Music author James E. Perone has penned ‘SMASH HITS – The 100 Songs That Defined America’ and has listed ‘You Raise Me Up’ written by Brendan Graham and Rolf Løvland as one of the songs that defined America.
The book contains 100 songs which cross a number of demographics and genres and generated mass appeal in the States. The author reviews the songs chronologically from the date of creation rather than release to show what environment shaped the composition.
‘You Raise Me Up’ is described as a worldwide phenomenon, stemming from Josh Groban’s version of the song and subsequently Westlife’s. It has become a song of inspiration and is used extensively as a hymn in worship services so much so that it ‘keeps this folk-like song a part of public consciousness that extends well beyond its success in the recording world‘.
Known as Ireland’s leading collegiate chamber choir, the UCD Chamber Scholars have created a video for their rendition of Brendan Graham‘s ‘Orphan Girl’.
Orphan Girl was written by Brendan Graham for a the Annual Great Famine Commemoration ceremony held in 2012 at Sydney’s Hyde Park Barracks to commemorate the relocation of over four thousand female orphans who, between 1848 and 1850, were brought from Ireland during the Great Famine of the 1840s.
The work was first performed by the Australian Girls’ Choir and Sarah Calderwood at the 2012 ceremony. It is reliably estimated that today, up to two million Australians are descended from the original 4,112 Irish Orphan Girls, who found a new life in Australia in the years of Ireland’s Great Calamity.
The rendition of the work is available on a compilation album they feature on titled ‘Invisible Stars’, an enchanting collection of traditional and contemporary choral music from Ireland and Scotland and features arrangements and compositions by some of Ireland’s most celebrated composers. This arrangement for upper voices and guitar is by Desmond Earley. The album can be purchased here.
As part of a cross-cultural, Euroradio project, with which Brendan Graham has been involved through the EBU, seven national European radio stations in Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Israel, Moldova and Portugal – have taken to broadcasting, two CDs of Basque artiste, Olatz Zugasti, with a number of Brendan Graham’s repertoire included.
GAU HOTZENEAN ERE – Olatz Zugasti
Nora Ote Zara Joan (Crucan na bPaiste)
Mutil Horaila (The Fairhaired Boy)
Lo Kanta (Sleepsong)
Bizirik Gaudelako (Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears)
UR GOIENA, UR BARRENA – Olatz Zugasti
Mezularia
Agur Eta Ohore (The Fair, Fair Land)
Brendan Graham is one of Ireland’s most successful songwriters, having written two winning Eurovison entries for Ireland (Rock N Roll Kids and The Voice) as well as one of the most successful songs in the history of popular music, You Raise Me Up, which to date has been recorded over hundreds of times in numerous languages.
Songwriter and novelist, Brendan Graham, the man behind the phenomenal song You Raise Me Up and two winning Eurovision songs…Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids, and The Voice has taken a leap into filmmaking and lent his brooding, earthy voice to award winning director and producer Paddy Slattery’s latest project ‘Sojourn’.
Brendan has become ‘One of the most in-demand songwriters in the world’ (Hot Press). His songs have been performed and recorded by Josh Groban, Aretha Franklin, Westlife, Liam Neeson with the Chieftains and an array of artistes across the musical genres.
His bestselling novel ‘The Whitest Flower’ (1998) – the first of his trilogy of ‘documentary novels’ for HarperCollins – will be re-published this year with the Sunday Times, Canberra, calling it ‘An important addition to the Irish national story’.
Sojourn is a visual, musical and poetic meditation, about a writer named Aedh (Tristan Heanue) who finds a new muse. Her name is Aislinn (Nichola MacEvilly); a beautiful, playful and mischievous distraction. He falls in love hard but with his ordered lifestyle he soon struggles to quench her insatiable desires. We follow Aedh through the emotional highs and devastating lows of his sojourn.
A sneak preview of Sojourn will be held at Tullamore Library on June 18th at 8pm as part of WB Yeats inspired themed evening celebrating Yeats 150th anniversary. The evening includes a wine reception, some Yeats recitals and music by special guests Brendan Graham, Cathy Jordan, Feargal Murray and the Tullamore Rhymers’ followed by a showing of Sojourn and a Q&A with cast and crew.
Hit Irish songwriter, Brendan Graham, has just had one of his songs released as a single in Korea. “If Came the Hour”, which originally appeared on Secret Garden’s number 1 selling album, “Inside I’m Singing”, back in 2007, has been released under the name “Moon Flower”. The song has been recorded by Grammy Award-winning Korean artist, Sumi Jo, in collaboration with Secret Garden.
‘Always & Forever’ is the second track on the UK’s Festival Of Remembrance official charity single ‘The Call (No Need To Say Goodbye)’.
‘Always & Forever’, co-written with producer Jon Cohen, is a new song penned specifically for the UK’s Festival Of Remembrance official charity single and it has just entered this week’s UK Top 40 singles Chart at No. 13.
‘Always & Forever’ which features the ‘The Call’ by The Poppy Girls who are the first all-girl group formed from British Armed Forces families is available from iTunes.
The Poppy Girls’ No Need To Say Goodbye gets a Decca release on Nov 25.
With the €10 million, Music Hall production of Peter Pan – The Never Ending Story, about to open in Amsterdam’s 17,000 seat, Ziggo Dome on February 14th, it is perhaps little surprise that the show’s promo single and finale song, is yet another chapter in the never ending story of the worldwide hit, You Raise Me Up.
Peter Pan – The Never Ending Story, World Arena Tour has already played 23 shows at the 7,000 seat, Forest National Theatre in Brussels and after Amsterdam, is on its way to Wembley Arena, the Manchester Arena and other UK arenas, as part of a World Arena Tour. http://www.peterpan.is/
A new Tinkerbell will enter the spotlight for the UK concerts. Direction and scenography is by ex – Cirque du Soleil, Luc Petit with music composed and arranged by Matt Dunkley, (Moulin Rouge, Black Swan, The Dark Knight and Pirates of the Caribbean). The production also includes a number of well-known, classic hits…and for the first time has above-stage flying without any harness, with Peter Pan’s aeronautics being supported by a cushion of air, a technique developed for training NASA space travellers.
Peter Pan – The Never Ending Story, is yet but another chapter in the story of You Raise Me Up, written by Norwegian composer, Rolf Lovland and Irish songwriter and author, Brendan Graham . With sales approaching one hundred million units, You Raise Me Up has been recorded by almost 600 different artistes, in over 40 languages and is one of the most successful songs in the history of popular music . The song has been performed at such occasions as the 9/11 OfficialGround Zero, and Pentagon Commemorations ; Winter Olympics, Gold Medal Ceremony; Super Bowl, NASA Tribute; Laureus World Sports Awards; Nobel Peace Prize Ceremonies (twice); The White House(twice); Opening of the Northern Ireland Assembly; Queen Elisabeth II’s visit to Ireland ; Eucharistic Congress closing ceremony. Nelson Mandela’s 91st Birthday; Oprah Winfrey’s 50th Birthday.
