Biography
Arcady rose to prominence among Ireland’s most respected traditional ensembles through its fusion of Irish folk repertoire with exceptional instrumental skill and rich vocal blends. Pulse magazine observed that the group “is poised to emerge as the strongest act in the current wave of Irish folk revivalism,” while Dirty Linen characterized it as “a band with its own vital identity ensured of a place among the first rank of Irish traditional groups.” Bodhran, bones, and percussion specialist Johnny “Ringo” McDonagh assembled the band soon after his departure from De Dannan in 1989. Though it began as an eight-piece, Arcady experienced repeated lineup shifts that brought in such notable former members as Sharon Shannon, Frances Black, Seán Keane, and McDonagh’s former De Dannan colleague Jackie Daly. The ensemble made an ambitious first public appearance at Dublin’s Point Depot, the country’s largest venue, in a concert taped for the television program The Sessions. Following an unreleased recording project, Arcady issued its debut album, After the Ball, in 1991. Cut by a six-piece configuration, the record adopted a pan-Celtic stance that drew material from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Canada, Brittany, and the United States. Four years afterward came the follow-up, Many Happy Returns, which highlighted the lead vocals of Niamh (pronounced: Neeve) Parsons, Frances Black’s successor, and the accordion work of County Clare native Conor Keane, who took Jackie Daly’s place; the set remained closer to home, spotlighting numbers suited to an Irish pub setting. Today the roster comprises Breton multi-instrumentalist and singer Nicolas Quemenar on flute, whistle, and guitar, keyboardist Patsy Broderick, and fiddler Brendan Larrisey, together with McDonagh, Parsons, and Keane.
Albums
