The Children of Lir (Loudest Whisper album)
Encyclopedia
The Children of Lir is the debut album by Irish folk rock
/progressive folk
group Loudest Whisper
. It is the studio adaption of the musical of the same name that was performed in Fermoy
, Ireland
in 1973. The album was released on LP record
in Ireland by Polydor Records
in 1974 in a limited edition of 500 copies.
The Children of Lir is a folk opera based on the Irish legend of King Lir and his children who are turned into swan
s. The album was reissued on CD in the UK in the mid-1990s, but the original LP recording has become one of the most sought after records in Ireland, and ranks among the top 100 rarest records in the world.
, and it premiered in Fermoy
, Ireland
on January 1973. The performance attracted "a lot of regional attention", and Polydor Records
signed a record deal with Loudest Whisper. The group went to the studio in early 1974 to record The Children of Lir, their first album and a studio adaption of the musical.
The album was recorded on weekends at Polydor's studios in Dublin, because the musicians all had day jobs and had to travel from Fermoy. Electric and acoustic guitars were used, plus a string quartet and a children's choir, a combination which was "very experimental for its time". The music was recorded first and the vocals were added later. Because the studio was small, the choir had to be split into boys and girls and recorded separately.
ed version was released on vinyl
in the UK by English Garden Records. In 2006 Sunbeam Records released a new LP edition with a gatefold
cover, and a CD edition with six bonus tracks, including the ten-minute broadcast of the original stage performance in 1973 by Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTÉ
.
The original 1974 LP release of The Children of Lir has gone onto becoming one of the most sought after records in Ireland, and currently ranks among the top 100 rarest records in the world.
Richie Unterberger
at Allmusic described the album as "respectable if unexceptional folk-rock with tinges of progressive rock", and added that it has "a slightly lagging-behind-the-times feel in its basic production and earnest naïveté". Unterberger said that the album can be enjoyed without having to follow the story, and that the songs are generally "modestly enjoyable" on their own.
Side two
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
/progressive folk
Progressive folk music
Progressive folk or prog folk was originally a type of American folk music that pursued a progressive political agenda, but in the United Kingdom the term became attached to a sub-genre that rejects or de-emphasizes the conventions of traditional folk music and encourages stylistic or thematic...
group Loudest Whisper
Loudest Whisper
-External links:*....
. It is the studio adaption of the musical of the same name that was performed in Fermoy
Fermoy
Fermoy is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is situated on the River Blackwater in the south of Ireland. Its population is some 5,800 inhabitants, environs included ....
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1973. The album was released on LP record
LP record
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
in Ireland by Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
in 1974 in a limited edition of 500 copies.
The Children of Lir is a folk opera based on the Irish legend of King Lir and his children who are turned into swan
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
s. The album was reissued on CD in the UK in the mid-1990s, but the original LP recording has become one of the most sought after records in Ireland, and ranks among the top 100 rarest records in the world.
Background and recording
Loudest Whisper was formed in the early 1970s by songwriter and guitarist Brian O'Reilly. In 1972 O'Reilly composed a Celtic musical based on the Irish legend of the Children of LirChildren of Lir
The Children of Lir is an Irish legend. The original Irish title is Clann Lir or Leannaí Lir, but Lir is the genitive case of Lear. Lir is more often used as the name of the character in English...
, and it premiered in Fermoy
Fermoy
Fermoy is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is situated on the River Blackwater in the south of Ireland. Its population is some 5,800 inhabitants, environs included ....
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
on January 1973. The performance attracted "a lot of regional attention", and Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
signed a record deal with Loudest Whisper. The group went to the studio in early 1974 to record The Children of Lir, their first album and a studio adaption of the musical.
The album was recorded on weekends at Polydor's studios in Dublin, because the musicians all had day jobs and had to travel from Fermoy. Electric and acoustic guitars were used, plus a string quartet and a children's choir, a combination which was "very experimental for its time". The music was recorded first and the vocals were added later. Because the studio was small, the choir had to be split into boys and girls and recorded separately.
Releases
When The Children of Lir was completed, it was rejected by Polydor in the UK and ended up being released by Polydor in Ireland only in a limited edition of about 500 copies. It was not until 1994 that the album was released in the UK by Kissing Spell on CD. In 1995, a limited edition (500 copies) remasterRemaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed version was released on vinyl
LP record
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
in the UK by English Garden Records. In 2006 Sunbeam Records released a new LP edition with a gatefold
Gatefold
A gatefold is a type of fold used for advertising around a magazine or section, and for packaging of media such as vinyl records.- LP covers :...
cover, and a CD edition with six bonus tracks, including the ten-minute broadcast of the original stage performance in 1973 by Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTÉ
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
.
The original 1974 LP release of The Children of Lir has gone onto becoming one of the most sought after records in Ireland, and currently ranks among the top 100 rarest records in the world.
Reception
Richard Falk wrote in the book Galactic Ramble that The Children of Lir is a "wonderful progressive folk concept album, with a mystical atmosphere and mellow vocals". Falk said Geraldine Dorgan's singing on "Wedding Song" was "exquisite".Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger is a US author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing.-Life and writing:Having worked as a DJ at WXPN in Philadelphia, he started reviewing records for Op magazine in 1983...
at Allmusic described the album as "respectable if unexceptional folk-rock with tinges of progressive rock", and added that it has "a slightly lagging-behind-the-times feel in its basic production and earnest naïveté". Unterberger said that the album can be enjoyed without having to follow the story, and that the songs are generally "modestly enjoyable" on their own.
1974 LP release
Side one- "Overture" – 5:31
- "Lir's Lament" – 2:24
- "Good Day, My Friend" – 3:29
- "Wedding Song" – 2:39
- "Children's Song" – 2:10
- "Mannanan I" – 2:52
- "Mannanan II" – 3:09
Side two
- "Children of the Dawn" – 3:00
- "Dawning of the Day" – 4:30
- "Septimus" – 4:44
- "Farewell Song" – 3:15
- "Cold Winds Blow" – 4:44
- "Sad Children" – 3:15
2006 CD release bonus tracks
- "William B" (single A-side) – 3:45
- "False Prophets" (single B-side) – 3:15
- "Wrong and Right" (single B-side) – 3:42
- "Silent O'Moyle" (demo) – 5:54
- "The Wheel of Life" (demo) – 2:38
- "Children of Lir" (original RTÉRaidió Teilifís ÉireannRaidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
broadcast) – 10:35
Personnel
- Brian O'Reilly – guitars, piano, keyboards, vocals
- Geraldine Dorgan – guitar, vocals
- Paud O'Reilly – drums, harmonies
- Mike Russell – bass guitar