Granuaile (complete orchestral material for hire) - Shaun Davey
Granuaile (complete orchestral material for hire) - Shaun Davey
Shaun Davey
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Composed by Shaun Davey, Granuaile is based on the life of 'Pirate Queen' Grace O'Malley, the 16th century Irish woman chieftain whose galleys dominated the seas off the Mayo coast. With all its passion, adventure, drama and pain, Shaun Davey found an ideal subject for his lyrical, evocative, highly human work. 'The Granuaile Suite' (1985) sets an episode of Irish history in the context of wider European history through a work which appeals to music lovers of all ages.
One song in the cycle, 'Ripples in the Rockpools' quickly became a popular classic and is now in the official Irish school syllabus. 'Granuaile' distills the essence of this indomitable woman whose galleys ruled the seas off Western Ireland during the times of Elizabethan conquests. Curiously enough, no contemporary ballads celebrating her story have come down to us. The suite fills this gap in traditional musical history, portraying her defence of her territory, her seafaring exploits, he dismissal of her husband, the death of her lover in battle, her compassion for the men of the Spanish Armada who perished in the sea along the coast of Western Ireland. It tells of her persecution at the hands of the notorious Governor of Connaught and of her daring voyage to England to protest that persecution in a confrontation with Queen Elizabeth I.