Cormac de Barra
Encyclopedia
Cormac de Barra is a harpist, singer and television presenter and is part of the Moya Brennan Band.
"I was born and grew up in Dublin although the De Barras originally come from Cork. I started playing the harp at the age of 10 with my grandmother, Róisín Ní Shé and went on to spend some of the best summers of my life studying concert harp in the USA."
Cormac's professional debut was a six-month tour in Osaka
, Japan playing in the Irish Exhibition at Expo '90. While in Japan he gave a performance for Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in their palace at Akasaka, Tokyo. Also present at the recital was Irish Nobel Laureate, Seamus Heaney
. Cormac also spent six months in Seville, Spain, performing at Expo 92.
He toured with a family group, with harpist Anne-Marie O'Farrell and as a solo artist from 1993 onwards, also finding time to work in theatre in Dublin both as a performer in W.B. Yeats'
'The Cúchulain Cycle' and as musical director of a production of 'Playboy of the Western World' at the Ambassador Theatre
.
He has also toured the UK, Europe, US and Australia with Hazel O'Connor
since 1998 in her autobiographical show 'Beyond Breaking Glass'. DeBarra has also played with The Chieftains
and the Irish Harp Orchestra, Cathy Jordan of Dervish
, Liam Ó Maonlaí
and with his brothers Fionán and Éamonn (a member of 'Slide'). DeBarra has recorded with Galldubh, Moya Brennan
and Brian Kennedy
.
Since winning the Féis Ceoil Harp Competition in 1989, something he refers to as his first big moment, he has performed as a solo musician for the Emperor of Japan
in Tokyo
(at the age of 17), played at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with Hazel O’Connor and finished his first CD ‘Barcó’ in 2003.
As well as performing Cormac presented the traditional Irish music series, Flosc, on TG4
, Ireland's Gaelic
language TV channel. Flosc was awarded Best Music Series by Irish Music Magazine in 2002. He is a presenter of the arts series Imeall on TG4.
In 2003 Cormac joined his brother Fionán in Moya Brennan's
band. In 2007 they were both part of the reunited line-up of Moya's family group, the world-famous Clannad. Since 2009 he has preformed with Julie Feeney
.
As well as these other groups, Cormac is also part of a family trio, Barcó, with his brothers Fionán and Éamonn.
Recordings to date include the CD Barcó, the harp duo CD Double Strung with Anne-Marie O'Farrell and the flute and harp recording 'Music of Great Irish Houses' with Karin Leitner.
Other collaborations include a duo CD with Máire Breatnach on fiddle and viola, and a CD Down By the Sea with the Celtic singer songwriter Ashley Davis in NY. Plus look out for a new recording with his brothers which is due out soon.
Biography
De Barra comes from a family of traditional musicians and singers from Dublin but with roots in County Cork. He studied Irish harp with his grandmother, Róisín Ní Shé, in Dublin and went on to study concert harp in the US with Leone Paulson."I was born and grew up in Dublin although the De Barras originally come from Cork. I started playing the harp at the age of 10 with my grandmother, Róisín Ní Shé and went on to spend some of the best summers of my life studying concert harp in the USA."
Cormac's professional debut was a six-month tour in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan playing in the Irish Exhibition at Expo '90. While in Japan he gave a performance for Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in their palace at Akasaka, Tokyo. Also present at the recital was Irish Nobel Laureate, Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
. Cormac also spent six months in Seville, Spain, performing at Expo 92.
He toured with a family group, with harpist Anne-Marie O'Farrell and as a solo artist from 1993 onwards, also finding time to work in theatre in Dublin both as a performer in W.B. Yeats'
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
'The Cúchulain Cycle' and as musical director of a production of 'Playboy of the Western World' at the Ambassador Theatre
Ambassador Theatre (Dublin)
The Ambassador Cinema was Dublin's longest-running cinema and was operational on and off until 1999. It is now a music venue.The building was constructed as part of the Rotunda Hospital in 1764 as an assembly hall and social rooms on what is now called Parnell Street.From 1897 onwards, the venue...
.
He has also toured the UK, Europe, US and Australia with Hazel O'Connor
Hazel O'Connor
Hazel O'Connor is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of a soldier from Galway who settled in England after World War II to work in a car plant...
since 1998 in her autobiographical show 'Beyond Breaking Glass'. DeBarra has also played with The Chieftains
The Chieftains
The Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
and the Irish Harp Orchestra, Cathy Jordan of Dervish
Dervish
A Dervish or Darvesh is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah", known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars in Christianity or Hindu/Buddhist/Jain sadhus.-Etymology:The Persian word darvīsh is of ancient origin and descends from a Proto-Iranian...
, Liam Ó Maonlaí
Liam Ó Maonlaí
Liam Ó Maonlaí is an Irish musician best known as a member of the Hothouse Flowers. Ó Maonlaí formed the band in 1985 with his schoolmate Fiachna Ó Braonáin....
and with his brothers Fionán and Éamonn (a member of 'Slide'). DeBarra has recorded with Galldubh, Moya Brennan
Moya Brennan
Moya Brennan, born Máire Ní Bhraonáin , also known as Máire Brennan , is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist who began performing professionally in 1970, when her family formed the band Clannad, and is now widely considered as the "First Lady of Celtic Music"...
and Brian Kennedy
Brian Kennedy (singer)
Brian Edward Patrick Kennedy is an Irish singer-songwriter and author, known for his ballads, and has represented Ireland at Eurovision 2006. He is the younger brother of musician Bap Kennedy.-Personal life:...
.
Since winning the Féis Ceoil Harp Competition in 1989, something he refers to as his first big moment, he has performed as a solo musician for the Emperor of Japan
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
(at the age of 17), played at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with Hazel O’Connor and finished his first CD ‘Barcó’ in 2003.
As well as performing Cormac presented the traditional Irish music series, Flosc, on TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
, Ireland's Gaelic
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
language TV channel. Flosc was awarded Best Music Series by Irish Music Magazine in 2002. He is a presenter of the arts series Imeall on TG4.
In 2003 Cormac joined his brother Fionán in Moya Brennan's
Moya Brennan
Moya Brennan, born Máire Ní Bhraonáin , also known as Máire Brennan , is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist who began performing professionally in 1970, when her family formed the band Clannad, and is now widely considered as the "First Lady of Celtic Music"...
band. In 2007 they were both part of the reunited line-up of Moya's family group, the world-famous Clannad. Since 2009 he has preformed with Julie Feeney
Julie Feeney
Julie Feeney, award-winning Irish composer, song-writer, singer and music producer.-Overview:Feeney is an award-winning and critically acclaimed Irish composer, singer, record producer, musician, songwriter, theatre artist and educator. She composes both instrumental and electronic music, and...
.
As well as these other groups, Cormac is also part of a family trio, Barcó, with his brothers Fionán and Éamonn.
Recordings to date include the CD Barcó, the harp duo CD Double Strung with Anne-Marie O'Farrell and the flute and harp recording 'Music of Great Irish Houses' with Karin Leitner.
Other collaborations include a duo CD with Máire Breatnach on fiddle and viola, and a CD Down By the Sea with the Celtic singer songwriter Ashley Davis in NY. Plus look out for a new recording with his brothers which is due out soon.
Studio albums
- Barcó, (2003) - Cormac De Barra
- Double Strung, (2005) - Cormac De Barra & Anne-Marie O'Farrell
- Music of Great Irish Houses, (2007) - Cormac De Barra & Karin Leitner
- Tarraing Téad - Pulling Strings, (2010) - Cormac De Barra & Máire BreatnachMáire BreatnachMáire Breatnach is one of the most prominent fiddle players in Ireland. She also sings in Irish on some of her albums. Since the early 1990s, she has had five solo albums, participated in many other albums , with substantive contributions in some cases, and contributed to many music CDs, as well as...
- My Match Is A Makin'My Match Is A Makin'My Match Is A Makin' is a music album by Irish musicians Moya Brennan and Cormac de Barra. This is Moya's eighth album to be released. It was released on the 14 April 2010 exclusively to concert goers on her Spring 2010 tour of The Netherlands...
, (2010) - Cormac de Barra & Moya BrennanMoya BrennanMoya Brennan, born Máire Ní Bhraonáin , also known as Máire Brennan , is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist who began performing professionally in 1970, when her family formed the band Clannad, and is now widely considered as the "First Lady of Celtic Music"...
With Hazel O'Connor
- Beyond Breaking Glass, (2000)
- Acoustically Yours, (2002)
- Hidden Heart, (2005)
With Moya Brennan
- Óró - A Live SessionÓró - A Live SessionÓró - A Live Session is a music album by Irish musician Máire Brennan, now known as Moya Brennan. Just before the start of the German tour, Moya and her band recorded a "live session" album to have available for fans on the tour. She's tried to recreate some of the live feel with the band in the...
, (2005) - An Irish ChristmasAn Irish ChristmasAn Irish Christmas is a music album by Irish musician Moya Brennan. According to Moya, the idea for the album first came to her some time ago: "I’ve been involved in number of other people’s Christmas projects in recent years," explains Moya, "but I wanted to capture a truly Celtic Christmas...
, (2005 & 2006) - SignatureSignature (Moya Brennan album)Signature is a music album by Irish musician Moya Brennan. This is her seventh solo album to be released. It was released on the 9 October 2006 in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands...
, (2006) - Signature (Special Tour Edition)Signature (Moya Brennan album)Signature is a music album by Irish musician Moya Brennan. This is her seventh solo album to be released. It was released on the 9 October 2006 in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands...
, (2007) - Heart StringsHeart Strings (Moya Brennan album)Heart Strings is a live album by Irish singer Moya Brennan. The album was released in September 2008, but was previously available to fans throughout Brennan's Spring 2008 tour of the Netherlands. It was recorded at her concerts on 21 October 2007 in the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool and in November...
, (2008) - My Match Is A Makin'My Match Is A Makin'My Match Is A Makin' is a music album by Irish musicians Moya Brennan and Cormac de Barra. This is Moya's eighth album to be released. It was released on the 14 April 2010 exclusively to concert goers on her Spring 2010 tour of The Netherlands...
, (2010) - Cormac de Barra & Moya BrennanMoya BrennanMoya Brennan, born Máire Ní Bhraonáin , also known as Máire Brennan , is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist who began performing professionally in 1970, when her family formed the band Clannad, and is now widely considered as the "First Lady of Celtic Music"... - Voices & HarpsVoices & HarpsVoices & Harps is a music album by Irish musicians Moya Brennan and Cormac de Barra. It was released on 28 June 2011 in the United States. The album is a remastered and remixed version of the 2010 album My Match Is A Makin'.-Release:...
, (2011) - Cormac de Barra & Moya Brennan
Other
- Down By the Sea (2010) - Ashley Davis
- On Song 2: Red Sails In The Sunset , (2005) - Brian Kennedy