In Scotland, as in Ireland, folk songs serve as memories, of places and the dead who once inhabited them. When the Song Dies is a poetic documentary that weaves stories, songs and memories from across Scotland exploring the theme of change. Bringing the audience under the captive spell of the old ways, the film is a poignant reminder that the dead linger on, all around us, in the houses and landscapes we live in, and in the language and music of our culture.

English / 15 min. / 2012 / Transgressive North with Deerstalker Films

Features a screening of the documentary When the Song Dies alongside live performances by master performers:

Kathleen MacInnes

Kathleen MacInnes was born and brought up in South Uist, Westen Isles of Scotland, in a Gaelic speaking home, and has enjoyed an intersecting career in television, as an actress, presenter and singer.

She has featured in Transatlantic Sessions, Pelicula Films’ long-running music series for BBC and RTE in the company of world class musicians like Aly Bain, Jerry Douglas and Alison Krauss and has been sought after for collaborations with Bela Fleck, Liam O’Maonlai (Hothouse Flowers), Oumou Sangare and Tiamane Diabate from Mali, Rab Noakes and Jim Sutherland.

Paddy Glackin

One of Ireland's leading traditional fiddle-players, Paddy Glackin is a Dublin man proud of his strong links to County Donegal. Paddy attended classical music lessons in Dublin and developed a formidable technique still evident in his bowing. In the mid 1970's he recorded and played with Ceoltoiri Laighean and shortly after was to record the first of his solo albums for the Gael Linn label. His eponymous debut album is still regarded as a classic.

Paddy recorded duet albums with the uilleann piper Paddy Keenan and Dublin keyboard experimentalist, Jolyn Jackson. He was invited to be the first fiddle player in seminal traditional music group The Bothy Band and spent 18 months with what was to be one of the most influential and popular of the great Irish bands of the 1970's.

A noted commentator and lecturer on Irish music, Paddy is also in demand as a session player. He is as comfortable playing the music of John Cage as he is sitting down to play tunes with piper Liam O’Flynn or in in the company of friends Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny, Mike McGoldrick and John Doyle.

Doimnic Mac Giolla Bhríde

Doimnic Mac Giolla Bhríde, from the northwest Gaeltacht of Donegal, has been immersed in the culture of the area from a young age. This area, which is the last Gaelic speaking area in Ulster, preserves not only the Donegal sean-nós songs but also songs from all over Ulster. As a young singer his main influences were Caitlín Ní Dhomhnaill, Lillis Ó Laoire, Áine Bn. Uí Laoi, Mairead Ní Mhaonaigh and his mother Nellie Nic Giolla Bhríde. He studied music at university and now works as a full-time musician. He has released five highly commended CDs, Saol na Suáilce (solo CD) Siansaí (choir CD) Guaillimh a’ chéile (CD with Scottish musician Griogair Labhruidh) Smúidghealach (CD with string quintet) Sona do Cheird (newly composed songs) and has also published a book and CD for children Ící Pící. The promotion of the sean-nós tradition is his greatest motivation and as well as teaching sean-nós, Doimnic is the director of three sean-nós choirs, Cór Thaobh a’ Leithid from Donegal, which he founded, Cór Uí Chanáin in Derry and the Belfast choir, Cór Loch Laoi. In 2009 he won the prestigious Corn Uí Riada, the highest accolade in Ireland for sean-nós singers. His most recent CD Sona do Cheird has just won album of the year at the Nós awards.

Naisrín Elsafty

Naisrín Elsafty is an Irish-Egyptian singer, notable as a distinguished exponent of sean-nós singing, an unaccompanied and heavily ornamented style characteristic of the Irish-speaking area where she grew up.

She is one of the younger daughters of Treasa Ní Cheannabháin, a native of County Galway and a fine singer in the sean-nós tradition, and Saber Elsafty, an Egyptian doctor. She was raised with her sisters and her twin brother in the Conamara Gaeltacht in the West of Ireland.

Naisrín and her family retain links with the Middle East, and in 2008 she and her mother were detained for a time in Gaza after slipping across the border from Egypt while carrying money collected in Ireland for Palestinian families.

Naisrín comes from a family of musicians, and has performed widely in Irish at festivals and gatherings.

 

In Albain, mar atá in Éirinn, bíonn amhráin na ndaoine mar chuimhní, cuimhní ar áiteanna agus ar an mharbh a chónaíodh iontu. Is clár faisnéise é When the Song Dies a shníonn scéalta, amhráin agus cuimhní le chéile ó gach cearn d’Albain agus a dhéanann fiosrúchán ar théama an athraithe. Cuireann an scannán seo, a chuireann i gcuimhne dúinn ar bhealach tochtmhar go maireann na mairbh thart orainn, sna tithe ina gcónaímid agus sa tírdhreach atá thart orainn, agus inár dteanga agus inár gcultúr, cuireann sé an lucht féachana faoi gheasa na sean-nósanna.
Tá léiriú ann den chlár faisnéise When the Song Dies chomh maith le léirithe beo ag máistir-thaibheoirí.
Béarla / 15 bhom. / 2012 / Transgressive North le Deerstalker Films

Kathleen MacInnes

Rugadh agus tógadh Kathleen MacInnes in Uibhist a Deas, in Innse Gall na hAlban, agus ba le Gaeilge na hAlban a tógadh í, agus bhí gairm bheatha aici i gcúrsaí teilifíse, mar aisteoir, mar láithreoir agus mar amhránaí.
Ghlac sí páirt in Transaltantic Sessions, an tsraith fhad-bhunaithe ag Pelicula Films ag BBC agus RTÉ, i gcomhluadar le ceoltóirí den chéad scoth ar nós Aly Bain, Jerry Douglas agus Alison Krauss agus bhí ceoltóirí ar nós Bela Fleck, Liam Ó Maonlaí (Hothouse Flowers), Oumou Sangare agus Tiamane Diabate ó Mali, Rab Noakes agus Jim Sutherland ar a a lorg le bheith ag seinm léi.

Paddy Glackin

Tá Paddy Glackin ar dhuine de phríomhfhidléirí na hÉireann. Is as Baile Átha Cliath ó dhúchas dó, ach tá sé bródúil as a chuid fréamhacha i dTír Chonaill. D’fhreastail Paddy ar ranganna sa cheol chlasaiceach i mBaile Átha Cliath agus tá stíl iontach forbartha aige atá soiléir go fóill ina chuid boghadóireachta. I lár na 1970í thaifead sé agus sheinn sé le Ceoltóirí Laighean agus go gearr ina dhiaidh sin is amhlaidh gur thaifead sé an chéad albam aonair leis ar lipéad Ghael-Linn. Amharctar go fóill ar a chéad albam, albam ar thug sé a ainm dó, mar sheoid.
Thaifead Paddy albaim dhísréid leis an phíobaire uilleann Paddy Keenan agus Jolyn Jackson, seinnteoir trialach an mhéarchláir as Baile Átha Cliath. Tugadh cuireadh dó a bheith mar chéad fhidléir sa ghrúpa traidisiúnta ceannródaíoch The Bothy Band agus chaith sé 18 mí leis an ghrúpa seo, grúpa iontach a d’fhág rian ollmhór sna 1970í.
Tá clú air mar thráchtaire agus mar léachtóir ar cheol na hÉireann, agus bíonn an-tóir air mar cheoltóir seisiúin. Bíonn sé ar an chompord chéanna ag seinm cheol le John Cage agus a bhíonn sé leis an phíobaire Liam O’Flynn nó i gcuideachta cairde ar nós Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny, Mike McGoldrick agus John Doyle.

Doimnic Mac Giolla Bhríde

As Gaoth Dobhair do Dhoimnic agus tá aithne mhaith air mar cheoltóir ansin ó bhí sé ina ghasúr. Ba mhór an t-ábhar bróid agus lúcháir dó é, i Samhain 2009, nuair a bhain sé Corn Uí Riada, an gradam is mó a bhronntar ar cheoltóirí sean-nóis in Éirinn. Tá staidéar déanta aige ar an cheol ar an ollscoil ach is óna áit dhúchais a fhaigheann sé a threoir agus tionchair ó thaobh an cheoil; ó leithéidí Chaitlín Ní Dhomhnaill (nach maireann), a bhí ina comharsan aige agus óna bhfuair sé teagasc maith, agus ó bheith ag éisteacht le ceoltóirí mar Lillis Ó Laoire, Annie Eoghain Éamainn, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh agus óna mháthair Nellie atá ag teagasc ceoil do pháistí le blianta fada i nGaoth Dobhair. Is é cur chun cinn an tsean-nóis an paisean is mó ag Doimnic agus chomh maith le bheith ag teagasc an tsean-nóis tá sé ina stiúrthóir ar Chór Thaobh a’ Leithid i nGaoth Dobhair Cór Chaisleán Uidhilín i gCo. an Dúin agus Cór Loch Laoi i mBéal Feirste. Tá cúig dhlúthdhiosca eisithe aige ‘Saol na Suáilce’ (sean-nós aonarach) ‘Siansaí’ (Cór Thaobh a’ Leithid) ‘Guaillimh a’chéile’ (CD leis an ceoltóir Albanach Griogair Labhruidh) ‘Smúidghealach’ (CD le cúigéad téadach), ‘Sona do Cheird’ (amhráin nua-chumtha) chomh maith le leabhair agus dlúthdhiosca do pháistí Ící Pící. Bhuaidh ‘Sona do Cheird’ album na bliana ag Gradaim Nós 2016.