CUMAR のアルバムで演奏を聞かせたフルート奏者セラ=ジェーン・ウッズ (Sarah-Jane Woods) の Beo におけるインタビュー (Beo, Eagrán 36, Aibreán 2004) の2回目。原文(アイルランド語)のあとに大意を英語で掲げる。
[Sarah-Jane Woods; source]
〔一口メモ〕 セラ(フルート奏者)がフィドルも演奏するのかと訊かれて、〈はい、誰も聴いてないときに〉と答える。この 'Canaim - nuair nach mbíonn daoine ag éisteacht!' は応用が利く。ぼくは、'nuair nach bhfuil aon duine ag éisteacht' のように、ちょっとにやりと笑いながら言う。すると、相手はたいていニコッとする。
Antaine Ó Faracháin: Inis dom faoi Mhichael Turbridy agus na daoine eile a mhúin an ceol duit.
Sarah-Jane Woods: Sheinn Michael le Ceoltóirí Cualann, leis na Chieftains agus le Banna Céilí an Chaisleáin. D'fhoghlaim mé an-chuid freisin ó Mhéabh Ní Lochlainn, seinnteoir iontach consairtín. Is é an rud is tábhachtaí a d'fhoghlaim mé uathu ná meas a bheith agam ar an traidisiún agus conas éisteacht le ceol. Lasmuigh den rang ceoil, d'fhoghlaim mé an-chuid ó bheith ag éisteacht le ceoltóirí mar Paddy Ryan, Kathleen Nesbitt, Séamus Mac Mathúna, Antóin Mac Gabhann, Siobhán Ní Chonaráin agus Mick Crehan.
AÓF: Cé hiad na laochra atá agat sa cheol agus san amhránaíocht?
SJW: Is iad na laochra atá agam ná an fidléir John Carty, agus san amhránaíocht, Cór Chúil Aodha. Tá rud fíorspeisialta ina gcuid ceoil.
AÓF: Cén chaoi a múineann tú féin tiún do dhaoine óga atá ag foghlaim uait? An bhfuil sé deacair ceol a mhúineadh?
SJW: Ós rud é gur traidisiún béil atá againn, sin an chaoi a múinim an ceol. Níl sé ródheacair ceol a mhúineadh, go háirithe nuair a bhíonn suim ag an dalta, ach caithfear an tsuim sin a mhúscailt.
AÓF: Cén chomhairle a chuirfeá ar dhuine óg atá ag iarraidh an fheadóg mhór a fhoghlaim?
SJW: Molaimse do dhuine óg atá ag tosnú ar an bhfeadóg mhór píosa beag cleachtaidh a dhéanamh go minic seachas tréimhse fhada ag am amháin. Tá sé an-tábhachtach freisin a bheith ag éisteacht le ceol an t-am ar fad.
AÓF: An bhfuil aon albam déanta agat féin go fóill?
SJW: Níl albam déanta agam go fóill, ach mar chuid den chúrsa atá á dhéanamh agam i mbliana, tá rogha againn dlúthdhiosca a thaifeadadh. Níl mé ach ag tosnú air agus níl mórán taithí agam ar rudaí teicniúla!
AÓF: Ar mhaith leat ceann a dhéanamh?
SJW: Faoi láthair, níl mé ag iarraidh aon albam a dhéanamh le díol nó aon rud. B'fhearr liom fanacht go dtí go bhfuil mé níos sine agus lánsásta leis an stíl atá agam. Bím i gcónaí ag athrú m'intinne faoi chúrsaí tionlacain freisin.
AÓF: An seinneann tú aon uirlis cheoil eile? Cén uirlis eile ar mhaith leat seinm?
SJW: Seinnim rud beag ar na píobaí. Ach bíonn sé i bhfad níos éasca feadóg mhór a thógáil amach. Ba mhaith liom an fhidil a chasadh - rí na n-uirlisí!
AÓF: An gcanann tú?
SJW: Canaim - nuair nach mbíonn daoine ag éisteacht! Tá an-suim agam i dtraidisiún amhránaíochta na Mumhan. Is amhránaí álainn í mo dheirfiúr Emma agus d'fhoghlaim sí a cuid amhrán ó Úna Bean Mhic Mhathúna. Seinnim roinnt fonn mall ar an bhfeadóg mhór agus sílim go bhfuil sé riachtanach an t-amhrán a thuiscint. Nuair a bhíonn fonn á sheinnt agam, casaim an t-amhrán i m'intinn. Ceapaim freisin gurb í an amhránaíocht an chuid is ársa agus is tábhachtaí den traidisiún agus gur chóir tuiscint de shaghas éigin a bheith ag gach ceoltóir tradisiúnta ar an amhránaíocht.
AÓF: Cén áit a mbíonn tú ag seinm? Agus cé hiad na ceoltóirí eile a bhíonn ag seinm leat?
SJW: Is maith liom ceol a chasadh le mo dheirfiúr Emma nuair a thagaim abhaile ag an deireadh seachtaine. Uaireanta, bíonn tiún agam le Brendan McCabe, fliúiteadóir ó Chontae Shligigh, nó le Mikie Smyth, píobaire iontach. I rith an tsamhraidh bíonn deis agam bualadh le cuid mhór cairde atá agam ó thaobh an cheoil de agus is breá liom a bheith ag seinm le ceoltóirí cosúil le Brenda McCann, Gráinne Hambly agus Séamus Ó Mongáin agus leat féin, a Antaine, ag na féilte ceoil. Bhí seisiún álainn sa Chultúrlann cúpla seachtain ó shin nuair a bhí seans agam seinm le Michael Tubridy agus le Méabh Ní Lochlainn. I Luimneach i mbliana, tá an-chuid cairde nua déanta agam agus bíonn seisiún againn go rialta. Thosnaíomar grúpa nua. Líadan is ainm dúinn, seisear ban! Is iad baill an ghrúpa ná Valerie Casey agus Claire Dolan (fidil), Síle Denvir (cruit), Deirde Chawke (cairdín pianó), Elaine Cormican (amhránaí) agus mé féin ar an bhfliúit. Táimid ag cleachtadh faoi láthair do cheolchoirm a bheidh ar siúl againn sa Taibhdhearc i nGailllimh, ar an Domhnach, 2 Bealtaine (plug, plug!) Tá mé ag baint an-sult as a bheith ag seinm leis na cailíní.
[My rough translation:]
Antaine Ó Faracháin: Tell me about Michael Turbridy and the other people who taught you the music.
Sarah-Jane Woods: Michael played with Ceoltóirí Cualann, with the Chieftains and Banna Céilí an Chaisleáin. I also learned a lot from Méabh Ní Lochlainn, a wonderful player of concertina. The most important thing is that I learned from them, that I respect the tradition and how to listen to the music. Apart from the music class, I learned a lot from listening to musicians like Paddy Ryan, Kathleen Nesbitt, Séamus Mac Mathúna, Antóin Mac Gabhann, Siobhán Ní Chonaráin and Mick Crehan.
AÓF: Who are your heroes in the music and in the singing?
SJW: My heroes are the fiddler John Carty, and in the singing, Cór Chúil Aodha. There is a thing truly interesting in their music.
AÓF: How do you teach a tune to the young people who are learning from you? Is it difficult to teach music?
SJW: Since it is oral tradition that we have, that is the way I teach the music. It is not too difficult to teach music, certainly when the disciple has an interest, but that interest should be awakened.
AÓF: How would you advise a young person who is trying to learn the flute?
SJW: I recommend a young person who is beginning on the flute to do a little bit of practice often aside from a long period at a time. It is also very important to listen to music all the time.
AÓF: Have you made any album yourself yet?
SJW: I haven't made an album yet, but as matters stand this year, we have a choice of recording a CD. I have only to start it and I haven't much experience on technical things!
AÓF: Would you like to do one?
SJW: At present, I am not trying to make any album for sale or anything. I would prefer to wait until I am older and totally satisfied with the style I have. I am always changing my intention about matters of accompaniment as well.
AÓF: Do you play any other musical instrument? What other instrument would you like to play?
SJW: I play the uilleann pipes a little. But it is much easier to take out a flute. I would like to play the fiddle - king of the instruments!
AÓF: Do you play?
SJW: I play - when no one is listening! I have much interest in a tradition of singing of Munster. My sister Emma is a beautiful singer and she learned her songs from Úna Bean Mhic Mhathúna. I play some slow airs on the flute and I think it is necessary to understand the song. When I play an air, I sing the song in my mind. I also think that the singing is the most ancient and most important part of the tradition and that every traditional musician ought to have some sort of understanding of the singing.
AÓF: Where do you play? And who are the other players who are playing with you?
SJW: I like to play music with my sister Emma when I come home on the weekend. Sometimes, I am in tune with Brendan McCabe, flautist from Co. Sligo, or with Mikie Smyth, a wonderful piper. During the summer I have an opportunity to meet with a lot of my musical friends and I love to play with musicians like Brenda McCann, Gráinne Hambly and Séamus Ó Mongáin and with yourself, Antaine, at the music festivals. There was a gorgeous session in the Cultúrlann a couple of weeks ago when I had a chance to play with Michael Tubridy and with Méabh Ní Lochlainn. In Limerick this year, I have made a lot of new friends and we have a session regularly. We began a new group. Líadan is our name, six women! The members of the group are Valerie Casey and Claire Dolan (fiddle), Síle Denvir (harp), Deirde Chawke (piano accordion), Elaine Cormican (singer) and myself on the flute. We are practising at present for a concert which we will be doing in the Taibhdhearc in Galway, on Sunday, 2 May (plug, plug!) I greatly enjoy playing with the girls.