Irish traditional & folk artist Fiona Tyndall has unveiled her full Irish-language album, ‘Éinín an Cheóil’, (Birdsong), which is due for release on Wednesday, September 17th.
Recorded in Oakley Studios in Blackrock, Dublin and Shorefire Studios in Longbranch, New Jersey, the album was fully produced by Brendan Hayes and mixed/mastered in BAZ Studios, Portumna, Co. Galway.
A highly personal and passionate collection, the album was inspired by Tyndall’s father, Buadhach Tóibín, a traditional singer and collector of Irish music. Meticulously hand-writing the lyrics of over 200 songs in the old Irish script in a bound ledger, he had the foresight to accompany some of the songs with tonic solfa (a musical system in which a series of syllables represents the seven notes of a scale), so that his children would have the melodies to sing.
Tyndall came into possession of this wonderful manuscripted collection following her father’s passing, upon which she decided to record a selection of the preserved songs. As a child, she had learned many directly from her father, as he also taught students from all over Ireland each summer at Coláiste Eoghain Uí Comhraidhe in Carrigaholt, Co. Clare (a residential Irish college).
A carefully archived digital copy of her father’s manuscript of songs will be available at the Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) in Dublin, Ireland shortly before “Éinin an Cheóil’s” release on September 17th.
The connection between the family runs deep through the heart of the album, as it also features vocals from Tyndall’s daughters, Aisling and Caoimhe Tyndall. Fiona says, “Three generations unite in song. We carry the voices of the past, weave them into the present and gift them to the future – a family woven together by love, memory, and the timeless spirit of music”.
The album features further collaborations with some of Ireland’s leading contemporary figures in Irish traditional music, including Fergal Scahill (Formerly of We Banjo 3 – Best Folk Album Winner at the 2018 RTÉ Folk Awards), Brendan Hayes, multi-instrumentalist and long-time collaborator of Tyndall’s, renowned Irish and World music artist and producer Seán Whelan (Puck Fair, Hotfoot, The Café Orchestra) Kieran Munnelly (The David Munnelly Band), Maire Egan (lead fiddle soloist for Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance”), James Blennerhasset (session bassist for Mary Black, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Elvis Costello, Sinead O’Connor, The Rolling Stones, Steve Earle, Sharon Shannon, The Chieftains, Daniel O’Donnell and more), Tim Edey (double BBC Musician of the year, BBC ALBA/Scotland Best Traditional musician 2020, BBC Radio Two Musician of the year 2012 at the BBC R2 Folk Awards), and 5-time All-Ireland title holder Padraig Rynne.
In a time of major growth and praise for Irish folk and traditional music, “Éinín an Cheóil” is a feat of excellence, channeling tradition and preservation through refreshed arrangements.
From County Clare, Fiona Tyndall has been immersed in Irish and Celtic music traditions since childhood. Moving to the USA in later life, spending time in both Boston, Massachusetts and Princeton, New Jersey, she now splits her time between both countries, deepening Irish-American cultural connections and carrying on the tradition passed onto her by her father.
An enduring figure in the Irish traditional genre, Tyndall’s debut album, “Deirin De”, blended traditional Irish language lyrics with innovative musical and vocal arrangements, receiving high praise from Siobhán Long (The Irish Times) and Karan Casey.
Her discography spanning English-language, Irish-language and both original and traditional works, her passion for preserving the Irish language and culture through song has led to incredible collaborations with esteemed musicians, songwriters and arrangers such as Fergal Scahill (We Banjo 3), Kieran Munnelly (The David Munnelly Band), Gabriel Donoghue and Tim Edey (BBC ALBA/Scotland Best Traditional Musician 2020, BBC Radio Two Musician of the Year 2012).