Say a Song Project

Overview

Before there was a literary tradition in Ireland, or indeed an English language tradition, there was a rich oral practice in which the spoken word, sung or intoned, was central. These songs, passed down aurally across the generations, open windows into the past lives of Irish people in a specific time and place, and remain central in our contemporary oral repertoire. 

The Say a Song Project, an immersive multimedia exhibition, is a bold reimagining of the sean-nós singing tradition, weaving soundscape with evocative short film and visual arts projections to allow audiences to “step inside the song.” Featuring work by top writers, artists, and sean-nós artists, the Say a Song Project takes you on a grand odyssey across the length and breadth of Ireland, traversing its rich cultural landscape and drawing respectively from the traditions of Munster, Leinster, Connacht, and Ulster. 

This event is being presented as part of Féile na Gaeilge / Irish Language Day. Admission to Say a Song is free to all Féile na Gaeilge ticket holders.

In the sean-nós singing tradition, when someone is asked to sing a song, the request—abair amhrán—translates to ”say a song” in English. The emphasis is on the storytelling, narrative aspect of a song, and what it can tell us about the singer’s life.

Presented with generous support from Culture Ireland, the Irish Institute of New York, National Endowment for the Arts, CIE Tours, and the St. Patrick’s Day Foundation, NYC.