Clare back in the spotlight

Fergus Dennehy talks to Waterville native Clare Horgan about her origins in music, her upcoming tour all across venues in America and her burning desire to help bring Sean-nós singing from her home of South Kerry back to into the mainstream.

IT’S an exciting time for Waterville native and current Ballinskelligs resident Clare Horgan right now as she prepares to re-emerge into spotlight next year with an extensive tour across America.

Her latest tour which is scheduled to begin in April 2019 includes performances in venues such as Glucksman House in New York City, the East Jefferson Library in New Orleans and the Craftsbury Library in Vermont.

Clare’s career to date has been full of so many incredible personal highs that it is difficult to find a place to start from:

Do we start by talking about by age 11, she had national level in the Fleadh Cheoil in the Sean-nós category?

Her performance on the album “Onóir”, a recording of the musical project commissioned by RTE and Gael Linn, a celebration of Ireland’s fight for freedom in 1916?

Or instead do we focus on her teaming up with legendary Singer songwriter Donovan, he ‘Atlantis’ fame, at the Cill Rialaig Art gallery to a packed room of discerning mixed media Artists from South Africa and beyond, locals and visitors alike?

Honestly, the list would take all day. Suffice to say though that it has been a very busy and fulfilling career to date for Clare so far and now, she is ready to emerge back into the spotlight once again.

A secondary school teacher by trade, but a Sean-nós singer in her heart, Clare is currently a woman on a mission as she aims to help bring Sean-nós singing back to the fore.

“I believe that traditional Sean-nós has been overlooked almost everywhere in the world,” said Clare, speaking to The Kerryman last Friday.

“Whenever I sing a Sean-nós song in class, the room would be full of people from all different backgrounds and religions who mightn’t even be talking to each other. When they hear a Sean-nós song for the first time, they’re either really touched and amazed by it.”

“Their minds always go to either ‘Lord of the Rings’ or ‘Game of Thrones’ so I do think that Sean-nós has great potential in film scores. When it is presented properly, Sean-nós can be an incredibly powerful thing,” Clare said.

The origins of this latest tour of the states lie in her previous trips to states where her music and singing has been incredibly well received to date.

Describing her previous trips to America as “heaven on earth”, Clare said that she is very eager to return to perform there again on her tour next year - a tour that she has been preparing for the past two years.

“I’m very excited about the tour but I’m also very slightly nervous, because venues that I contacted really out of fantasy more than anything that were very high profile, suddenly they’ve all started coming back to me. Now, I’m realising that is actually happening and that I have to be up for the job. It’s suddenly all becoming a reality,” she laughed.

Part of the tour which has Clare most excited is the chance for her to collaborate with “be among a community of musicians” again in places such as New York City.

“Sean-nós singing is usually something that is unaccompanied but on tour this tour, I’m very happy to have to chance to collaborate with musicians and that is something that I truly do miss,” she continued.

“While I do think that Sean-nós singing justifiably stands alone but I am very much excited at the prospect of having dance music and Indian music and crossing different genre’s on the tour.

Her main aim with the tour to help bring Sean-nós back over to America, where it was received so well last time and to help re-introduce, in a way, different parts of the country to the beauty of the singing that she loves so dearly.

For full details on everything Clare Horgan, head over to her website at www.clarehorgan.com

When it is presented properly, Seannós singing can be an incredibly powerful thing