Iarla Ó Lionáird, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, and Cormac McCarthy

Presented by Hey! Manchester and Manchester Folk.

Twice Grammy-nominated sean-nós singer Iarla Ó Lionáird reunites with fellow member of The Gloaming, hardanger d’amore fiddle visionary Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, alongside pianist-composer Cormac McCarthy. This new trio traces luminous paths between Irish song and folk instrumental tradition, contemporary classical music and jazz.

Iarla Ó Lionáird’s voice has long occupied a place between worlds: rooted in the unaccompanied sean-nós tradition of his native West Cork, yet equally at home within contemporary classical, electronic and orchestral settings. Here, it becomes the focal point for a newly formed trio of exceptional subtlety and range.

Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh’s ten-string Hardanger d’amore surrounds the voice with bowed lines, drones and shimmering sympathetic resonance. Cormac McCarthy’s piano brings a different dimension: spacious and lyrical, but informed by his deep experience of jazz, traditional music and large-scale orchestral arrangement. Together, the three musicians create a sound that can move from near silence to startling intensity.

The programme draws on Irish-language songs and poetry, Iarla’s solo repertoire and music associated with The Gloaming. Iarla and Caoimhín were central to that group’s transformation of Irish traditional music into a new form of chamber music, heard at the Royal Albert Hall, Lincoln Center, Sydney Opera House and across an extended series of residencies at Dublin’s National Concert Hall.

Together, the trio continue that spirit of exploration. Voice fiddle and grand piano meet without excess or ornament, allowing ancient melodies, poetic texts and the spaces between notes to carry their full emotional weight.

Performers and instruments

Iarla Ó Lionáird - voice, drone
Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh - hardanger fiddles
Cormac McCarthy - piano, keyboards

Ticket price includes a £1.20 venue levy.

Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

Access info: the venue has three floors (Basement, Ground Floor, First Floor). Each floor has level access and can be accessed via staircase or a wheelchair accessible passenger lift. Non-fixed cushioned seating is available throughout. If you have any special access requirements please let us know in advance by emailing info@englishfolkexpo.com

If you are a wheelchair user or require an essential companion ticket, please email info@englishfolkexpo.com to let us know before purchasing a ticket.