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A Celtic Journey with Our Lady - Harp, Voice and Strings - video


Vox Hiberniae together with Andrew Green draw on a variety of composers and genres to reflect musically on the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary in this video, recorded at the Carmelite Monastery of the Immaculate Conception, Dublin 14, Ireland. Thanks to Eddie Gilmore from the London Irish Centre for telling us about this video.

The beautiful traditional Irish hymn Céad Moladh le Muire Bheannaithe (a hundred praises onto Blessed Mary) interpreted on harp draws us into the tranquil chapel of the Carmelite Monastery of the Immaculate Conception to contemplate the life of Our Lady.

An Bhainis Phósta i gCána tells the story of the Wedding Feast of Cana, the scene of Jesus' first miracle at the instigation of Our Lady.

Lucien Deiss' setting of psalm 131 sings of complete trust in God as embodied in the life of Our Lady, a psalm which must have been known to and recited by her during her life.

Contemporary Irish composer Ronan McDonagh's beautiful setting of the Magnificat captures the exuberance of the joyous meeting of Our Lady and her cousin Elizabeth. His drawing on Irish and Scots Gaelic prayers in Soilse na Gréine Linn (Light of the sun to us) reminds us that where Our Lady is we are pointed to Jesus.

The compositions of Norwegian composer Rolf Løvland explore in heartbreaking juxtaposition the joy of Our Lady's motherhood with the sense the foreboding on hearing the words of Simeon in "Our Lady's Lament". But we are exhorted to hope with Song for a New Beginning.

Finally an excerpt from the poem by the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ,, The Blessed Virgin Compared to the Air We Breathe, captivates with it's encapsulation of the essence of Our Lady.

(Subtitles available for Irish texts, click the Subtitles/[CC] box onscreen)

00:00 Céad Moladh le Muire Bheannaithe (Traditional)

04:15 Psalm 131 My Soul is Longing for Your Peace (Lucien Deiss)

07:23 Advent Magnificat(Ronan McDonagh)

13:11 Mary's Lament (Music: Rolf Løvland / Lyrics: Brendan Graham)

18:17 An Bhainis Phósta i gCána (Traditional )

22:00 Song for a New Beginning (Rolf Løvland)

25:48 The Blessed Virgin Compared to the Air We Breathe (excerpt Gerard Manley Hopkins)

26:19 Soilse na Gréine Linn (Ronan McDonagh)

Vox Hiberniae: Mary Louise O'Donnell (Harp/Organ), Sarah Lane (Violin/Viola), Naomi Dunleavy-O'Shea (Violin), Kerrie O'Connor (Voice/Flute), with Tenor Andrew Green.

Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR0esUMcDAo


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