I came to early music through my love for the traditional music of Ireland and the Irish language, so when I discovered the compositions of the blind Irish harper Turlough O’Carolan (Gaeilge: Toirdhealbhach O’Cearbhallain), it was love at first listen.
Bridget Cruise was the daughter of a noble family. O’Carolan fell in love with her when he was just a young man, and although their separate social stations made a union impossible, he never forgot her. The legends of his life say that, on his way to a religious retreat in County Donegal later in life, he happened to touch a woman’s hand and instantly recognized it as the hand of Bridget Cruise.
What better selection for Early Music Month, St. Patrick’s Day, and the end of Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish Language Week)?
David Simmons Wood
EMA Marketing & Special Projects Coordinator
