Transcendence

The new recording Transcendence by Ilse de Ziah features rich and dark cello performances of music inspired by the religious and spiritual traditions of old Ireland. “When I first heard the recording from 1951 of singer Kitty Gallagher, I felt the deep connection of music with mourning. She sang Caoineadh do Leanbh Marbh (Keen for a Dead Child) in a hotel room in Letterkenny on a bitter hard afternoon during a blizzard. I knew I had to find a way to express the ‘caoine’ or keen on the cello. I researched into this style of music and discovered a story of the banning and subsequent loss of the tradition, and the heartbreak of letting loved ones go without this powerful expression of grief.