Siobhan Owen
Encyclopedia
Siobhan Owen is a soprano
and harp
ist from Adelaide
, Australia. Owen was born on 4 October 1993 in North Wales and lived in the small Anglesey village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogogoch before moving to Australia with her family in November 1995. Owen regularly performs at Festivals, concerts and recitals around Australia. She favours classical and Celtic/folk songs, but also sings jazz on occasion.
) school choir, where she soon became a regular soloist. Owen began her classical voice training aged 9, with singing teachers Naomi Hede and Norma Knight. She entered her first Eisteddfod around this time winning an Honourable Mention in the 9 to 13 age group. It wasn't long before Owen started winning Eisteddfods, most notably the Classical Voice sections.
Style show called "Shades of Green", organised by the Adelaide Irish Dancing Association, which toured South Australian theatres. When she was 12, Owen gave her first major solo performance, singing a traditional Irish song at the Adelaide Festival Theatre to an audience of 2,500. The same year Owen received a Music Scholarship from St Aloysius College
and a Choral Scholarship from St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral
Choir, where she remained a soloist and chorister for over 3 years. In August 2007, aged 13, Owen gave her first solo concert for Recitals Australia. She continues to perform for Recitals Australia every year.
with French singer/harpist Cécile Corbel
after they met on Myspace
. Owen was so inspired by Corbel's harp playing that she decided to start playing harp. She had harp lessons from renowned Adelaide singer/harpist Emma Horwood, and was soon accompanying herself with harp in Celtic and Folk Festivals, concerts and recitals. Owen commissioned South Australian harp maker and luthier
Tim Guster to build her a 36-string Celtic harp with special carving. This harp has travelled with Owen to the following festivals:
Also in 2009, she was voted the South Australia Folk Awards "Most Outstanding Emerging Artist".
2010 – Owen was one of ten finalists in the Australian National Young Folk Awards. Performances in 2010 included singing the National Anthem for the Tour Down Under
, performing at the Australia Day
Awards in the grounds of Government House, Adelaide
, presenting her own show Celestial Echoes at the Adelaide Fringe Festival
and singing at Adelaide's Carols by Candlelight
. On 7 May 2010, Owen was interviewed by BBC Wales
for a feature on their website.
2011 – Owen won two Irish Music Awards – "Best New Irish Music Artist" and "Top Harpist".
Celestial Echoes (released September 2009)
Lilium (released December 2010)
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
and harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
ist from Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Australia. Owen was born on 4 October 1993 in North Wales and lived in the small Anglesey village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogogoch before moving to Australia with her family in November 1995. Owen regularly performs at Festivals, concerts and recitals around Australia. She favours classical and Celtic/folk songs, but also sings jazz on occasion.
Early life
Owen's vocal talent was noticed at an early age and she was encouraged to join the Adelaide Girls Choir (now Young Adelaide Voices) and the (St Aloysius College, AdelaideSt Aloysius College, Adelaide
St Aloysius College is a Catholic, day school for girls, situated in Adelaide, South Australia.St Aloysius College, also known as "SAC", was established by the Sisters of Mercy in 1880, and educates over 950 students from Reception to Year 12....
) school choir, where she soon became a regular soloist. Owen began her classical voice training aged 9, with singing teachers Naomi Hede and Norma Knight. She entered her first Eisteddfod around this time winning an Honourable Mention in the 9 to 13 age group. It wasn't long before Owen started winning Eisteddfods, most notably the Classical Voice sections.
First performances
Owen's first solo performance on stage came just after her 10th Birthday in 2003, when she sang in a RiverdanceRiverdance
Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish stepdancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. It originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, a moment that is still considered a significant...
Style show called "Shades of Green", organised by the Adelaide Irish Dancing Association, which toured South Australian theatres. When she was 12, Owen gave her first major solo performance, singing a traditional Irish song at the Adelaide Festival Theatre to an audience of 2,500. The same year Owen received a Music Scholarship from St Aloysius College
St Aloysius College, Adelaide
St Aloysius College is a Catholic, day school for girls, situated in Adelaide, South Australia.St Aloysius College, also known as "SAC", was established by the Sisters of Mercy in 1880, and educates over 950 students from Reception to Year 12....
and a Choral Scholarship from St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral
St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral
St Francis Xavier's Cathedral in Adelaide, South Australia is the Roman Catholic cathedral in that city. It is classified as being a Gothic Revival building in the Early English style. The tower stands 36 m high and is 56.5 m lengthwise and 29.5 m horizontally. The foundation stone...
Choir, where she remained a soloist and chorister for over 3 years. In August 2007, aged 13, Owen gave her first solo concert for Recitals Australia. She continues to perform for Recitals Australia every year.
Harp
In 2008, Owen received media attention when asked to sing at the Adelaide Fringe FestivalAdelaide Fringe Festival
The Adelaide Fringe Festival is an arts festival held annually in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. The event is the Southern Hemisphere's largest arts event and the second-largest fringe festival in the world, second in size only to the Edinburgh Fringe...
with French singer/harpist Cécile Corbel
Cécile Corbel
Cécile Corbel is a French-Brettone singer and harper. She has released four albums of original music and worked for Studio Ghibli as a composer for their 2010 film, The Borrower Arrietty...
after they met on Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
. Owen was so inspired by Corbel's harp playing that she decided to start playing harp. She had harp lessons from renowned Adelaide singer/harpist Emma Horwood, and was soon accompanying herself with harp in Celtic and Folk Festivals, concerts and recitals. Owen commissioned South Australian harp maker and luthier
Luthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
Tim Guster to build her a 36-string Celtic harp with special carving. This harp has travelled with Owen to the following festivals:
- National Folk Festival (Australia)National Folk Festival (Australia)The National Folk Festival - Australia’s premier folk festival event – is a colourful and diverse family orientated celebration attended by over 50,000 people.It is the best Easter week-end in Australia!...
– Canberra, Australian Capital Territory - National Celtic Festival – Portarlington, VictoriaPortarlington, VictoriaPortarlington is a historic coastal township located on the Bellarine Peninsula, 27km from the city of Geelong, in the state of Victoria, Australia. The gently rising hills behind the town feature vineyards and olive groves, overlooking Port Phillip Bay. Portarlington is a popular family holiday...
- Australian Celtic Festival – Glen Innes, New South WalesGlen Innes, New South WalesGlen Innes is a parish and town on the Northern Tablelands, in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the centre of the Glen Innes Severn Shire Council. The town is located at the intersection of the New England Highway and the Gwydir Highway...
- Cygnet Folk Festival – Cygnet, TasmaniaCygnet, TasmaniaCygnet is a small town 55 kilometres south west of Hobart, in the Huon Valley in Tasmania. At the 2006 census, Cygnet had a population of 839.-History:...
- Tamar Valley Folk Festival – Tamar Valley, TasmaniaTamar Valley, TasmaniaThe Tamar Valley is a picturesque valley in Tasmania. It runs north-west from the northern city of Launceston to the coast either side of the Tamar River, a distance of approximately 50 km....
- Woodford Folk FestivalWoodford Folk FestivalThe Woodford Folk Festival is an annual music festival held near the small country town of Woodford, 72 km north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is one of the biggest annual cultural events of its type in Australia....
– Woodford, Queensland - Celtica Festival – Port AdelaidePort AdelaidePort Adelaide is a suburb of Adelaide lying about 14 kilometres northwest of the City of Adelaide. It lies within the City of Port Adelaide Enfield and is the main port for the city of Adelaide...
, South Australia - Kapunda Celtic Festival – Kapunda, South Australia
- Fleurieu Folk Festival – Willunga, South AustraliaWillunga, South AustraliaWillunga is a town south of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of Onkaparinga local government area. It is 5 km away from the wine growing region of McLaren Vale and is approx. 47 km from the Adelaide CBD...
Career
2009 – Owen won the Adelaide Eisteddfod Junior Vocal Championship.Also in 2009, she was voted the South Australia Folk Awards "Most Outstanding Emerging Artist".
2010 – Owen was one of ten finalists in the Australian National Young Folk Awards. Performances in 2010 included singing the National Anthem for the Tour Down Under
Tour Down Under
The Tour Down Under is a cycling race in Adelaide, South Australia and surrounding area. The race starts on the third Tuesday of January each year and attracts riders from across Australia and the world. In 2005, the Tour Down Under was promoted by the Union Cycliste Internationale to the...
, performing at the Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
Awards in the grounds of Government House, Adelaide
Government House, Adelaide
Government House, located in Adelaide on the corner of North Terrace and King William Road, is the official residence of the Governor of South Australia.-History:The original 'Government Hut' was a thatched hut constructed by the seamen of the HMS Buffalo...
, presenting her own show Celestial Echoes at the Adelaide Fringe Festival
Adelaide Fringe Festival
The Adelaide Fringe Festival is an arts festival held annually in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. The event is the Southern Hemisphere's largest arts event and the second-largest fringe festival in the world, second in size only to the Edinburgh Fringe...
and singing at Adelaide's Carols by Candlelight
Carols by Candlelight
Carols by Candlelight is an Australian Christmas tradition that originated in southeastern Australia in the 19th century and was popularised in Melbourne in the 1930s. The tradition has since spread around the world. It involves people gathering, usually outdoors in a park, to sing carols by...
. On 7 May 2010, Owen was interviewed by BBC Wales
BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
for a feature on their website.
2011 – Owen won two Irish Music Awards – "Best New Irish Music Artist" and "Top Harpist".
Discography
Purely Celtic (released May 2008)- Hen Wlad Fy NhadauHen Wlad Fy NhadauHen Wlad Fy Nhadau is the national anthem of Wales. The title – taken from the first words of the song – means "Old Land of My Fathers", usually rendered in English as simply "Land of My Fathers". The words were written by Evan James and the tune composed by his son, James James, both residents...
(Land of My Fathers – Welsh) - Suo GânSuo GanSuo Gân is a traditional Welsh lullaby written by an anonymous composer.It was first recorded in print around 1800. The lyrics were notably captured by the Welsh folklorist Robert Bryan . The song's title simply means lullaby...
(Lullaby – Welsh) - My Lagan LoveMy Lagan Love"My Lagan Love" is a song to a traditional Irish air collected in 1903 in northern Donegal.The English lyrics have been credited to Joseph Campbell . Campbell was a Belfast man whose grand-parents came from the Irish-speaking area of Flurrybridge, South Armagh. He started collecting songs in County...
(Ireland) - A Lullaby (Ireland)
- The Skye Boat SongThe Skye Boat Song"The Skye Boat Song" is a Scottish folk song, which can also be played as a waltz, recalling the escape of Prince Charles Edward Stuart from Uist to the Isle of Skye after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Charles escaped in a small boat, with the aid of Flora MacDonald, disguised as a...
(Scotland) - My Love is Like a Red, Red RoseA Red, Red Rose"My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose" is a 1794 song in Scots by Robert Burns based on traditional sources. The song is also referred to by the title My Love is Like A Red, Red Rose or Red, Red Rose and is often published as a poem.-The poem:...
(Scotland) - Amazing GraceAmazing Grace"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
(England) - Siúil A RúinSiúil A Rúin"Siúil a Rúin" is a tradtional Irish song, sung from the point of view of a woman lamenting a lover who has embarked on a military career, and indicating her willingness to support him...
(Walk My Love – Irish Gaelic) - She Moved Through the FairShe Moved Through the Fair"She Moved Through the Fair" is a traditional Irish folk song, existing in a number of versions and which has been recorded many times.-Origins:...
(Ireland) - My Little Welsh Home (Wales)
- The Ash GroveThe Ash GroveThe Ash Grove is a traditional Welsh folk song whose melody has been set to numerous sets of lyrics. The most well-known was written, in English, by John Oxenford in the 19th century....
(Wales) - Danny BoyDanny Boy-Background:The words to "Danny Boy" were written by English lawyer and lyricist Frederic Weatherly in 1910. Although the lyrics were originally written for a different tune, Weatherly modified them to fit the "Londonderry Air" in 1913, after his sister-in-law in the U.S. sent him a copy. Ernestine...
(Ireland) - Lilium (Lily – Latin)
Celestial Echoes (released September 2009)
- Dark Iniseoghan
- In a Garden so Green
- Ar Hyd y NosAr Hyd y NosAr Hyd y Nos is a Welsh folksong sung to a tune that was first recorded in Edward Jones' Musical and Poetical Relics of the Welsh Bards . The Welsh lyrics were written by John Ceiriog Hughes, and has been translated into several languages, including English and Breton.The melody was used by John...
- Twilight Fancies
- Nocturne
- Down by the Salley GardensDown By The Salley GardensDown by the Salley Gardens is a poem by William Butler Yeats published in The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems in 1889...
- Pie Jesu (Fauré)Requiem (Fauré)Gabriel Fauré composed his Requiem in D minor, Op. 48 between 1887 and 1890. This choral–orchestral setting of the Roman Catholic Mass for the Dead is the best known of his large works. The most famous movement is the soprano aria Pie Jesu...
- Ye Banks and Braes of Bonny Doon
- Lisa LânLisa lân' is a Welsh folk-song. It is a lover's lament for the late Lisa, ending when the heartsick lover asks Lisa to guide him to where she is, so that he may be reunited with her.-Lyrics:-Cultural references:...
- En Prière
- An Eriskay Love Lilt
- Ave Maria (Schubert)Ellens dritter GesangEllens dritter Gesang , in English: "Ellen's Third Song", was composed by Franz Schubert in 1825 as part of his Opus 52, a setting of seven songs from Walter Scott's popular epic poem The Lady of the Lake, loosely translated into German.It has become one of Schubert's most popular works under the...
- She Moved Through the Fair
- Der Nussbaum (Robert SchumannRobert SchumannRobert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
) - A Fairy's Love Song
- We'll Keep a Welcome
Lilium (released December 2010)
- My Little Welsh Home
- Del Cabello Más Sutil
- Dafydd y Garreg WenDafydd y Garreg WenDafydd y Garreg Wen is a traditional Welsh air and folk song.David Owen, the famous blind harper and composer, lived near Porthmadog in Caernarfonshire, Wales in the first half of the 18th century, who was known locally as Dafydd y Garreg Wen,...
- I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble HallsI Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble HallsI Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls or "The Gipsy Girl's Dream" is a popular aria from The Bohemian Girl, an 1843 opera by Michael William Balfe, with lyrics by Alfred Bunn. It is sung in the opera by the character Arline, who is in love with Thaddeus, a Polish nobleman and political exile. It has...
- Cyfri'r GeifrCyfri'r GeifrCyfri'r Geifr is a Welsh folk song. Both the tune and the words are traditional and have developed over the centuries.The song begins at a slow pace but the speed is increased with each new verse. The first four lines are repeated before each new goat is counted. Further choruses can be added by...
- If I Were a Blackbird
- O mio babbino caroO mio babbino caro"O mio babbino caro" is a soprano aria from the opera Gianni Schicchi , by Giacomo Puccini, to a libretto by Giovacchino Forzano. It is sung by Lauretta after tensions between her father Schicchi and the family of Rinuccio, the boy she loves, have reached a breaking point that threatens to...
- Gartan Mother's LullabyGartan Mother's Lullaby"Gartan Mother's Lullaby" is an old Irish song and poem written by Herbert Hughes and Seosamh Mac Cathmhaoil, first published in Songs of Uladh [Ulster] in 1904. Hughes collected the trad melody in Donegal the previous year and Campbell wrote the lyrics...
- Mondnacht (Robert Schumann)
- Lilium
- You'll Never Walk AloneYou'll Never Walk AloneYou'll Never Walk Alone is a song from the musical Carousel, a pop standard and football club anthem, for example that of Liverpool F.C.You'll Never Walk Alone may also refer to:* You'll Never Walk Alone , studio album...
- GreensleevesGreensleeves"Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song and tune, a ground of the form called a romanesca.A broadside ballad by this name was registered at the London Stationer's Company in September 1580 as "A New Northern Dittye of the Lady Greene Sleeves". It then appears in the surviving A Handful of...
- Isle of InnisfreeIsle of InnisfreeThe Isle of Innisfree is a song composed by Dick Farrelly , born Richard Farrelly, who wrote both the music and lyrics. Dick got the inspiration for "Isle of Innisfree", the song for which he is best remembered, while on a bus journey from his native Kells, County Meath to Dublin...
- May It BeMay It Be"May It Be" is a song composed by Irish musician Enya and featured in Peter Jackson's 2001 film The Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the Ring...
- It's Only a Paper MoonIt's Only a Paper Moon (song)"It's Only a Paper Moon" is a popular song. Published in 1933, it was written by Harold Arlen with lyrics by E. Y. Harburg and Billy Rose. It was written originally for an unsuccessful Broadway play called The Great Magoo, set in Coney Island. It was subsequently used in the movie Take a Chance, in...