Lullabies From Around The Celtic World

Brian O’Donovan is a broadcaster, writer, and presenter, and lives in Cambridge, MA. Born and raised in Clonakilty West Cork in a family of 9, O'Donovan received his BA from University College Cork in 1978 before heading to England. He then journeyed to Boston and grad school at Emerson College. In Boston, at a music jam-session, he was introduced to Lindsay Henes. They married in August of 1981. They live in Cambridge, MA and have four grown children: Aoife, Ciaran, Aidan, and Nuala and two grandchilden, Ivy Jo Jacobsen of Brooklyn, NY, and Nomi O'Donovan of Denver, CO. He can be reached at celtic@wgbh.org.

March 22, 2020

Updated April 28, 2020

Lullaby. Even the sound of the word itself conjures calm and the softness of a mother's touch. The relationship between child and parent is so elemental; they say a baby can hear the sound of its mother's voice in the womb.

And sleep, the nightly "balm of hurt minds... chief nourisher in life's feast." Sleep that "knits up the raveled sleeve of care." Throughout the world, the simple melodies of mothers (mostly, but fathers too, of course) become a welcoming call to that state of restful, needed regeneration. Lullabies are genuinely universal.

In Celtic music, there are hundreds, maybe thousands. Some are just airs, little "bits of a tune," the maternal susurrations—often spontaneous—from that precious time of intimate comforting just before sleep. In adulthood, the melodies we remember can transport us instantly back to a time of reassurance, hope, and renewal for the coming day.

This playlist is a tiny fraction of many such lullabies recorded by artists regularly heard on A Celtic Sojourn. If you have a favorite not included here, let me know at celtic@wgbh.org. I have a feeling I will need to create a second playlist with this particular theme.

These links are here for you to enjoy through WGBH. Each track and its source are in the playlist below. I have added a time signature for each as well. If you like something in particular, please go to the artist's website and connect with them. Tell them you like their music, buy a CD or a download, and tell them you will come to see them when they play in concert. This simple kindness will make a massive difference to the morale of artists so devastated by this malaise.

Please know that we are together in this. Thinking of how now, more than ever, we need the power of music and art in our lives. Stay safe, please. We will reemerge.

00:00: "Dun do Shuil," Altan, Altan with the RTE Concert Ochestra
03:30: "Ho Re Ho Ro," Robbie O'Connell, Aoife Clancy, Donal Clancy, The Clancy Legacy
07:50: "The Castle of Dromore," Cherish the Ladies, On Christmas Night
11:55: "Star Lullaby," Susan McKeown (Johnny Cunningham), Peter and Wendy
18:35: "This Time Will Pass," Karan Casey, Chasing the Sun
22:23: "John of Dreams," Mick Moloney, with Eugene O'Donnell
24:48: "Connemara Cradle Song," Fionnuala O'Donovan with Ensemble, Christmas Celtic Sojourn
30:18: "Suantrai' Si'," Padraigin Ni Uallachain, An Irish Lullaby
33:34: "Suantraí Hiúdaí," Skara Brae, Skara Brae
35:50: "Hishie Ba," Jean Redpath, Celtic Lullaby
38:45: "Tàladh A' Phuilein/Lewis Lullaby," Fàrsan, Fàrsan
43:25: "Táimse Im Chodladh," Zoe Conway, Turn to Me
46:51: "Seothin Seo Ho," Susan McKeown with Cathie Ryan, Robin Spielberg, Mother
51:27: "Griogal Cridhe," Mac-Talla, Celtic Lullaby
55:48: "Go to Sleep", Karan Casey, Two More Hours