhD studies in early Irish harp performance practice. Siobhán has embarked on a recording project, with her chamber ensemble, The Irish Consort, to present a series of recordings of music in Ireland 1500-1800. The consort’s debut recording Music, Ireland and the Sixteenth Century was released in February 2019. This project was kindly funded by the Arts Council Music Recording Scheme, managed by Music Network. Siobhán would also like to acknowledge the kind help of Music Network, Ireland, in acquiring suitable harps for her work.