Reviews and News
January 2024
After almost 20 years as a member of White Raven we are very sad to say goodbye to tenor Robert Getchell. We thank him for many years of wonderful concerts, great music-making together and many years of friendship.
We wish him well on his new path with The Kraken Consort.
We are delighted to welcome Matthias Deger as our new tenor.
Matthias is a founding member of the ensemble Zeidlang http://www.zeidlang.comexploring the traditional sounds of his native Bavaria.
Matthias has already sung as guest tenor with White Raven over the past number of years so is already a familiar face to our concert audience.
Reviews
Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin
White Raven made their Irish debut in May 2003 with appearances in the Cork International Choral Festival and at venues in Macroom, Galway and Dublin. Their performances were received enthusiastically by audiences and critics alike.
White Raven at the East Cork Early Music Festival >>
Irish Times, May 22nd 2007
Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin
Macroom-born soprano Kathleen Dineen`s day job is at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland where she teaches voice and medieval music performance, two enthusiasms of her student years at UCC.
Since forming her vocal trio White Raven in 2001, Dineen has combined her childhood love of Irish traditional song with the medieval and renaissance music she encountered in college. The result of this union has been Irish song in a sort of 15th century fauxbourdon style, with the two accompanying voices moving in parallel motion with the tune. Critically, Dineen`s delicate, unfussy arrangements in this manner are always in keeping with the trio`s started objective of preserving the songs`”original quality and simplicity”.
On this occasion most of the material was from Dineen`s native Cork. She sampled moods from sorrow to joy to humour with songs such as The Boys of Barr na Sraide, Mo ghile mear, I know my love by his way of walking and Rory Og mac Rory.White Raven`s hybrid of style and repertoire might attract little attention were it not for the extraordinary quality of their performances. Dineen`s soprano is clear like spring water but as warm as sunshine.Her companions -American tenor Robert Getchell and Latvian baritone Raitis Grigalis – are ideal matches.
Together they sing with an exceptional unity of blend, shaping, colour and thought, with narrative always in the forground.
For this concert they were joined by fiddle player Gerry O`Connor. As well as occasional dicreet accompanyment in certain songs, O`Connor gave beautifully phrased solos of polkas from Cork, a Breton soldier song – Le Retour de Madagasger – and, from his own north Louth, the intriguing The Chicken’s Gone to Scotland.