The Wexford Carols continue...not, but what happened after the Wexford Carols...

Update February 11th : Caitriona O'Leary informed me, there is a misprint in the article mentioned. Anakronos is not going to record 'the Wexford Carols'. They will record ' The Red Book of Ossory.'


In 2014,  Joe produced The Wexford Carols by Irish singer Caitriona O'Leary. The album featured guest performances by Rhiannon Giddens,  Rosanne Cash and Tom Jones.

The wexford Carols are traditional Irish Christmas Carols, and date back to the 16-17th Century.

Anakronos (Photo: Tara Slye)

Today, Caitriona has formed a new ensemble Anakronos, and they will debut on February 20th at National Concert Hall, Dublin. After that, they are planning to continue their journey with the Carols.  In an interview with the Irish Independent we can read :

'Just after the National Concert Hall, Anakronos is going to make an album of 'The Wexford Carols', and then a few months later we're going to do The Wexford Carols Volume II.'

In this same interview she tells us how Joe proposed the additional voices, and she gives us an insight on how Tom Jones perfomed his role recording the 2014 album.

Catriona asked well-known LA producer Joe Henry to produce the record, who recommended some internationally renowned artists such as Tom Jones, Rosanne Cash, and Rhiannon Giddens.
Joe contacted Tom, whom he had worked with before, and the idea immediately piqued Tom's interest, so that, in Catriona's words, it was a 'really good fit.'

Tom, Catriona says was 'lovely', and 'very diligent.' He'd come to recording sessions early and sit in the control booth for a full day listening to the songs he wasn't singing on, just to get a 'feel' for the music. He was, she says, 'very nice' and 'humble', adding that she has great respect for him and his music.

With Anakronos, Caitriona is blending medieval music with jazz, global rhythms and the contemporary to form her own inimitable style. 

Source : independent.ie