MAURICE
LENNON
Brian Boru The High King of Tara
TARA3038
With Attention Deficit Disorder seemingly rampant among artists and audiences alike these days, it's the brave musician who would embark on a musical project that extends beyond the 3 minute holy grail. Maurice Lennon has never been a musician to shy away from that particular challenge. His long years of apprenticeship with Stockton's Wing (phenomenally successful in the early 80's), and his impeccable genetic and geographical inheritance (son of the renowned Ben, nephew of Charlie Lennon, and flagbearer for the tradition in Leitrim) have served him well. These days, Maurice Lennon sets his sights on the broad canvas, all the better to dig deep into the tradition and marry it with the 21st century music that coarses through his own veins. Brian Boru: The High King of Tara sees Lennon embarking on his most ambitious project to date. A musical portrait of Boru, a 10th Century Irish hero who defended his country against the pillaging Vikings, Lennon's sweeping suite captures the passion, the terror and the sheer villainy and epic heroism of the times with all the laconic ease that we've grown accustomed to expect from this most understated of fiddlers and composers.Swing shifting from the mournful to the celebratory in the opening piece, 'Brian's Theme', Lennon's fiddle marks Boru's territory and his charismatic leadership with mantra-like chord sequences, bolstered by Noel Eccles' tiptoeing percussion. From the opening sequence, it's the organic ensemble playing that leaves the deepest impression. Orchestral in its sweep, yet more akin to the cosiness of the session in its tone, this is a musical journey that would welcome entreaties from snug and concert hall alike.
Then there's Sean Keane's guest vocals, sparingly applied and pitch perfect on 'Aisling', an ode to the unfailing commitment Boru felt for his native land, replete with foreboding for the impending triumph and tragedy that was the Battle of Clontarf. Maurice Lennon's meticulous scholarship and creative energy are what define Brian Boru: The High King Of Tara. This collection is a confluence of musical and historical passions that reaps richly from the seeds Lennon has sown. Creative peaks seldom rise from nothing, and Maurice Lennon's been tipping around its perimeter for long enough to know a gemstone when he uncovers one. Reflective, restorative music. Balm for the soul and fodder for the imagination. "There must be something in the Lennon Genes;
they've been great exponents of the Leitrim style of traditional
music for decades and now Maurice has finalised a 20-year old idea.
This is a musical biography of Brian Boru, certainly the greatest
of the High Kings of Ireland. Whatever about his methods, he certainly
made the office something to be reckoned with. No Ard Rí
before or since, made such an impact. We remember the battle of
Clontarf in 1014 the way the Scots remember 1314, and the English
remember 1966. "I don’t know why but on ‘Brian’s Theme’ the
opening track of Maurice Lennon’s Brian Boru project I’ve got the
song ‘Go Tell It On The Mountain’ running through my head. But I
digress. This is an album that has obviously been a labour of love
full of subtle nuances and decorative interweaving of rhythm changes.
This isn’t a case of just being clever for the sake of it as the
palette of musical colours creates an aural soundscape. With Maurice’s
fiddle at the helm surround by such luminaries as Donal Lunny, Mairtin
O’Connor and Anthony Drennan (taking time off from his role in The
Corrs) you couldn’t really fail. Noel Eccles brooding percussion
is used to full effect throughout without overwhelming the listener
with heavy-handed intrusion. In fact, the whole album is wonderfully
restrained and brings back memories of the Irish TV programme The
Session. On the vocal tracks ‘Aisling’ and ‘My Reign Is Over’ Maurice!
sounds uncannily like Dick Gaughan leaving you wondering why he
didn’t include more. OK, so it’s not an album that will push the
musical boundaries in say the way Stockton’s Wing did when they
were going but it is a worthy contribution to any Celtic music collection." Live Review Maurice Lennon Glór Centre Ennis Co
Clare Saturday May 25th 2002 "Qui, s'intéressant un tant soit peu à l'Histoire de l'Irlande, n'a entendu parler de Brian Boru, le grand roi de Tara, surnommé le Lion d'Irlande? C'est en 1002 que Brian Boru se fit proclamer roi d'Irlande, Il y a 1.000 ans exactement. Et c'est l'année du millénaire qu'a choisie Maurice Lennon pour commémorer l'histoire de ce roi de légende. Originaire du Co. Leitrim dans le nord-ouest, Maurice Lennon est un fiddler reconnu dans le monde de la musique irlandaise, qui a fondé dans les années 80 le célèbre groupe Stockton's Wing. Depuis toujours il compose musique et chansons. Bill Whelan, Cherish The Ladies ou Natalie McMaster comptent parmi les interprètes de sa musique. Brian Boru voit Maurice lennon s'embarquer dans un ambitieux projet : un portrait musical en 12 tableaux du héros irlandais du X siècle. Pour ce faire il s'est adjoint les services de quelques amis et non des moindres. Donal Luny en multi-instrumentiste et producteur, dont on reconnait incontestablement la "patte". Mais aussi Máirtín O'Connor, Noël Eccles ou Anthony Drennan... ainsi que le chanteur Sean Keane. Bref, une bien belle fresque historique qui se
conclut pars les vers du barde de Brian Boru, ecrits juste après
la mort de ce dernier."
Brian Boru: A Musical Portrait Brian Boru, a musical journey for Maurice Lennon After 20 years in a successful traditional band like Stockton's Wing, what's a man to do? That's what fiddle player Maurice Lennon wondered
to himself after he parted company with the band about five years
ago. For Maurice, the electrical guitar represents the
spirit of the land, and the fiddle represents Brian Boru, which
is why the two are the main instruments used on the album. "Brian Boru stood for an awful lot that was quintessentially
Irish. And there's much more to him than someone who just died in
the battle of Clontarf." "He was crowned High King 1,000 years ago
this year, and this has not been commemorated." "Maurice lennon's new album, 'Brian Boru
- The High King of Tara', is a musical portrait of the great man,
and features an impressive line-up of Musicians. A HUGELY interesting suite from the mind of a Major
fiddler....It dose however successfully integrate modernism to several
fine tunes excellently played, particularly on fiddle. Donal Lunny
is the production hand, with a strong colouring from Noel Eccles'
percussion and Mick O'Brien and Mikey Smith on uilleann pipes. "Maurice Lennon, one time member of Stockton's
Wing, stays true to his trad roots on this CD. He embarks on an
ambitious task of depicting 10th Century Irish hero Brian Boru in
a musical style that blends traditional with some classical and
contemporary influences. Maurice's great strength lies in his ability
for storytelling and depicting history through his music." |
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Historical
accuracy is a lynchpin of Brian Boru. Painstakingly retracing key
events such as the burning of Boruma - a ring fort on the west bank
of the Shannon near present-day Killaloe - and gathering the Dal
gCais, or faithful followers, rise to a gallop, fueled by Máirtín
O'Connor's trademark featherlite accordion, and Anthony Drennan's
lithe guitar. Donal Lunny lends his customary conglomeration of
offerings from bouzouki to bodhrán, guitar, keyboards and vocals,
while Brian Lennon's flutes and whistles cross-stitch their way
through the tunes with the agility of a Juillard graduate.
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