Looking for some Sean Nos recordings for reasons two-fold. I wish two learn some slow airs the traditional way as well as learn some Sean Nos to help with my Irish. So, anyone know of any good recordings out there that are easy to get a hold of? Thanks.
-Mike
This one:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00008LOQ5/102-9372185-1196163?v=glance
You won’t be sorry.
Hi Mike,
Here are a few names and links for you:
Joe Heaney:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004Z3V5/uilleannpipesobs
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000000DVF/uilleannpipesobs
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000003ZA5/uilleannpipesobs
Íarla Ó Lionáird:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004R9C4/uilleannpipesobs
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000000HPV/uilleannpipesobs
Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008LOQ5/uilleannpipesobs
Other names to look out for are Peadar O Ceannabhain, Diarmuid O Suilleabhain, Lillis O Laoire, Seosamh Mac Donncha, Nicolas Toibin, Sorcha Ni Ghuairim and possibly my favourite Darach O Cathain.
There is an incredible selection at www.claddaghrecords.com and www.gael-linn.ie also try www.ossianusa.com
Good luck,
Patrick.
Please do not forget Clo Iar-Chonnachta: www.cic.ie
I might have more CDs from them, than from any other single publisher.
I’ll second Peadar O Ceannabhain. I also like Nioclas Toibin, and as Patrick mentions, Sorcha Ni Ghuairim, and even Sean 'ac Dhonncha.
Perhaps (?) not for the beginner (how many sean nos singers are?), but I also like Aine Bean Mhaitiu’s Grian an Fhomhair.
Dara Ban Mac Donnchadha is a very strong Connemara “voice” too, though I haven’t revisited his CD as much as it truly deserves. Same with Diarmuid O Suilleabhain.
Eric,
Thank you for adding that link - what an amazing resource!
Yes absolutely, Clo Iar-Chonnachta are fabulous too.
PD.
Wow! Thanks everyone for your replies. I shall have many hours of happy hunting with all this info. Go raibh maith agat! I appreciate it. 
I got this CD that Peter recommended one time and have been listening to it a lot. One good thing is that the booklet that comes with it gives a very literal English translation of the Irish as well as the Irish as sung for every song. If you are studying Irish it could help you check your translation. For me, at least I have some idea of what each phrase is about. It also introduces you to a number of singers and styles. The instrumentals are quite varied and sound different than more modern playing to me, so that has also been very interesting. For me it was a really good place to start listening to singing.
http://www.gael-linn.ie/musicstore/musicproductdetail.aspx?Lang=EN&PRODUCTID=CEFCD184&CATNAME=CD
eric, there are quite a few songs sung by Sean 'ac Dhonncha on the CD set I just mentioned. I’m wondering why you say “even” when you mention him. I am enjoying the songs he sings alot. I don’t know how people feel about different singers. I suppose there is some objection to his style or something? Break it to me gently.
The quality of Sean ac Donnacha’s singing on the Seoltai Seide compilation is as good as anyone could hope to hear, anywhere.
Poor Dara Ban is not well, I heard recently. Go and get hold of any recording of his that you can, it is brilliant music.
Darach O’ Cathain, Sorcha ni Ghuarim, Seosamh O Heanai, Mattie-Joe Sheamuis, Sarah Ghrialis, Labhras O Cadhladh, you won’t be going wrong.
David
I think the most problems you will run into is when trying to find recordings of people singing the slow airs that are most often played on UPs. Some of these songs are taught to kids in schools, I am told, so are no longer treated as serious music by modern sean-nós singers, with the result that you might have a hard time finding recordings. Also some of these airs don’t have lyrics, so the best you can do in those cases is just learn from listening to other musicians’ versions. But if you just want to hear the singing for its own sake, then CIC is the place to go for sure.
djm
I was going to say much the same thing, about the slow airs popular with instrumentalists not being readily available in their sung versions on record. I’ve only private recordings of Sliabh na mBan or Casadh an tSúgáin, for instance. Maybe your boss at Claddagh could rectify this, Dave? Seems to me such a record would be a big seller, and very informative at the same time.
Topic/Ossian’s Grand Airs of Connemara are great records. CelticGrooves.com has many hard-to-find-in-the-US recordings.
Cynth,
thanks for posting that - it looks like an incredible double album
For anyone interested, OssianUSA has it for $30, a good deal considering it’s 2 discs and 43 tracks!
http://www.ossianusa.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ossian&Product_Code=00888-CD
I’m so happy to hear that! 
And a really fat, informative booklet giving background and a picture of each musician, and Irish words and English translations of all songs. I thought it was a really good deal too.
wondering why you say “even” when you mention him.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned on various forums and email lists about traditional music, it’s that not everyone likes traditional music So, I said “even” out of an insecurity over what people may or may not like. He has, say in comparison to Joe Heaney, a smoother (less gritty) approach.
I really like Sean 'ac Donncha, and think he has fantastic songs, some with classic melodic structures well suited for the pipes (such as An Bhruinnillin Bheasach). And for beauty of sound and rhythm, can you really beat his Spailpin Fanach?
Same with Aine Bean Mhaitiu. I like her disc, but have no idea if others would. She has a slidey style that people, considering various reactions to other musicians, may hear as out of tune; also she sings in a relatively higher register.
I second all the suggestions listed. In addition to these recordings, there’s a recording I quite enjoy called Ireland: Art of Sean Nos, by Roisin Elsafty and Treasa Ni Cheannabain. It’s a French import.
I think that my personal favorite sean nos record is Darach O Cathain’s Traditional Irish Unaccompanied Singing.
If you do a search on Ossian’s website for “Connemara,” you’ll find a number of good sean nos recordings, including the “Grand Airs” recordings and the aforementioned SEOLTAI SEIDTE album.
[quote=“Kevin L. Rietmann”]I was going to say much the same thing, about the slow airs popular with instrumentalists not being readily available in their sung versions on record. I’ve only private recordings of Sliabh na mBan or Casadh an tSúgáin, for instance. Maybe your boss at Claddagh could rectify this, Dave? Seems to me such a record would be a big seller, and very informative at the same time.
Kevin,
The RTE Recording has Labhras O Cadhla singing ‘Sliabh na mBan’ with a nice and simplified variant in the second part, which is less dramatic than the more common version,
Dara Ban’s CIC recording called ‘An Meall Mor’ has him singing ‘Casadh an tSugain’ , with melodic variation like you couldn’t believe.
David
David, do you know whether there’s a recording available of Colm Ó Caoidheáin singing what became The Dusty Miller (the 9/8 one in D with all the crans)? Ennis collected it from him, though I’ve never heard it sung.
Thanks eric for your response. It is very helpful to know about what others might think, even if one doesn’t go along with it—I don’t mean you, but those who require more grittiness. There are songs sung by Joe Heany on that CD set and they are wonderful too. It seems to me that they simply have different sorts of voices and both use their voices in a remarkably expressive and skillful way just based on the songs on this particular set of CD’s. I don’t have the songs you mentioned on this set of CD’s, but I look forward to hearing them sometime.
emusic.com have Roisin Elsafty and Treasa Ni Cheannabain, Joe Murphy and Darach O Cathain available for download. They have a sign up offer with which you can download 50 tracks for free.
Andrew