In 1996 Parsons sang with folk musician Jon Hicks on his album Chasing the Bear. She then toured extensively in Europe and the USA as Niamh Parsons & The Loose Connections, with the traditional group Arcady and with Dublin guitarist Graham Dunne, with whom she has been playing as Niamh Parsons & Graham Dunne since 1999. She has also appeared solo at many festivals and venues in Ireland and Great Britain. Her 2002 album "Heart's Desire" won the 2003 Association for Independent Music award.
Parsons is one of the most distinctive voices in Irish music. Her voice has drawn comparisons to such venerated singers as Dolores Keane, June Tabor and Sandy Denny. The great Scottish balladeer Archie Fisher said of Parsons, "a songstress like her comes along once or twice in a generation."
It has been said that Parsons may not be the most famous Irish Balladeer, but many feel she's the best. Described in the Boston Herald as both emotionally haunting and tonally as clear as crystal, Parsons's albums have been 'must-have' collector's items for any lover of songs and singing. Parsons has recorded a series of studio albums and live albums. From 1999, Parsons has been playing in a duet with Ennis-based guitarist Graham Dunne as recorded as Niamh Parsons & Graham Dunne.
Growing up in Dublin, Parsons's music loving parents brought herself and her sister to the local folk club in The Old Shieling Hotel in Raheny, where the young girls were exposed to songs and singing from the likes of The Johnstons, Emmet Spiceland, Sweeney's Men, Dolly McMahon, Danny Doyle and many of the other musicians and singers that were playing in Folk clubs at that time. "My father was a great singer, and on long journeys the family used to sing in the car—I don't remember a time in my life when I was not singing—I love songs."
Parsons developed this love into a penchant for collecting songs. She is always on the lookout for songs that speak to her—listening to new albums, scouring the Traditional Music Archives in Dublin, sharing notes with a network of friends and other singers. Once she discovers a song she likes, Parsons views herself as the vehicle for the music. "For me the song is more important than listening to my voice," she says. "I consider myself more a songstress than a singer—a carrier of tradition."
Throughout her career, Parsons has performed with a wide variety of artists, and has appeared at nearly every prestigious folk festival on either side of the Atlantic. As a member of the traditional Irish band Arcady (led by De Dannan's Johnny "Ringo" McDonagh), she sang on their Shanachie recording Many Happy Returns. She appeared before President Clinton and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern in Capitol Hill, Washington, joined Grammy Award winner Paul Winter for an album and a summer concert in New York, and performed on "A Prairie Home Companion" when the show broadcast live from Dublin.
Parsons's recording career began as Niamh Parsons & The Loose Connections, her band of top-notch Belfast musicians she formed with songwriter and bass-player Dee Moore. The band recorded two albums of contemporary and traditional material together. Their debut recording, Loosely Connected (Greentrax, 1992) met with the highest of praise. A beautiful mix of traditional Irish and contemporary songs, it featured the memorable "Tinkerman's Daughter" and featured Brian Kennedy, piper John McSherry, guitarist Paul McSherry and a variety of wonderful Belfast musicians.
The second album, Loosen Up (Green Linnet, 1997), was another buoyant mix of originals and well-chosen contemporary ballads, like Brid Murphy's gorgeous "Clohinne Winds" and Tom Waits' "The Briar and the Rose," a powerful a cappella duet with Fran McPhail of the Voice Squad. Once again the album featured first-class musicians, including guitarist Gavin Ralston, world-renowned saxophone player Ritchie Buckley and Kilkenny accordion player Mick McAuley (now with Solas).
In 1999, Parsons took a bold step and returned to her roots with her first solo album, Blackbirds and Thrushes (Green Linnet) a collection of traditional Irish ballads gathered from over 15 years of Parsons's singing repertoire. In her words, "these songs are living in me." The album won instant acclaim as a welcome return to traditionalism. The Boston Globe declared that it "expressed the sorrow and longing of the Celtic soul more deeply than any within recent memory", and Irish Music Magazine called it "simply magnificent traditional singing."
At this stage, Parsons found her self alone, without a band, and called on the talents of her friend Graham Dunne. They formed a strong bond from the outset, and without doubt, he was the perfect foil for her voice.
Keeping in form, Parsons's next CD In My Prime (Green Linnet 2000) was another collection of mostly traditional material, and again received widespread praise. Folk Roots named it one of the top albums of the year and The Irish Voice called the album "a must-have disc for lovers of Irish song." The album was nominated for Album of the Year by BBC Radio 2 (UK) and the Association for Independent Music (US).
Over the next two years Parsons and Graham toured constantly, and Heart's Desire was released in 2002. This album furthers the tradition of Irish song with unadorned settings and heartfelt delivery. She gathered together a collection of songs drawn from both traditional sources and modern writers including Mark Knopfler and Andy Irvine. The talented musicians who play on the album include in addition to her main accompanist, guitarist Graham Dunne, accordionist Josephine Marsh and Dennis Cahill, who produced the CD, and calls it "her best work yet." Heart's Desire is dedicated to the memory of her father, Jack Parsons. "Daddy had a beautiful voice," says Parsons, "and a great ear for a good song."
In September 2005, Parsons and Dunne recorded a concert at the Fylde Folk Festival, in the UK, and released this as a live album Live at Fylde which features many favourite of Parsons's traditional songs, all on one album. The Old Simplicity is the latest CD to be released with Dunne. Produced by Dennis Cahill again this album contains songs of hunger, of danger, of death and defeat, and ultimately, of love.
This is a body of work that has proven Parsons one of the premier vocalists of her time and a keeper of the flame in Irish traditional song.
Website: www.niamhparsons.com
Fear a Bhata
Niamh Parsons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feach a bhfeic mé an fear a bháta
An dtig tú anocht nó an dtig tú amarach
No Muna dtig tú idir is trua atá mé
A fhir a bháta is na horó eile
A fhir a bháta is na horó eile
A fhir a bháta is na horó eile
Tá mo chroíse briste bruité
Is tric na deoir a'ruith o mo shuíle
An dtig tú inniú nó am bidh me suil leat?
No an druid mé an doras le osna tuirseach?
A fhir a bháta is na horó eile
A fhir a bháta is na horó eile
A fhir a bháta is na horó eile
Ceád mile failte gach ait a te tú
Gheall mo leanann domh gúna den tsioda
Gheall é sin, agus breacan riabhach
Fainne óir anns an bhfeicfinn íomha
Ach is eagal liom go ndearn sé dearmad
A fhir a bháta is na horó eile
A fhir a bháta is na horó eile
A fhir a bháta is na horó eile
Ceád mile failte gach ait a te tú
Tá mo croíse ag dul in airde
Chan don fidleir, chan don clairsoir
Ach do Stuirithoir an bhata
Is muna dtig tú abhaile is trua atá mé
A fhir a bháta is na horó eile
A fhir a bháta is na horó eile
A fhir a bháta is na horó eile
Ceád mile failte gach ait a te tú
These lyrics are from the traditional Irish song 'Fear a Bhata' as performed by the talented Niamh Parsons. The song speaks of a woman who is waiting on the shore for her love, who is out at sea on his boat. She asks if he will return tonight, or tomorrow, or if he will not return at all. She notes that her heart is broken, and often tears fall from her eyes as she waits for him. She wonders if he will come back today, or if she should close the door and sigh with fatigue. She promises her lover that if he does return, she will dress in silk and wear a colorful plaid pattern called a 'breacan riabhach'. But despite this promise, she is still afraid that he may forget about her.
The chorus is sung in repetition throughout the song and speaks of the welcome that awaits the man if he returns, no matter where he goes. The final verse expresses the woman's fears that her heart may break completely if he does not come back soon, and that even the music of fiddlers and harpists cannot keep her from worrying while her love is away. The song is a heartfelt expression of the love, longing, and fears that come with loving someone who works at sea.
Line by Line Meaning
Theid mé suas ar an croc is airde
I climb up to the highest point
Feach a bhfeic mé an fear a bháta
Look and see the man in the boat
An dtig tú anocht nó an dtig tú amarach
Will you come tonight or will you come tomorrow
No Muna dtig tú idir is trua atá mé
And if you don't come, I'll be sorry
A fhir a bháta is na horó eile
Oh boatman and the other oarsmen
Ceád mile failte gach ait a te tú
A hundred thousand welcomes wherever you go
Tá mo chroíse briste bruité
My heart is broken and shattered
Is tric na deoir a'ruith o mo shuíle
Tears often flow from my eyes
An dtig tú inniú nó am bidh me suil leat?
Will you come today or will I hope for you?
No an druid mé an doras le osna tuirseach?
Or shall I close the door with a weary sigh?
Gheall mo leanann domh gúna den tsioda
My love promised me a silk gown
Gheall é sin, agus breacan riabhach
He promised me a plaid of speckled brown
Fainne óir anns an bhfeicfinn íomha
A golden ring that I would see
Ach is eagal liom go ndearn sé dearmad
But I fear that he has forgotten
Tá mo croíse ag dul in airde
My heart is soaring high
Chan don fidleir, chan don clairsoir
Not for the fiddler, not for the harpist
Ach do Stuirithoir an bhata
But for the helmsman of the boat
Is muna dtig tú abhaile is trua atá mé
And if you don't come home, I'll be sorry
Contributed by Jacob K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lizgray5750
I'm Scottish - Niahm Parson could sing the phone book in any language and I'd probably listen. There is something about her voice. Grabs me every time.
@cooksmary
Gives this American goose bumps and tears in my eyes. I understand not one word, but I feel it.
@DPG214
Ruth Keggin, a fellow Manxie, is also in that category for me.
@michaelkavanagh5947
@cooksmary It's a Gaelic song sung in Gaelige. She's sad about her boatman not coming back. The languages are close enough it works. It makes no sense in English.
@cooksmary
@M K I have a lot of Scots ancestry and I guess it is in my blood. Thanks for the nice reply.
@birdsofbritain4033
@M K I find it very clear in english -
@rexmundi3108
My grandfather's favorite song, he sang it in Scots Gaelic and faster, probably to keep the pace milling (working woolen fabric). He died back in the 70s when I was 8, of a generation who spoke Gaelic as their first language. Their story is told in The Last stronghold by Margret Bennet.
@ginajackson4122
Only just discovered Niamh and what a great raw, natural voice she has. This is one of my favourite renditions of this wonderful tune. Fantastic backing singers/musicians too.Thanks so much for uploading. Will become one of my regular go to tunes.
@kevinbrady5029
Also, how does this have less than 500 likes? What she does with each word is the heart of artistry.
@beakhammer2638
Beautiful voice. Thanks. From Ireland.