''Aoife'' is the second studio album released by

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

singer

Aoife Ní Fhearraigh Aoife Ní Fhearraigh (), or simply Aoife, is an Irish singer. A well-known interpreter of Irish Gaelic songs, she released her first recording in 1991 and worked with Moya Brennan to produce her much acclaimed 1996 album ''Aoife''. She reached int ...

. It consists of a wide selection of Traditional Irish songs, and its lyrics are entirely sung in

. In the sleeve notes,

Máire Brennan Moya Brennan (born Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin on 4 August 1952), also known as Máire Brennan, is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist. She is the sister of the musical artist known as Enya. She began performing pr ...

- the world's most prominent Celtic artist wrote the following: ''For those of us who have a love of the Irish Song Tradition, this is an invaluable recording that is an essential addition to every record collection. Aoife is the finest young singer that has come to my attention for quite some time.''

Critical reception

Rambles: 1996, by Gilbert Head:
This disc is at its best with the slower ballads, which are richly mounted, and give the best opportunity for Ní Fhearraigh to linger with the melody. The placing of the occasional countertempo piece like the question-and-answer work "Cailin a' tSleibhe Ruaidh" lends balance to the disc, and gives one a feel for the diversity of the vocal tradition from Ranafast which those who have labored in love on Aoife have sought successfully to preserve and share. I recommend this work to those who cannot get enough of what the Gaeltacht has to offer, and I look forward with great anticipation to future offerings from this artist.

Track listing

#"Ansacht na nAnsacht" ''(My love and my delight)'' #"Seacht Suáilcí na Maighdine Muire" ''(The seven consolations of the Virgin Mary)'' #"Níl sé 'na Lá" ''(It's not yet day)'' #"Nuair a bhí Mise Óg" ''(When I was young)'' #"Cailín na Gruaige Báine" ''(The girl with the fair hair)'' #"Ainnir Dheas na gCiabhfholt Donn" ''(The lovely maid with the brown tresses)'' #"A Neansaí 'Mhíle Grá" ''(Nancy, my sweetest darling)'' #"Caitlín Triall" ''(Caitlín of the tresses)'' #"Mo Ghrá Thú" (Salm 17) ''(My Lord, I love Thee)'' #"Cailín a' tSléibhe Ruaidh" ''(The girl from the russet moor)'' #"Úrchnoc Chéin Mhic Cáinte" ''(The fair hill of Cian Mac Cáinte)''

Personnel

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

- vocals *

Brídín Brennan Brídín Ní Bhraonáin, professionally known as Brídín Brennan, is an Irish pop singer from Dobhar (Dore), Gweedore, County Donegal. She is the sister of Enya, Moya and Pól Brennan, and has also toured with family-band Clannad. Her precise ...

- vocals * Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh - Male vocals on 'Cailín a' tSléibhe Ruaidh' *Noel Eccles -

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

*Des Moore -

acoustic guitars An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

Anthony Drennan Anthony "Anto" Drennan (born on 1 November 1958) is an English-born Irish guitarist noted for his involvement with the Corrs, Genesis and Mike + the Mechanics among others. Drennan is from a musical Irish family and was born in Luton, England ...

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

and

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...

*Mel Mercier -

Bodhrán The bodhrán (, ; plural ''bodhráin'' or ''bodhráns'') is a frame drum used in Irish music ranging from in diameter, with most drums measuring . The sides of the drum are deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side (synthetic heads or othe ...

*Máirtín O'Connor -

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

* Nollaig Ní Chathasaigh -

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

and

viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

John McSherry John Patrick McSherry (September 11, 1944April 1, 1996) was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1971 until his death. McSherry wore uniform number 9 when he entered the National League, then wore num ...

uilleann pipes The uilleann pipes ( or , ) are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland. Earlier known in English as "union pipes", their current name is a partial translation of the Irish language terms (literally, "pipes of the elbow"), from their ...

and low whistle *Joe Csibi -

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

*Denis Woods -

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aoife (Album) 1996 albums Aoife Ní Fhearraigh albums