Search - Mary O'Hara :: Irish Traditional Folk Songs

Mary O'Hara: Irish Traditional Folk Songs

Bruce R Kubert | Redondo Beach, CA United States | 04/10/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have owned an LP copy of this recording since about 1974. Mary O'Hara has an extraordinary voice, soprano, pure, with a minimum of vibrato, and the ability to sing a range of songs from very sweet to very powerful. I have considered her my favorite female singer of Irish songs for the last 25 years. The songs on this CD are very beautiful. If you buy this CD and appreciate it sufficiently, write me an email and I will send you a list of several other recordings by her."

Let Us Give Thanks For Mary O'Hara's Music

D. McCort | Los Gatos ,CA USA | 07/14/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Mary O'Hara made this recording when she was a youngster, and before the current convention that traditional Irish music recordings be somewhat overproduced. The four stars would be five if, some hair-splitting here, the presentation were even a little less formal. I know that's such a hard mark to hit. Her music was enchanting then, and it is enchanting still. Just think of how, once upon a time, it was the fashion to put babes to bed to Mary's "Oro My Little Boat", or "The Gartan Mother's Lullaby". Though this never happened to me, it would seem to have been the evening ritual in the childhoods of most other Mary O'Hara fans I've encountered. Then would follow the admission that their mothers weren't always up to singing, and found Mary's handy ready-mades would serve nicely. These were often the bands with the most scratches from use. Later in my life, I was lucky enough to find this album in a used record shop, and on playing it found "Little Boat", and "Gartan Mother's" good and worn on that copy too. Of all the boasts anyone could make in this world, the one of being able to claim that they personally lullabied countless small children has got to be among the very best."

Has been my favorite for decades

M. M. Corbett | Florida | 05/16/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not an expert on traditional Irish music but I've sampled a wide variety and Mary O'Hara is one of my all-time favorite performers. Keep in mind that she is a harp soloist with a beautiful voice; her music may seem simple compared to arrangements for multiple instruments but the clarity of her singing and harp playing allows a listener to appreciate some of the finer parts of the music. I've been listening to her music for decades and it always seem fresh--I can say that about only a very small portion of my music collection.



To complement the simple enjoyment of listening to her music, I recommend a listener also find out more about her (her personal background is fascinating) and the lore of some of the songs she sings. e.g., "Silent O Moyle" is based on a 19th century poem by Thomas Moore which itself is based on Irish mythology."