Vocal Chords is a multi award winning music documentary series made by Athena Media for RTÉ Lyric fm presented by one of Ireland’s most acclaimed sean-nós singers Iarla Ó Lionáird made with the funding support of the BAI and the TV licence fee. 
The series posed that eternal question of ‘why do we sing, and what happens when we sing?’

www.vocalchords.ie

Vocal Chords with Iarla Ó Lionáird

As part of the Vocal Chords series, Iarla and recordist Michael Gallen travelled to Sinead O’Connor’s home to talk to her about singing and what the voice means to her. Sinead is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s greatest vocal talents and has a strong global following, her success in the late 80’s and early 90’s included the iconic cover of “Nothing compares 2 u” by Prince, and a grammy winning album “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got”. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie

Vocal Chords - Episode 7 - In Conversation with Sinead O'Connor

Iarla O Lionaird meets folk singer Peggy Seeger at her home in Oxford to explore her life's journey in song and song composition. Peggy talks of her childhood growing up under the influence of her older half brother Peter Seeger and in a home where legendary singers like Lead Belly and Woody Guthrie would visit to meet her parents, song collectors and composers Charles Seeger and Ruth Crawford Seeger. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie

Vocal Chords - Episode 11 - In Conversation with Peggy Seeger

Iarla Ó Lionáird meets sisters Maighread and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, two of Ireland's most respected traditional singers, and shares a conversation of family, song and language with them. From the stories of their father, the singer and folk song collector Aodh Ó Domhnaill, and his sister, the blind singer Neilí Ni Domhnaill, natives of Rann na Feirste, Donegal, to their own roots in the Meath Gaeltacht. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie
* Do listen right to the end to get a wonderful moment in time and sound.

Vocal Chords - Episode 12 - In Conversation with Maighread and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill

Vocal Chords in Conversations with Glen Hansard (2017) 
Glen is in conversation with fellow singer Iarla O Lionaird about his life and work in song in this documentary for RTÉ lyric fm. Glen Hansard's vocal journey began as a young teenager busking on the streets of Dublin but it has taken him to some of the biggest arenas in the world and an academy award for best song in the film 'Once'. He talks to Iarla about a life dedicated to music and shares a song 'Didn't He Ramble' written after the death of his father. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie

Vocal Chords - Episode 13 - In Conversation with Glen Hansard

Irish composer Linda Buckley is Iarla's guest in this episode of Vocal Chords. Linda's music draws on a sonic landscape of natural and made sounds and she frequently uses the human voice in her work, often singing herself in wordless cadences. She talks of her inspiration, of landscape, and place including Iceland. Linda writes for both electronic and acoustic forces, and the diverse instrumentations of her work include Javanese Gamelan, choir, multi-channel tape, prepared piano and orchestra. Linda and Iarla discuss childhood, inspirations and influences in this candid, compelling conversation. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie

Vocal Chords - Episode 14 - In Conversation with Linda Buckley

Veronica Dunne - a life lived in music. 
Iarla's guest in this special Christmas edition of Vocal Chords is the singer and vocal coach Veronica Dunne. Veronica or 'Ronnie' as everyone knows her celebrated her 90th birthday in 2017 and in this extended interview at her home she traces her life in song from her childhood, when singing competed with horses for her attention, to her debut at Covent Garden in La Boheme. Vocal Chords is the intellectual property of Athena Media Ltd and no production use can be made of the podcasts without the direct consent of the producers. www.vocalchords.ie

Music referenced and illustrated in this feature includes:
O Mio Babbino Caro	
Meeting of the Waters	
Heart Bowed Down	
Bohemian Girl	
Del'invito trascorsa é giá l'ora	
Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi	
Un bel di Vedremo	
Vivere	
Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi	
Liebestod	
Casta Diva	
Ché faro senza	
Der Holle Rache kocht in meinem Herze	
Finalmente! Nel Terror mio stolto	
Dorme? Riposa	
Thy Hand Belinda, when I am laid on earth	
Non mi resta	
Oft in the Stilly Night	
Romeo Entrance Aria	
Liebestod	
Musetta's Waltz	
Exultate Jubilate	
The Lark in the Clear Air	
	
	All music rights rest with the rights holders, composers and performers.

Vocal Chords - Episode 15 - In Conversation with Veronica Dunne

Pantisocracy "A Cabaret of Conversations with host Panti Bliss" 

Pantisocracy - The Panti Personals is a child of #Pantisocracy - intimate one to one conversations between Panti Bliss and her guest, with unique performances. 
An independent podcast production by Athena Media - the producer is Helen Shaw and the digital editor is John Howard. 
All rights rest with the content creators.