Immram is a suite of poems by Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill first published in her collection ‘Feis’ (1991). In 2019, Neil Ó Lochlainn was commissioned by poet Paddy Bushe and the Amergin Solstice Poetry festival to set the poems to music.
Immram expertly combines Irish traditional music, sean-nós singing, jazz, improvisation, and contemporary classical music into a groundbreaking post-genre style. Ó Lochlainn’s compositions honour ancient Irish forms while embracing modern artistic expression, resulting in a timeless yet contemporary sound.
Immram roughly translates as ‘Voyage’ and is a type of story found commonly in mythological Irish writing describing a protagonist's journey by sea to the otherworld and the adventures during their voyage.
"Neil has an instinct and a feel for different strands of music that allows him to create uncompromised musical worlds that speak with real depth and authenticity" Martin Hayes
Artists
Eithne Ní Chatháin — voice
Erin Hennessey — fiddle
Eilís Lavelle — harp
Neil Ó Lochlainn — double bass, flute, music
Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill — text
Immran is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland.
