Composer’s legacy speaks for itself on radio

O’Riada’s iconic radio series is now being rebroadcast to mark 40 years since his death,says Colette Sheridan

Composer’s legacy speaks for itself on radio

SEÁN Ó Riada’s contribution to Irish traditional music is being celebrated in a rebroadcast of his ground-breaking radio series from the 1960s, Our Musical Heritage. The series is being revisited on Peter Browne’s RTÉ Radio One programme, The Rolling Wave, to mark the 40th anniversary of Ó Riada’s death. It features musicians and composers who discuss each broadcast. The composer’s son, Peadar Ó Riada, contributed to the programme last week. The series kicked off with an introduction by Eamon de Buitleár, who was a member of Ó Riada’s traditional band, Ceoltóirí Chualann. This coming Sunday, Connemara sean nós singer and member of the all-female band, Liadan, Síle Denvir, will be Browne’s guest. Future guests include east Munster sean nós singer, Áine Ní Cheallaigh, and musician, Liam Ó Maonlaí.

As Browne says, Our Musical Heritage was hugely important. “Nobody else had done this, discussing traditional music and looking at what was coming out of the different regions. Ó Riada delved into the different ways of playing in places like Cork, west Limerick, Donegal, west Clare, east Clare, Sligo and north Connacht.”

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