Of Aran Trio

The trio was formed in March 2019, when Docs Ireland commissioned Úna Monaghan to produce a new live soundtrack performance to the classic Irish documentary Man of Aran. The film, made in 1934, is a blend of documentary and fictional narrative from pioneering filmmaker Robert Flaherty, depicting the everyday trials of life on Ireland's unforgiving Aran Islands. The soundtrack is largely improvised, and like the film, is a juxtaposition of elements: some fabricated, some imagined and some true.

This project was the starting point for an exciting and unique combination of traditions. The trio have identified an unusual sound world merging classical piano, séan nós singing, live electronics, soundscape, and Irish harp and concertina. They perform improvised music to film, around fixed points of reference, departing from and returning to existing music and song. The music incorporates influences and material from Irish and Welsh traditional music, experimentalism, and 20th Century avant garde composers. The trio explores tensions and common ground between Irish traditional music, western classical traditions, computer music and noise.

The performers grew up in Wales, Belfast and the Connemara Gaeltacht. All three are active in academia, with music research interests proceeding in tandem with performance work and a strong interest in the traditional music and language of each place.