A question about Máiréad Nesbitt

Trad Irish Music
1

I think it’s okay to ask about a specific person, but let me know if this question is inappropriate. I am a beginner at playing the whistle and also at careful listening.

I listened to part of “Celtic Woman” (yeah, yeah, I know) on TV the other night and Mairead Nesbitt played the fiddle. I looked her up and she has won an All-Ireland Championship and been voted the Best Traditional Female in the Irish Music Magazine Awards in 2003. It also looked as though she had received classical training.

I can’t remember what she played except for “The Butterfly”.

I didn’t feel as though I was hearing something real when she played. It seemed like there was no depth to the music. It seemed bland and flavorless.

Questions:
1..Is this woman considered to be one of the best fiddle players in Ireland?
2. Was my feeling about the way she played accurate or was I biased by her behavior and the context of the rather silly show?
3. If my feeling was right, was her playing confined to a bland style by the nature of the show?
4. Does she normally play really great Irish music? If she has won these awards it seems as those she must be really good.

I’m not seeking to insult the show or its participants—been there done that. I am trying to see how my judgment was. I am curious about what people might think of her outside that show, but the main thing is I want to know if how I felt about the music on the show (if anyone got through the show to that point) struck others that way or if I am off in my thinking.

2

The problem with All-Ireland competitions and titles is that they don’t select for musicality, but only for technical skill (tasteless playing probably helps, too). That is not to say that some great musicians haven’t won All-Ireland titles (didn’t Micho win a title or too on whistle?). It just that the reverse isn’t true: Winning the All-Ireland doesn’t make you a great musician.

As to Mairead Nesbitt in particular: I wouldn’t be surprised if she could play some lovely stuff if you get her to sit down in a kitchen or a small pub session. On the other hand, I’ve never seen her recommended as someone to listen to.

And that Butterfly cut is dreadful, just like the rest of the CD (my copy of which, I am happy to report, I have passed on to someone with more sense and fewer opinions).

3

Cynth, was she the one who looked out over the audience, as if making eye contact with the audience members would help her music sink in? I found it very odd.

Susan

4

Okay, B, that is really helpful to me. Thank you.

Yeah, Susan, she had a very odd and distracting manner. I am sort of hoping the director of the show told her to act that way. The flicking about of her hair was really annoying to me. That’s why I was wondering if her music might have been good, but that I was biased by her actions to think it was not good.

5

6

I have heard this type of comment several times before. What is it about women with long hair that really irks other women? I didn’t even notice her flicking her hair … then again I didn’t even notice her playing fiddle. :smiling_imp:

djm

7

From the little I saw, she didn’t notice it either, djm.

Susan

8

Well, djm, I think she is flicking her hair so you will notice her beautiful hair. :laughing: I’m sure I’m not irked by long hair, just the unnecessary flicking about of it. This was a pretty serious case of hair-flicking. It was flying around from left to right and back again till you almost couldn’t see her face. I guess it annoys me because it is sort of a blatant come hitherish sort of thing. If you flick it once in a while for the purpose of getting it out of your eyes, that’s one thing. But when you are flicking it all the time it is just distracting and the motive is transparent. Flirtation should be more subtle perhaps. I don’t know. Lord knows I’m no expert on the topic. :laughing: Also, her flirtation means she is giving her attention to the male part of the audience and not thinking about most of the women. So that is maybe another reason a woman could feel that way about that behavior. Like we’re all in the audience and the men shouldn’t be specially catered to. It is sort of leaving the women out. Or maye I’m just jealous. :laughing:

9

Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve always thought the sexiest women are the ones who don’t overtly try to be sexy. I find people like Madonna, Britney Spears, and this Mairead Nesbitt person totally unappealing. The sexiest women are those who are sexy without realizing it, or at least without appearing to realize it :wink: Understatement goes a long way, at least for me.

10

My overall impression of the video is that it was basically a vehicle for Charlotte Church wannabes (and one Natalie MacMaster wannabe).

To me, the most “out of place” one, and the one who might have had a chance of rescuing this video from the mire, was Orla Fallon. She spent most of the video patiently harping while her cohorts hogged the spotlight. When she did sing, her voice wasn’t overloaded with sickeningly-sweet vibrato, and in the interviews she seemed to be very nice. Maybe she should make a video of her own, but she probably doesn’t have the “front and center” personality it takes to make one.

If you want a better video, get “Gael Force”. It is mainly a mixture of trad and Fairportish folk-rock, with a little jam-rock (Afrocelts, Leahy) mixed in for good measure. This video also has a fiddle player named Mairead with lovely long blonde hair, but she does a more (unintentionally) effective job of showing it off and is a better player to boot. I’m talking, of course, about Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh of Altan.

11

Make mine blatant, thanks. Its too easy to misread signals, and too easy to get sued these days for misinterpretation. Large signs are effective and less misleading. :smiley:

djm

12

So, on Gilligan’s Island, you would have gone for Ginger, and I would have gone for Mary Anne. (I always had a thing for Mary Anne… :wink: )

13

No, I would have taken both. :smiling_imp:

djm

14

I agree (well, none would actually be sexy to me but I think the women who aren’t trying hard seem more beautiful) and I would apply that to men too.

I suppose that picture of Ms. Nesbitt in those pants is supposed to be artistic or something. I’m afraid her fame is going to be rather short-lived if she goes the starlet route.

And thanks for that comment on the music, BrassBlower.

15

I would have to chime in my agreement as well. Britney… err… Madonna… ptttth. Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, Maire and Dee Brennan… lovely. Sharon Shannon… cute as a bug’s ear. Mary Black… well… :heart:

16

You don’t seem to be having much luck with getting answers to your 4 initial questions, Cynth.

17

Perhaps these were just rhetorical questions, but I’ll attempt some rhetorical answers anyway. :stuck_out_tongue:

Apparently so, but either she was having an “off” day, or that’s what the producers wanted.

Perhaps the producers of the show prefer show(wo)manship to talent. Maybe that’s why Orla got short shrift. :moreevil:

Likely so.

All I could say is to search the Web for sound clips and judge for yourself. Of course, the search for a good fiddle CD is much like the search for a good Generation whistle. :smiling_imp: I can say this because I play the fiddle, too, but when you find that good fiddle CD, it probably won’t be mine! :boggle:

18

:laughing: kenny, I have often observed that when a glamorous woman (or man) is involved, the discussion will tend to take on a certain direction of its own! Even I got sucked into discussing her hair!!! :blush:

Hey, BrassBlower, thank you for your thoughts. I am thinking probably she has not been heard very much outside the shows she’s been in so a couple of my questions can’t really be answered. I do think she has a CD, but I think I’ll stick with ones that are recommended around here since that has served me real well so far.

19

I don’t know all that much about Mairead Nesbitt, but this is what I do know.
Grampian TV, the North of Scotland television station used to broadcast a series called “Sult”, late at night some 4 or 5 years ago. This was a traditional music programme with Donal Lunny as musical director. The programme had a “house-band” and guest appearances from top traditional musicians every week. The “house-band” members I remember included Donal Lunny [ bouzouki ], John McSherry [ pipes ], Arty McGlynn [ guitar ] and Nollaig ni Chathasaigh and Mairead Nesbitt [ fiddles] , along with bass, drums and percussion. Now, I don’t think Donal Lunny is known as somebody who would hire a musician who is not a very good player, and if he judges her fit to play in that company, I for one would be prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt.
I did just that when I bought the solo CD she brought out a few years back, but was disappointed with it. There were not many traditional tunes on it, I can only remember 1 set of reels, which was well-played, but nothing special. Most of the tunes were recent compositions with the dreaded “new-age” feel to them, and they did nothing for me at all. That is a my own personal criticism of the music played – not of her ability as a fiddler.
The one outstanding track for me was her playing of “Bovaiglie’s Plaid”, a Scott Skinner air, which I have no doubt benefited from classical training. I have heard very few Scottish fiddlers play this piece so well.
Mairead Nesbitt was also one of the fiddlers in Michael Flatley’s “Lord Of The Dance” show, wearing the costume shown in the photo above posted by Bloomfield. Given the nature of that particular show, the costume would not be out of context, I would suggest.

So with reference to your 4 questions, Cynth –

Qu.1 – I don’t think so, - but I haven’t heard enough of her solo playing of traditional music to be able to form an informed opinion. [ Has anyone else ? ]

I haven’t seen the show you’re referring to, so I can’t really answer your 2nd and 3rd questions. Was it a billed as a programme of traditional Irish music ? Did she play traditional tunes you recognised, or were they introduced as traditional Irish music ? As suggested above, the role of the producer of the programme may well have influenced what and how she played.

Qu.4 - Same answer as for Qu.1 , I’m afraid.
I respectfully disagree with Bloomfield about All Ireland champions. At any of the All-Ireland Fleadhs I’ve been to, in all categories, but especially in fiddle, the standard of musicianship required to win a prize at both 15-18 and senior level has been very high, and competition is fierce.

20

Yup, Bloom, gotta disagree with you this time. I’ve only been to one All-Ireland, but the music was beautiful, soulful, heartfelt AND technically brilliant. It was absolutely clear that the soul of the music counted for a lot.

Chris