The show began at the Riverbank Arts Centre in Droichead Nua, with Lisa supported by a group of very talented musicians as she read stories and letters, from a large old-style book, about a time before electrification, radio, and the dance hall, an emotional performance that also included songs from as far back as the Famine, such as “Skibbereen,” which brought a standing ovation from the audience.
Lisa is probably the best traditional Irish vocalist I’ve seen for long time. It’s no wonder the Irish Times described her as “the finest singer of her generation.”
According to her web site, “Night Visiting” reconnects us to the social role that night-time social house visits once played in our oral traditions and folklore, and in the preservation of our songs and stories, from tender love songs to songs of loss and longing, to create an evening celebrating the old songs, stories and tunes from around the hearth, bespoke for each location she visits. Based on her work with the National Folklore Collection and her recent MA in Irish folklore, “Night Visiting” was commissioned by the National Famine Museum in Strokestown, Co. Roscommon.
For those who did not catch the recent tour they will never know what they have missed.
