Deirdre Gribbin (1967-)
Merrow sang
Island People
Crossing the sea
Anahorish
What the whaleship saw

Patricia Rozario, soprano
Loré Lixenberg, mezzo-soprano
Mark O'Keeffe, trompette
Cliona Doris, harpe
RTÉ Vanburgh Quartet

Gregory Ellis, violon
Keith Pascoe, violon
Simon Aspell, alto
Christopher Marwood, violoncelle

This new release features Deirdre Gribbin's works for string quartet with voice. Born in Belast, the composer's Catholic background, identification with Celtic folk tradition, fascination for myth, and love of remote landscapes have all influenced her music. The title work features soprano Patricia Rozario - who has inspired composers including Arvo Pärt and Sir John Tavener to write for her - with the RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet, in their first recording for NMC. With trumpeter Mark O'Keeffe they perform Island People, a song-cycle setting verses by Irish poet Seamus Heaney. This is accompanied by Crossing the Sea for mezzo - sung by Loré Lixenberg - and quartet, setting an extended sequence of 7th-century Chinese poems exploring the loss of war, premiered at London's Wiltons Music Hall. The recording is completed by two works for quartet alone, Merrow Sang - depicting a supernatural sea-burial - and What the Whaleship Saw, inspired by an 1820 shipwreck and its grisly aftermath.