Talented folk trio celebrate traditional and contemporary in new touring show
Conamara sean-nós dancer, singer and concertina player Becky Ní Éallaithe, Cork uilleann piper and singer Muireann Ní Shé and Clare harper, concertina player and composer Aisling Lyons are joining forces for Bi Liom Bi, a four-county tour of the country, taking place in September.
They will be be Amharclann Chois Fharraige, Indreabhán, on September 12, while the previous night, they'll play Pot Duggan's Ennistymon, County Clare.
This tour will honour the traditional music, song and dance of their home places while also featuring newly composed work by each of the three.
Bi Liom Bi is the result of ongoing collaboration between these talented women who are to the forefront of Irish folk music.
Becky Ní Éallaithe's love of traditional arts began in Indreabhán, learning from dancers and musicians in her community. She continued her studies at the University of Limerick's Irish World Academy.
She performs as a musician, dancer and singer at festivals and concerts across Ireland and internationally. Her creative work weaves music, dance, song and language, and she has collaborated and performed with a broad range of artists. Becky worked on Sclimpíní with Edwina Guckian and Mikel Murfi; An Fear Liath with Fíbín and Centro Dramático Galego, and Women of Note with Aoife Scott at Temple Bar TradFest.
She also performs with traditional music groups including the Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh Band and Birkin Tree.
Muireann Ní Shé, who has been immersed in Irish language, music and song since childhood, has been hugely influenced by local musicians and recordings old musicians and singers.
Her debut album, Éistigh Liomsa Sealad (2023), combined contemporary and traditional influences with uilleann pipes and ethereal arrangements of sean-nós song. Guest artists on the album included Aoife Blake, Macdara Ó Faoláin, Johnny McCarthy and Jake Kalilec. Muireann was on Na Píobairí Uilleann’s 2023 CD, Mná na bPíob Uilleann, Volume1. She also featured on pipes on Dermot Kennedy’s single, Let Me In and is currently working on a series of new projects.
With eight All-Ireland titles to her name Aisling Lyons has been described by Songlines Magazine as 'the finest young Irish harpist at work today’, while HotPress called her 'one of traditional music’s finest’ following the release of her debut album, Aistear, in 2022. She has performed in Europe the US, Australia and China.
The three will also bring this tour of traditional and contemporary work to Coughlan's, Cork, on September 4 and The Cobblestones, Dublin, on September 5, with more dates to be announced later in the year. https://linktr.ee/bi.liom.bi