July 6-9 RTE Lyric fm Irish National Broadcasting Presents The Red Book of Ossory by Anakronos ts

Week of July 6-9: Award-winning Irish Broadcaster Bernard Clarke of RTE Lyric Program  "The Blue of the Night" Presents Heresy Records' July 10 Album Release "The Red Book of Ossory" As Performed by International Ensemble Anakronos Featuring Caitriona O'Leary

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In anticipation of the upcoming worldwide release on Friday July 10th of Heresy Records’ The Red Book of Ossory by Anakronos*, featuring singer Caitríona O’Leary, the award-winning Irish broadcaster Bernard Clarke will dedicate a week of  programs throughout July 6-9 exploring the work’s sources and playing selections from the recording during his popular RTÉ Lyric fm show "The Blue of the Night." (Monday thru Thursday 9 PM-midnight, Irish Time https://www.rte.ie/lyricfm/blue-of-the-night/). RTÉ is Ireland’s national broadcaster. RTÉ Lyric fm is a music station with a classical bias also offering the listener an array of music from all periods, continents, genres and styles. Clarke has called The Red Book of Ossory “One of the best albums I've heard this year. Musically the gang are firing on all cylinders; thematically it's fascinating; and historically it is horrifying and illuminating in equal measure.” 

*Anakronos includes some of Ireland’s top musicians from the worlds of early music, jazz, world/traditional music, classical and contemporary classical. The members are founder and singer Caitríona O’Leary, saxophonist/percussionist Nick Roth, clarinetist Deirdre O’Leary, and keyboard/percussionist Francesco Turrisi.  

The Red Book of Ossory will be released on 10th July by Heresy Records (www.heresyrecords.com) and will be available at record shops and on all digital download and streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Deezer, etc. 

 About The Red Book of Ossory:

An important 14th century Irish manuscript, The Red Book of Ossory is a collection of texts that includes 60 poems by Richard de Ledrede, Bishop of Ossory. The lyrics on the album are by the Richard de Ledrede who instructed that these lyrics be sung by the priests, clerks and choristers of St Canice’s Cathedral “ in order that their mouths may not be polluted by songs which are lewd, secular, and associated with revelry, and, since they are trained singers, let them provide themselves with suitable tunes according to what these words require”.  O’Leary has set Ledrede’s esoteric and imagistic poetry to music from several medieval sources including Chansonnier du Roi, Llibre Vermell de Montserrat, Codices Chantilly, Modena, Squarcialupi and others. 

The Immolation of Petronilla de Meath

Immediately upon Ledrede’s arrival from the papal court at Avignon to Kilkenny in 1317, he set about challenging the secular authorities and making a name for himself as a zealous moralizer and "scourge of heresy".  In 1324 he arraigned Dame Alice Kyteler, a wealthy businesswoman and serial espouser (she married four times) on the charge of being a witch.  He alleged that she denied Christ, enchanted the citizens of Kilkenny with magic potions made from the entrails of cocks which had been sacrificed to demons, dead men’s nails, hair and brains of boys who had been buried unbaptised, all cooked up in the skull of a decapitated thief, that she had a demon lover named Artisson with whom she had sex in public, and that she murdered her first three husbands and was poisoning her fourth. Dame Alice, however, had powerful allies who protected her and facilitated her flight to England where she vanished from history. Though Dame Alice escaped with her life, her servant Petronilla de Meath was not so fortunate. She was burned alive at the stake for the heresy of witchcraft, the first person in history to be thus charged and immolated. 

A FEW PRESS QUOTES FOR CAITRIONA O’LEARY/ANAKRONOS "THE RED BOOK OF OSSORY"

“Surely, National Treasure Status Cannot Be Far Away…Caitriona O’leary has a proud background as composer and singer in not just exploring roads less travelled, but of discovering paths not travelled at all...an enigmatic performer with otherworldly qualities that thrives in areas of the unusual and unreal… that greatest of tributes: I’d like to hear that again.”        

Dick O'Riordan, Sunday Business Post

“Caitríona O’Leary has a lovely, bell-like voice with clear articulation and sensitivity to the Latin text. The performances are interesting, the sound is quite attractive, and not to be dismissed - a recommendation for this enjoyable collection.” 

Michael Wilkinson, MusicWeb International

The Red Book of Ossory

“One of the Best Albums I've Heard This Year. Musically the gang are firing on all cylinders; thematically it's fascinating; and historically it is horrifying and illuminating in equal measure.” 

Bernard Clarke, RTÉ Lyric fm (The Blue of the Night)

“The Red Book of Ossory" was written by a 14th century Irish Bishop for his trebles. Now this spiritual collection of songs enchants us to sinfully beautiful effect on the debut recording of the medieval jazz quartet Anakronos. The bell-like voice of early music chanteuse Caitriona O’Leary charms her way through between keyboards, a clarinet, the saxophone, and the folksy Irish bodhrán like a cat between the legs of the assembled party guests.”   

(“Ein irischer Bischof hatte „The Red Book of Ossory“ im 14. Jahrhundert für Chorknaben geschrieben. Nun entfaltet die fromme Liedersamm-lung ihre sündhaft schöne Wirkung auf dem Debütalbum des Mittelal-ter-Jazzquartetts Anakronos. Mit glockenreiner Stimme umschmei-chelt Earlymusic-Sängerin Caitriona O’Leary hier die Keyboards und eine Klarinette, das Saxofon und die irish-folkige Handtrommel.”)

Winifried Dulisch, Audio Magazine

"Music Both Innovative and Enthralling…My anticipation soared when I opened the CD booklet, a beautiful production in all the key areas of design, historical background, musical intention and musicianship,... jazz-like instrumental fluctuations with medieval, contemporary and even African echoes…”

Dick O'Riordan, Sunday Business Post

http://www.planethugill.com/2020/07/seductively-original-neither-completely.html