Fiona Tyndall Releases Single “Airdí Cuan”, ft. Fergal Scahill, Brendan Hayes & Padraig Rynne

The new single is the first release from her forthcoming full Irish-language album, “Éinin an Cheóil”, arriving on September 17th.

Photo by Brendan Burke - shootmydog.ie | Artwork by Viv Tyndall

Hailing 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).

Tyndall’s upcoming single, “Airdí Cuan”, is a lonely and heartfelt emigration song that describes a young boy forced to leave his home for reasons unknown, possibly famine.  Emigrating to Scotland from Airdí Cuan in County Antrim, he can still see his beloved homeland across the North Channel, and longs for his return.

Featuring delicate fiddle dialogue by Fergal Scahill (Formerly of We Banjo 3 - Best Folk Album Winner at the 2018 RTÉ Folk Awards) and touches of concertina from Co. Clare native and 5-time All-Ireland title holder Padraig Rynne, the yearning single also features piano, keyboards, bass and strings by Brendan Hayes, a long-time collaborator of Tyndall’s.

“Éinín an Cheóil”, meaning “Birdsong”, is Fiona Tyndall’s upcoming album 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 upon “Éinin an Cheóil’s” release on September 17th.

Single Credits:

Lyrics: Seán Mac Ambróis

Arrangement: Fiona Tyndall & Brendan Hayes

Vocals: Fiona Tyndall

Piano & Keyboards: Brendan Hayes

Fiddle: Fergal Scahill

Concertina: Padraig Rynne

Bass: Brendan Hayes

String Arrangement: Brendan Hayes

Producer: Brendan Hayes

Mixing: Barry Conboy

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