MY CULTURAL LIFE
Eleanor McEvoy is one of Ireland’s foremost songwriters. She is the composer and co-performer of A Woman’s Heart, the title track for one of the bestselling Irish albums in history. She began her career as a session musician in Dublin, playing on numerous recordings and for artists including
U2, Sinead O’Connor and Mary Black.
She was also a violinist with the RTE National Symphony Orchestra for five years. Last year she was reappointed by Minister of Culture Josepha Madigan to the board of Ireland’s National Concert Hall. She performs in A Woman’s Heart Orchestrated at the National Concert Hall on February 12, 13 and 19. nch.ie
Movie: Lost in Translation
I can’t watch any degree of violence and it’s surprising how many films and television programmes this excludes you from watching. However, one film that made me laugh out loud was Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation featuring Scarlett Johannson and Bill Murray. It is hysterically funny, particularly for anyone who’s been on their own in Tokyo or that part of the world. She perfectly nails the alienation you feel but can’t quite explain. I loved it to bits.
Song: Can’t Buy Me Love
The sentiment of The Beatles’s song rings so true in this day and age more than it ever has; it’s simple enough but it’s one we still need to be reminded of, the triumph of love over material goods. The ‘anorak’ songwriter in me also marvels at the economy of lyrics and I always think there’s a lesson in this song for songwriters everywhere, four verses, four choruses, a great gritty guitar solo and the song stills comes in at under two minutes, 11 seconds.
Book: The Bard of Erin
It’s a biography of the poet and songwriter Thomas Moore (17791852) by Ronan Kelly. I recorded an album of Moore’s songs in a contemporary setting two years ago on my album The Thomas Moore Project and this book helped me hugely when it came to arranging the songs and getting inside Moore’s head. Ronan’s wife Emilie Pine is also a wonderful writer, she wrote the fantastic Notes To Self that came out late last year.
Artist: Chris Gollon
My favourite artwork at the moment is a work called Study on Paper (VII) for Gimme Some Wine by Chris Gollon. I just love the way the character is holding the glass, the tilt of the bottle. The cork is put back into the bottle, but one wonders for how long?
TV: The West Wing
The West Wing is my all-time favourite TV programme and I have watched it many times, although I have to confess I am struggling to watch it at the moment with the current state of politics throughout our world.