I have been listening to Nioclás Tóibín for some time now. I was wondering if anyone could tell me why he ends almost everything, or at least the end of every verse in an "m" sound? . I have the words, and most of them dont end in M.

Is it an imaginary accompaniment? Some singers will hum for a while before singing a song in order to get the voice going, establish a suitable key, and get the attention of a noisy audience. Could it be that they imagine that "hum" to be a drone that continues through the silent bars of the song itself and emerges again at the end. He's singing and he fills the time available to him for the song with sound? It's just a thought. I am an ardent fan of Nioclás Tóibín's also.

I wish there were more like him, good singers with good pronunciation, clear diction (Is there elocution available in Irish for singers?) an understanding of and a passion for the meaning of the words. I hear so much codology in "Irish" on radio (mostly): expensive session musicians playing an expensively commissioned arrangement to accompany a singer who can't be understood. Words unintelligible. No attention to pronunciation. No heed paid to meaninng. Pretending to sing. So sad. The resulting "Gaelic Album" may earn revenue but for those of us who love the language it is a waste.

What is the solution? Good producers with a passion for Irish to make themselves known to studios etc? Publish the secrets of sean-nós known only to the adjudicators at Corn Uí Riada and the wonderful participants year by year? Make sean-nós a subject for a degree in music? (If it is already please forgive my ignorance.)

Of course it is not today nor yesterday that Irish language folk song was treated thus. The famous collectors e.g. Bunting et al, collected the airs not the words. The most famous arranger of them all, Thomas Moore, replaced the words with English. We had to wait for Seán Ó Riada to begin to right the wrongs done over centuries. Am I doing others an injustice there? Hardebeck?

What of Nioclás Tóibín's compatriots from Na Déise? I am sure there are those who have studied the various styles of sean-nós singing who may read this board.

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I have been listening to Nioclás Tóibín for some time now. I was wondering if anyone could tell me why he ends almost everything, or at least the end of every verse in an "m" sound? . I have the words, and most of them dont end in M.

It would appear to be a personal affectation of his.

I think I read somewhere that singers use N's and M's (nasal)to give a kind of droning effect to a song, like the pipes. This is very common in Donegal singing, not sure about Waterford.

Thank you all for your posts. I know that I dont hear it with Seán Ó Sé, so was just wondering if it was a Waterford thing.

I read somewhere that Muskerry and Kerry singers use very little nasalisation,compared to those from An Rinn.There is another trick;adding the last word of one line as the first word of the next line.Is a glottal stop used? Anyhow it throws me off completely!

PS I love Nioclás too,very passionate feel as others have observed.

I wondered if it was a way to make everything rhyme, instead of trying to find words that do, just add an mmm sound.

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I read somewhere that Muskerry and Kerry singers use very little nasalisation,compared to those from An Rinn

Well, Labhrás Ó Cadhla was from the Déise and I don't think he uses much nasalisation but I would need to listen again.

Máire de Barra from Baile an Sceilg in Uíbh Ráthach - another very fine singer.

Tim Dennehy from Kerry also does this so maybe its has broader usage rather than it being a personal thing of Nioclás. Either that or Nioclás is being copied by Tim!