Niamh Parsons has come to be known as one of the most distinctive voices in Irish music. Her voice has drawn comparisons to such venerated singers as Dolores Keane, June Tabor and Sandy Denny. Described in the Boston Herald as both emotionally haunting and tonally as clear as crystal, Niamh’s albums have been ‘must-have’ collector’s items for any lover of songs and singing.

Niamh has recorded six studio albums and one live album to date. For the last 10 years, she has been playing in a duet with Ennis-based Graham Dunne—there is a spiritual bond between Niamh and Graham when they perform, which draws out the essence of the songs.

Reel Roots recently interviewed Niamh about her career and love of folk music. Here’s what she had to say:

Niamh, you have toured in the past as a member of the well known Irish band Arcady, with your own band The Loose Connections, with Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul, and with other groups. You also tour frequently under your own name with Graham Dunne. Do the style and presentation of your performances with a full band behind you differ from your duo performances singing with Graham’s accompaniment?

“Yes, I think my presentation is different when I sing with Graham. Firstly, when I sing with bands, I am only one member of the band, and have my song spots throughout a show, however, with Graham I am singing all the time, and he is the only band member accompanying me, therefore between the two of us we are the whole band. Also Graham’s accompaniment is very supportive and allows me to play with timings, delivery etc. The style of songs I sing with or without a band is the same.”

Many of the songs you have recorded are Irish, however there are several Scottish songs in your repertoire as well. It seems very clear that you carefully choose traditional songs that speak to you or affect you in some way, no matter what the origin. How do you choose the songs you sing and what makes the ones you choose special to you?

“While many of the songs I sing are Irish, there are plenty of English, Scottish, and American songs in my repertoire. I choose songs that I can deliver well. I always feel I am a carrier of the tradition and therefore I am only another voice in a long line of voices that have sung these songs over the years. Sometimes it could be a phrase, or a turn in the tune – its hard to say what exactly makes me choose a particular song, but each and every song I choose to sing has a meaning for me in some way so they are all special to me.”

I know when you are in the States, you often do singing workshops for those who are interested in learning the techniques behind folk singing which are very different from classical singing techniques. What advice would you give to someone who is just learning to sing folk songs, or who is already trained in a different singing style?

“Every voice is different, and I would prefer if a singer did not dwell on the fact that they have been trained, but to concentrate on feeling the lyrics they are singing. Any singer singing with feeling will get the emotion of a song across, regardless of the type of voice. But people who want to learn the ‘twiddly’ bits need to work on that aspect, by copying other singers and then trying to fit that into the way they sing.”

You have toured in many different countries besides your own, from the US to Italy to Germany. Do audiences in these different countries react similarly to your performances, or do you find that there are cultural differences which make each audiences’ reaction to your songs unique?

“No, I feel the audiences generally react the same, despite possibly not knowing the language. There is something in Irish music and song that seems to cut through barriers and non-English speaking people seem to ‘get’ our music.”

You have performed in many places and in many arenas in the past, anywhere from concert halls to folk festivals to house concerts. What type of performances do you prefer the most, those with more of an intimate setting, or those with countless people looking on?

“I don’t really mind the size of an audience. I love an intimate setting of course, but larger audiences can be excellent too. I have played in some of the most prestigious Concert houses in Europe, for example Concertabeau in Amsterdam, and the audience was completely silent during my performances, so although it’s not intimate as there were so many there, the reaction is the same. Outdoor festivals are difficult because there is always so much noise from surrounding tents and sellers. But from experience I know that people are listening, and enjoying our performances.”

We would like to extend our thanks to Niamh for chatting with us. It was such a joy to get Niamh’s insights on folk music and her role in the industry.

To find out more about Niamh, when she is touring or to buy her CD’s, visit her website at www.niamhparsons.com.