I seem a bit late to discovering this Irish choral group. Having posted Pentangle’s 1969 single recording of ‘Once I Had A Sweetheart’ here a couple of days ago, YouTube’s algorithm threw up this 2023 live performance of the same song, clearly based on the ‘Tangle version. It seems to be Systir’s only studio release so far (a digital single). I find it mesmerisingly good. (video in comments)
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Lady in red (hair): Lauren McGlynn.
What an hilarious headline,, Colin. You are a wag.
That’s a gorgeous clip. And there is more out there on Yer Tube
Live at the Mayo Dark Sky Festival
And here they are live in Japan performing Zombie.
Take a look at their homepage. They seem to have a few gigs in the pipeline.
https://www.systir.ie/live
Rather a find!
It’s nice, very nice, but curiously clinical, as if designed by algorithm. Any soul or passion has been clinically excised, perhaps at audition. Far more earthy are the quartet, Landless, who can revive even this often overly ornate jewel, here stripped back:
To be fair, Retro, Systir are a ‘choir’ – singing with soprano / alto voices – whereas by the sound of Landless they are a ‘folk group’, eschewing the trained voice approach.
Lemoncello do a fabulous version of ‘My Lagan Love’ in concert. This clip only partly captures the magic of being in the room with it:
Annoyingly, it is only when Lemoncello embrace the tradition that they shine. Their own songs mostly are dire, however well sung. But this song/version is a keeper
My view of Laura’s songwriting is different. But let’s not fall out about it. 🙂
That’s excellent. But your comment hit the nail on the head, Retro.
At the audition for Systir, the choir director was probably not looking for distinctive. more personal voices, but for a more anonymous, classical perfection
Well, there may not have been auditions as such. As far as I can tell, Systir wasn’t created from scratch but is an all-female / compact sized spin-off from a larger mixed choral group, Anúna, which has been going since the 90s, founded by Michael McGlynn. Two of his relatives (daughters? sisters?) are in Systir.
That Anuna track is gorgeous, Colin.
McGlynn founded Anúna in 1987 and they have a long, very successful recording career.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An%C3%BAna
He is a very prolific composer with a strong international profile.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_McGlynn
And he’s written for my favourite Finnish vocal ensemble Rajaton.
Here he is in a Finnish lake!
I’m interested to hear more. I like him! You wouldn’t have got Beethoven freezing his nuts off in a Finnish lake to advertise a gig!
@retropath2 is not averse to a bit of wild swimming in freezing cold water so he and Mr McGlynn have at least something in common.