The life and legacy of Mayo-born ballad singer and legend Delia Murphy is celebrated in I’ll Live ‘til I Die at the Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar on Thursday, February 7 at 8pm.
Liam Clancy described Delia Murphy as a pivotal figure who took up the Irish ballad and turned it into something of her own. I’ll Live ‘til I Die is a celebration in words and song of the iconic Delia (1903-1971 ), the renowned Mayo-born singer who gave the Irish ballad international recognition and ensured its everlasting appeal.
Musician and teacher Gerry Anderson plays and talks through Delia’s career, drawing on his knowledge of the singer as the first inspiration as a folk balladeer and traditional musician, and looking at her place in Irish music and the people she inspired as Ireland’s first lady of song. A selection of Delia’s favourite songs such as “The Spinning Wheel” and “If I Were a Blackbird” will be performed by professional actress and singer Márín O'Donovan. And Delia’s niece, the poet and playwright Carmen Cullen, adds some family reminiscences and reads from her novel Two Sisters Singing, a book inspired by the larger-than-life Delia herself.
