Mary O'Hara - where is she now?

Subject: RE: Mary O'Hara - where is she now?
From: keberoxu
Date: 18 Apr 16 - 01:09 PM

Condolences, of course, to Herself: she is now twice a widow. At least, after the tragic romance of her first marriage to her soul-mate, she has been blessed with a re-marriage of lengthy duration, and one in which she could retire and better enjoy her husband's company.

Is it true that she does some tutoring or teaching? I hope so. Encouraging future generations of musicians could put her in a position to receive as much as she gives.

Subject: RE: Mary O'Hara - where is she now?
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Apr 16 - 09:34 AM

I notice with sadness that her husband Pádraig O'Toole, died aged 77 in october last year

Subject: RE: Mary O'Hara - where is she now?
From: keberoxu
Date: 12 Apr 16 - 06:31 PM

There are now digital downloads available of the Gael Linn album which documents a live concert, 7 September 1982, at the National Gallery. (This info available from Mary O'Hara's website.)

For some reason, Gael Linn also saw fit to put two tracks from this album -- "Ard Tí Chuain" and "Róisín Dubh" on their "Amhráin Ghrá" album featuring seven other singers, and released in 2011.

Subject: RE: Mary O'Hara - where is she now?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 27 Feb 16 - 08:13 PM

Yes, GUEST - exactly.

Regards

Subject: RE: Mary O'Hara - where is she now?
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Feb 16 - 06:29 PM

Mellow the moonlight to shine is beginning;
Close by the window young Eileen is spinning;

Subject: RE: Mary O'Hara - where is she now?
From: keberoxu
Date: 27 Feb 16 - 06:23 PM

Ms. O'Hara's schoolmate, Kathleen Watkins, married Gay Byrne whose articles sometimes appear online for the Irish Independent. Here is a reminiscence from one such article.

"....when my present wife Kathleen Watkins and Mary O'Hara and Deirdre O'Callaghan were the queens of the harping circuit, they were doing a gig in the Royal Albert Hall. You're not dealing with rubbish here. They were staying at a posh London hotel from which their posh London agent was collecting them; they waited for him at reception. They were accompanied on the trip by their music teacher, Maire Ni hE, of the distinguished Dublin musical family. "

Note: in her autobiography, Travels With My Harp, Ms. O'Hara identifies the harp teacher as follows: "Máirín Ní Shéa, known to us students as Mrs. Ferriter." (Chapter 2) Elsewhere spelled Feiriteir.

to resume:
"At least, that's the way you'd probably spell it now. Or maybe Ní Shé, or perhaps even O hAodha. But Maire insisted on the full nine yards of the Erse in her nomenclature, and got narky at anything less than Máire Ní Sheaghdha. So, as the girls waited in the foyer of the hotel, this very nice English gentleman approached the desk and said to the receptionist:
'I say -- do you have a Miss Shaggdaw staying here?' "

Dated 21 May 2006.

Subject: Mary O'Hara - where is she now?
From: keberoxu
Date: 27 Feb 16 - 02:20 PM

Here is a term I had never heard before. This opinion is credited to journalist Tony Reidy in Arts West Magazine, circa 1999.


"Kathleen Watkins, Deirdre O'Callaghan and all the dear Spinning Eileens may still be charming the blue-rinse Yanks and mead-swilling Eurotourists in stone castles, but Laoise Kelly....has taken the harp, with a little help from one Maire Ni Chathasaigh, out of the castles and back to its rightful place in Irish trad music."

Well, Kathleen Watkins and Deirdre O'Callaghan, for those to whom those names are new, come from the same generation as Mary O'Hara.

however...."Spinning Eileen" ?!

Subject: RE: Mary O'Hara - where is she now?
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 03 Oct 14 - 07:07 PM

MGM Lion might know how to contact her - I think he was helping her to get some gigs and re-establish herself on the scene when she came out of the religious community back in the 70s. I have a Folk Review magazine with a lead article about this somewhere, but may be remembering it wrong (if so, apologies). Michael... any input on this...?

Subject: RE: Mary O'Hara - where is she now?
From: GUEST,Rahere
Date: 03 Oct 14 - 05:57 PM

I got to talk with her for a bit in 1989 after a concert at Catford, when she was starting to think about the direction of her life. She was always very feminine, and with a new man in her life was more interested in supporting him than pursuing a career which had done what she wanted it to do.
Her husband has now retired and they live in England and, as is said here, the Aran Islands: she sometimes teaches at the top clarsach courses. If you want to contact her aboout something concrete, I would suggest asking the London branch of the Commun na Clarsaich.

Subject: RE: Mary O'Hara - where is she now?
From: GUEST,LIZ
Date: 03 Oct 14 - 05:33 PM

3RD OCTOBER 2014    Is there any recent news of Mary? I heard that she is now living on the Aran Islands

Subject: RE: Mary O'Hara - where is she now?
From: GUEST,Afan
Date: 15 May 12 - 10:11 AM

Once again Mary is in the news as she has republished her autobiography. She was on Irish radio on 14 05 12 and interviewed by a typically unsympathetic RTE DJ. Great to hear speak again. She sounded just the same as ever.

Subject: RE: Mary O'Hara - where is she now?
From: GUEST,liz england
Date: 29 Jan 09 - 01:25 PM

Hi Willa, Thanks for help in tracking Marys double CD.

Subject: RE: Mary O'Hara - where is she now?
From: terrier
Date: 29 Jan 09 - 10:15 AM

I suppose anyone interested has found this site by now, but here's the link anyway

Mary O'hara

Subject: RE: Mary O'Hara - where is she now?
From: Willa
Date: 29 Jan 09 - 08:16 AM

Hi, Guest Liz

Amazon have the 2-disc CD.
You may also find this link useful

http://www.maryohara.co.uk/

Subject: RE: Mary O'Hara - where is she now?
From: GUEST,Liz -- England
Date: 28 Jan 09 - 06:41 PM

Hi, for anyone who may be interested, I knew Mary quite well when she left the convent and lived near Andover in Hampshire U.K. I met her at our local church and saw her regularly. With my late husband we went to most of her concerts in U.K. as well as many TV recordings where I was fortunate enough to take many photographs and she patiently signed all of them! She was,and I would think still is,the most beautiful person to know,very gentle natured with a gorgeous sense of humour.When she married Padraig and moved away our letters stopped and how I miss them. Thank goodness for recordings so that we can still enjoy that beautiful voice.I will always think of her with great affection.

Subject: RE: Mary O'Hara - where is she now?
From: GUEST,LIZ --ENGLAND
Date: 28 Jan 09 - 06:18 PM

I would like more info' on the 2 disc -40 songs CD.Was it released ? If so where can I find a copy?

Subject: RE: Mary O'Hara - where is she now?
From: GUEST,Eileen
Date: 21 Mar 08 - 12:41 AM

"The Scent of the Roses" is part of a verse from Thomas Moore's Irish Melodies. The specific song is "Farewell but Whenever..." and the section is:
      Like the vase in which roses have once been distilled...
      You may break, you may shatter, the vase if you will...
      But the scent of the roses will hang 'round it still.

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: Willa
Date: 23 Feb 08 - 12:15 PM

Hi Ann

Click on the link in the post before yours; it may be helpful

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - Want cd's or old albums
From: GUEST,Ann Ontario Canada
Date: 23 Feb 08 - 11:57 AM

Want music by Mary O'Hara beautiful Irish singer, never heard a voice like her. If you have info. re Mary O'Hara at Royal Festival Hall Please post info. Many thanks

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: Willa
Date: 16 Oct 07 - 02:12 PM

This might help open mike

thread.cfm?threadid=72104

Subject: NEW ~ Mary O'Hara OFFICIAL website
From: GUEST,Dallas
Date: 16 Oct 07 - 11:36 AM

Finally, something we have all been waiting for!

Mary O'Hara's OFFICIAL website ~ http://maryohara.co.uk/

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: open mike
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 04:09 PM

i am looking ofr the quote that the "scent of roses" is taken from.
something about a broken vase? I saw it yesterday, now it escapes me.
ethereal and ephemeral like the scent....

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: Mr Red
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 08:05 AM

<SNIP>She has found peace, contentment and happiness in her retirement,
~ something we all wish her ~
but we WILL miss hearing her voice!
</SNIP>

I'll echo that
At least there is the legacy of her recordings.

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: Alice
Date: 30 Sep 07 - 03:56 PM

thanks for posting the Youtube video.

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: GUEST,Dallas
Date: 30 Sep 07 - 01:42 PM

Just a word of thanks for someone posting the text from my website - "Mary O'Hara: Musical Voice of Ireland", but it's much better when viewed in its context with photos and background music!

http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/Garden/1497/maryohara.html

My husband and I had seen Mary perform live in concert in Vancouver BC in the fall of 1983 and were overwhelmed and amazed. We were impressed as well by the graciousness demonstrated later. After a performance in wich she gave so much of herself, she patiently waited until every person lined up to meet her was greeted ~ we noticed all this because were were the last 2 people in a very long line! Not only did she have time to sign our concert program, but she had time to chat :-)

Several years ago when I wondered why no new music was being released, I checked online and was shocked that I could find very little on her or her life.

It just didn't seem right or make any sense so with the little that I knew, I made my simple 2 page site dedicated to Mary so that others searching could at least find something!

As I say on my site, I wish her well in whatever form of retirement she enjoys but will miss her voice and her music! I wish that all her music could be more readily available in stores or online than it is at present and have heard that there is a new 2CD 40 song compilation recently released which I am sure will be enjoyed by all Mary's old fans as well as those just discovering her for the very 1st time!!

Visit this link to hear and watch Mary sing exquisitely, with her voice being her only musical accompaniment!! A truly breathtaking performance and an extremely brief few comments regarding the song at the end of the video ~

http://www.youtube.com/user/padraig1935

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: guitar
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 08:56 AM

this is taken from a website

Mary O'Hara
~ Musical Voice of Ireland ~



circa 1956


"To summarise the life and times of a great artist
in a few paragraphs is often quite difficult.

The life and times of singer-harpist and writer
Mary O'Hara
probably needs the breadth of wide screen cinema
and the intimacy of a close friend
revealing their innermost thoughts
to give some idea of a truly remarkable career."

~ Jed Kearse ~
(his cover notes on CD entitled
'The Beautiful Music of MARY O'HARA')





Mary O'Hara was born in 1935, in Sligo, in the west coast of Ireland.
While still at school, she made her first national broadcast,
singing and accompanying herself on the Celtic harp.
Her reputation as a singer soon spread beyond her native Ireland.


The Edinburgh Festival, the Ed Sullivan Show, BBC television --
an instant public response rewarded her
with her own prime-time BBC television series
and her first recording contract with Decca Records all circa the mid 1950's.


At 21 years of age, she married Richard Selig, the young American poet,
then a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford Univeristy.
They moved to the USA
but he died prematurely
within 15 months of their marriage.


After her husband's death, the zest had gone out of life for Mary.
For 4 years she travelled the globe giving concerts and appearing on radio and TV.
In 1959 she made an extended and highly successful tour
of Australia and New Zealand.
Critics the world over were unanimous in their praise,
but the more success she had,
the more persistently she felt the call to the monastic life
and eventually in 1962
she entered an English Benedictine Monastery
where she remained for 12 years.


While 'away', her recordings continued to sell with great success.
When her health began to give way under the rigours of monastic life,
Mary decided to come out into the world again
and more importantly, to play publicly.


When she again resumed her singing career, after such a long absence,
history repeated itself.
After an appearance on the Russell Harty TV Show,
her impact on the public was such that
the switchboard was swamped with requests for her reappearance.
Soon after,
the first of many concert appearances
at London's Royal Festival Hall was sold out,
a resounding success that became a best-selling record.





Since then c1977, Mary O'Hara truly became an artist of international appeal,
having appeared in most of the world's major venues,
from London's Royal Albert Hall to Toronto's Roy Thompson Hall;
from New York's Carnegie Hall to Sydney's Opera House
and toured the
USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland and Europe.


She recorded 23 long-playing albums, some of them becoming best sellers
and has also written 3 best-selling books.
Her autobiography 'The Scent of the Roses', sold over a million copies!




"I am not, I think, a folk-singer as the purists understand it.
What I try to do is interpret traditional songs with the skill
and respect given to art songs,
simply by singing them with all the understanding I possess.

I still think that folk and traditional songs
are among the most beautiful,
but I also love Elizabethan lyrics and some modern poets' verses
and prose-poems, which sing to me,
so I set them to music."
~~*~~

~Mary O'Hara~





Mary O'Hara retired from performing in the early 1990s.

She says she felt a 'special relief' when she knew she was going to retire!
Being a performer requires one to practice singing and playing the harp on a daily basis,
for most of the day,
leaving little time for anything else.


She married again to a 'kindred spirit'
who happens to be a journalist, teacher and historian of some note.

She has found peace, contentment and happiness in her retirement,
~ something we all wish her ~
but we WILL miss hearing her voice!


Mary gave permission for John Misto to write a wonderful play about her life called Harp on the Willow, but the LINK appears to be no longer working.




Visit MARY O'HARA: Discography

HOME



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 08:40 AM

Anna - I still have my 2 LPs! However, I no longer have a player, so can't listen to it.

Mary O'Hara at the Royal Festival Hall, 1977, Chrysalis Records, track 4 - 'Among Silence' by Richard Selig

I think I remember her saying it was the last poem he wrote & was unfinished, and she set it to music.

I also have 2 CDs & I'll be playing them when the current CD is finished.

sandra

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: Alice
Date: 03 Jun 07 - 08:23 PM

Thank you for that link!

http://harponthewillow.com/the_show.html

If you can't see the play, her incredible autobiography, discussed in an earlier thread
is called "Scent of the Roses".

Alice

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: GUEST,Anna from Dublin
Date: 03 Jun 07 - 05:43 PM

Mary's nephew is the playwright and author Sebastian Barry - he was recently interviewed on RTE Radio 1 and selected a piece of Mary's music to play. It re-ignited my interest in Mary and the wonderful pure voice. She is such a consummate musician - her phrasing and pitch are perfect. Some of her song choices leave a lot to be desired in my opinion but when she gets the song right too, it really is superb. I remember years ago I had an album of hers where 2 of the songs she had written herself using her first husband, Richard Selig's poems as lyrics. I remember thinking they were wonderful, progressive and complex pieces that really demonstrated her musicianship. Unfortunately I don't have those old albums and the stuff available on CD seems to be largely light popular stuff.

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: GUEST,xxx
Date: 24 Mar 07 - 06:38 PM

try www.harponthewillow.com

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: Willa
Date: 17 Mar 07 - 10:09 AM

Hi Ann

Found these on offer at Amazon uk. Don't know whether you can order from them for delivery in Canada.

Mary O'Hara at Carnegie Hall by Mary O'Hara (Audio CD - 2001)
Always by Mary O'Hara (Audio CD - 2005)

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: GUEST,Ann Canada
Date: 17 Mar 07 - 09:54 AM

Bought a tape at a garage sale { boot sale} 10 yrs ago and have not been able to find anymore. mary has the most crystal clear voice I have ever heard. I found her today on my MSN home page hurrah.

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: GUEST,Ian cookieless, formerly Ian HP
Date: 09 Mar 07 - 01:16 PM

Fantastic news! Thanks, Padraig.

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: GUEST,Padraig
Date: 09 Mar 07 - 09:59 AM

Tonight in Melbourne Australia we saw "Harp on the Willow", the wonderful play by John Misto based on Mary O'Hara's life. At the end of the performance, Mary herself came on stage and spoke for a few minutes.

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 19 Dec 05 - 05:32 AM

Andrew, Amazon have 31 Mary O`Hara CDs on offer.

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: GUEST,Andrew
Date: 18 Dec 05 - 07:18 AM

Hi there...

Seems to me that Mary O'Hara's CD: The Beautiful Music of Mary O'Hara is so hard to find online. Any ideas where I could still get it? All the online stores I tried so far have come up with no stock sigh!

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: Allan C.
Date: 04 Dec 05 - 03:50 PM

Willa, that song is among many others on Mary's "Irish Traditional Folk Songs" CD as well as on what CDNOW lists as an "import" (currently unavailable) called "Mary O'Hara's Ireland."

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: Helen
Date: 04 Dec 05 - 03:47 PM

Hi Willa,

I googled "Mary O'Hara" "The Parting"

(with double quotes for phrases) and found this listed on a few sites. Some sites were selling downloads and not the CD:

http://www.musicoutfitter.com/store/item/076637033322/irishtraditionalfolksongs.htmlIrish
            Mary O'Hara
Irish Traditional Folk Songs
n/a
International
Format:        Compact Disc
Released:        n/a
Label Name:        Bescol
Producer:        
Distributor:        n/a
UPC-Code:        076637033322

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: Willa
Date: 04 Dec 05 - 03:05 PM

Thanks, Helen. I am trying to find a CD/casette which includes 'The Parting'. I've been told Mary did make one and that the song is traditional, but can't verify that.

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: Helen
Date: 03 Dec 05 - 03:37 PM

Here is the track list, Willa. It's a good selection of tunes. It is only instrumental, no singing.

Side 1

The Way We Were
Londonderry Air
Skye Boat Song
Pamela Brown
A Bunch of Thyme
Scarborough Fair
For the Good Times
Bright Eyes

Side 2

Walking in the Air
Three times a Lady
Going Home
Greensleeves
In an English Country Garden
Memory from 'Cats'
Annie's Song
One Day at a Time

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 03 Dec 05 - 04:59 AM

On the "Songbirds" Programme RTE 1 on Sunday 5th at 7-30 Mary O`Hara`s career is featured on this very good RTE series, also has featured, Ruby Murray, and Margaret Barry. To follow Delia Murphy, and Bridie Gallaher.

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: Deckman
Date: 02 Dec 05 - 08:46 PM

Helen ... I, for one, appreciate your generosity. Thanks, Bob(deckman)Nelson

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: Allan C.
Date: 02 Dec 05 - 08:21 PM

Mary was in Frederick, Maryland just a week or so ago to do the farewell performance of the "Woman's Heart" tour. The show included Maura O'Connell and other wonderfully talented women. To my way of thinking, though, the stars of the show were the backup band. Fantastic! I could have watched and listened to them all night! I'm afraid I can't say the same for those with the top billing. Oh, they were good enough, I suppose. I truly enjoyed some of their tunes and songs. But they were entirely outclassed by each and every member of the band.

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: Willa
Date: 02 Dec 05 - 03:37 PM

helen

Please put the track list up . I do have two casettes of Mary's music/singing and might be interested if this is different

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: Helen
Date: 02 Dec 05 - 02:47 PM

refresh - Auction item, 100% to Mudcat, I'll pay postage.

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: Helen
Date: 01 Dec 05 - 06:07 AM

I finally, by accident, found where I had put the Mary O'Hara cassette I wanted to put in the Mudcat auction when I first read this thread. {Hidden away in a box on top of the wardrobe - that's one mystery solved! Found while looking for something else.)

anyway I've just put it in the Auctions. If anyone wants the full track list let me know and I'll type it up and put it in the Auction thread.

I want it to go to someone who appreciates it. There is sentimental value in that it belonged to my cousin, now deceased, but Mary O'Hara's music doesn't really appeal to me.

It's as-new, played twice only.

Click on the Auction link near the top of this page or any page in Mudcat.

100% proceeds to Mudcat.

Helen

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 08 Sep 05 - 11:02 AM

she's going to be "in conversation" at a presentation in County Monaghan, Ireland this weekend, others will be playing music but she is "retired" from public music performances. Mary and her husband have returned from Africa (they went there about 10 years ago) and are now living in an old thatched cottage somewhere in England according to a flyer that was on the wall of the Fleadh office in Letterkenny last month.

the article mentioned occasional travel - Australia and Iran in recent years - and a play produced in Australia which was based on Mary's life story.

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: Megan L
Date: 16 Oct 04 - 01:33 PM

John Misto wrote a play about her life, it hink it was called Harp on the (either willow or bough)

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 16 Oct 04 - 11:47 AM

Apologies for thread creep - but has anybody got a full set of 'Folk Review', and would you consider it worth while trying to put the major articles on the Net? They're hard for me to find over here in Germany, but what I've seen of them there were some very informative articles that I wouldn't mind re-reading!

Subject: RE: MARY O'HARA - where is she now?
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 14 Oct 04 - 05:42 PM

Weelittledrummer, sadly Fred Woods has been dead for some years now. Burl