Brigid and the Otherworld in the Irish Song Tradition: Learning Songs and Stories of the Fairy Folk and the Pre-Christian Goddess

Ireland has a rich legacy of traditional music, storytelling and songs passed down through generations in the oral tradition. Join visiting Fulbright Scholar and award-winning artist from Ireland, Edel Meade, who will share her story on how engagement with pre-Christian Celtic goddesses and fairy lore has inspired her creative work and musical compositions. Participants will learn about Brigid and her legacy in Ireland, as well as the fairy folk, mermaids, sirens and other fascinating aspects of Irish folklore, mythology and spirituality. Edel will perform songs from her critically acclaimed album, Brigids and Patricias and teach a selection of traditional sean-nós songs in English and in Gaelic. Translations and phonetics will be provided, where necessary.

Edel Meade is a vocalist, composer, performing artist and educator from County Tipperary, Ireland. Her voice has been described as mesmerizing or magical even, while her music is haunting and very powerful. She was selected for the prestigious Fulbright-Creative Ireland Professional Fellowship Award 2022-2023 to undertake artistic research at the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley. Her latest album Brigids and Patricias ("most courageous Irish album of the year," The Irish Times) explores what it means to be a woman in 21st century Ireland, drawing on Irish history including themes from pre-Christian Ireland as well as Irish folklore and current affairs. Edel is an experienced educator and holds Master's Degrees in Songwriting, and in Irish Traditional Music Performance; and Bachelor's Degrees in Jazz Performance, and in Journalism with the Irish language (Gaelic). She has undertaken intensive training in the art of sean-nós singing with Rev. Nóirín Ní Riain, and will record an album of Otherworld songs from the Irish tradition later this year with support from the Arts Council of Ireland. www.edelmeade.com