Glyn Pursglove have reviewed The Red Book of Ossory by Anakronos for MusicWeb International.
“The power and impact of these performances are the product of the seriousness with which Caitríona O’Leary and her colleagues take both the story of Ledred’s fierce treatment of his innocent victims and the spirituality of his Latin verses…
There isn’t a dull or disappointing track on the disc… The results are fascinating.”
Glyn Pursglove of Music Web International has reviewed Citadel of Song: Ballate from Boccaccio’s ‘Decameron’ the latest release from Anakronos.
German magazine AUDIO has reviewed Citadel of Song by Anakronos.
In “Citadel of Song”, the medieval ensemble Anakronos breathes new life into ten texts from Boccaccio’s “Decameron” with elements of fusion jazz, prog rock and contemporary classical music. With this revival of 14th century Italian love poetry, the Irish elfin-voiced singer Caitríona O’Leary confirms her status as the world’s leading early music avant-gardist.
The Island of Saints is a new ground-breaking feature length music film by director Eric Fraad inspired by the medieval/jazz fusion ensemble Anakronos’ highly-acclaimed album, The Red Book of Ossory and its backstory.
The Island of Saints oscillates between three types of scenes; music performance scenes of Anakronos performing music from The Red Book of Ossory, scenes dramatising the infamous witch hunt and trial of Dame Alice Kyteler in 1324 and the burning of her servant Petronilla de Meath and hallucinatory music videos that engage with philosophical themes in the songs from The Red Book of Ossory.
Saturday, 12th February at 3pm: Wexford Arts Centre
Wednesday, 23rd February at 730pm: Project Arts Centre
Sunday, 6th March at 8pm: Birr Theatre & Arts Centre
Written, Produced & Directed by Eric Fraad
Music Director – Caitríona O’Leary
Producer – Karina Lundström
Executive Producer, Paula Heil Fisher
Director of Photography – Martin Mai
Costumes Designer – Monica Ennis
Edited by Martin Mai
Art Direction – David McDermott
Hair and Makeup Design – Tee Elliot
Recorded by Alex Borwick
Anakronos
Caitríona O’Leary, Voice
Nick Roth, Soprano Saxophone, Recorders, Percussion
Deirdre O’Leary, Clarinets, Percussion
Greg Felton, Nord Synthesizer, Percussion
Mel Mercier, Percussion
Dramatis Personae
Richard de Ledrede, Bishop of Ossory – Raymond Keane
Petronilla de Meath, The Virgin Mary – Megan O’Malley
Dame Alice Kyteler – Caitríona O’Leary
William Outlaw – Ethan Dillon
Artisson – Vitor Bassi
Dominican Friar, Assistant to Artisson – Michael Cooney
Dominican Friar, Assistant to Artisson – Gavan O’Connor Duffy
Funded by the Arts Council of Ireland, Begin Together Arts Fund (Bank of Ireland / Business to Arts), Fingal County Council, Heresy Films.
Reviews for THE RED BOOK OF OSSORY & ANAKRONOS
★★★★★ – Michael Dervan, The Irish Times
“A work of singular genius…This brilliant suite of songs practices its own witchcraft, seducing you straightaway with its beauty.” – ArtMuseLondon
“Absolutely extraordinary… One of the Best Albums I’ve Heard This Year. Musically the gang are firing on all cylinders; thematically it’s fascinating; and historically it is horrifying and illuminating in equal measure… Wonderful music, fascinatingly presented” – Bernard Clarke, RTÉ Lyric fm ‘In the Blue of the Night Show’
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Music critic Michael Dervan have given The Red Book of Ossory by Anakronos a 5 Star review in today’s Irish Times culture section.
“Absolutely extraordinary… One of the Best Albums I’ve Heard This Year. Musically the gang are firing on all cylinders; thematically it’s fascinating; and historically it is horrifying and illuminating in equal measure…Wonderful music, fascinatingly presented”
Bernard Clarke, RTÉ Lyric fm ‘In the Blue of the Night Show’
“A work of singular genius…This brilliant suite of songs practices its own apparent witchcraft, seducing you straightaway with its beauty.”
ArtMuseLondon
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“The wonderful ..innovative Irish ensemble Anakronos – which features the voice of Catriona O’Leary, Deirdre O’Leary’s clarinet, Nick Roth’s saxophones and the keyboards and percussion of Francesco Turrisi…… delivers an exquisite and refreshing sound in a saturated world that is slowly forgetting its ancient musical roots …a stunning bridge between the past and the present.
Best Albums of 2020
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“A new take on what music can do and say. As O’Leary and Anakronos evince, music need not simply entertain us—it can also educate us.”
Colleen Taylor, The Irish Echo
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“My anticipation soared when I opened the CD booklet, a beautiful production in all the key areas of design, historical background, musical intention and musicianship– particularly the latter.”
Dick O’Riordan, Sunday Business Post
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“An innovative and exalted musical experience…The Red Book Of Ossory is a singularly effective combination of medieval melodies and contemporary psychedelic jazz, triumphantly portraying humanity’s duality in its music. It’s undeniably beautiful, but always with some dissonance—often subtle—sleeping beneath each track.”
Lori Lander Murphy and Owen Murphy Irish Philadelphia.com
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“A recently-formed ensemble with a hint of the supergroup about them…as the debut album from Anakronos grows more familiar, it reveals and revels in layer after layer of sinister chills and thought-provoking arrangements and effects….Anakronos don’t sound quite like anybody else”
ArtMuseLondon
“One of the lovely things about the disc is the freedom of the music and the performances. The original medieval melodies are present and recognisable, yet treated with a flexibility and freedom which comes from the performers’ traditional music and jazz backgrounds. In style the disc is sui generis, reflecting the varied backgrounds of the performers who have synthesised influences into something entirely original.”
Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill
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“Caitríona O’Leary has a lovely, bell-like voice with clear articulation and sensitivity to the Latin text. The performances are interesting, the sound is quite attractive, and not to be dismissed – a recommendation for this enjoyable collection.”
Michael Wilkinson, MusicWeb International
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“The Red Book of Ossory” was written by a 14th century Irish Bishop for his trebles. Now this spiritual collection of songs enchants us to sinfully beautiful effect on the debut recording of the medieval jazz quartet Anakronos. The bell-like voice of early music chanteuse Caitriona O’Leary charms her way through between keyboards, a clarinet, the saxophone, and the folksy Irish bodhrán like a cat between the legs of the assembled party guests.”
Winifried Dulisch, Audio Magazine
“…The contemporary sounds heard here capture the essence of these beautiful, interesting pieces.”
Jan de Kruijff, Musicalifeiten
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Caitríona O’Leary talks to Ken Phelan of The Irish Independent about the musical collaboration that is Anakronos as they gear up for a major concert.
Anakronos (Photo: Tara Slye)
“Now performing with her new ensemble, Anakronos, Malahide vocalist and virtuoso Catríona O’Leary has taken her music in yet another new direction, blending medieval music with jazz, global rhythms and the contemporary to form her own inimitable style.
Catríona this month takes newly-formed Anakronos to their debut performance of The Red Book of Ossory at the National Concert Hall, and with it a unique and distinctive sound.
Inspiration for The Book of Ossory came from a 14th century medieval manuscript which was compiled in Kilkenny and is housed there in St Canice’s Cathedral. Within the manuscript’s texts are sixty Latin verses by Richard de Ledrede, Bishop of Ossory, which Caitríona has set to music.
Following the performance, the group plans to put together their first ever recording before embarking on a tour of Ireland and Europe.
Anakronos will make its debut in the world premiere of The Red Book of Ossory on February 20 at the National Concert Hall, Dublin.