Deirdre Gribbin: Island People Patricia Rozario, soprano - Loré Lixenberg, mezzo-soprano RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet Mark O'Keeffe, trumpet - Cliona Doris, harp NMC D185 • 'A charismatic and intriguing new voice in contemporary music' The Independent • Deirdre's setting of Anahorish by Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney was presented to him on receipt of a lifetime acheivement award from Queen's University Belfast, and is recorded here for the fi rst time. • Gribbin has worked collaboratively with director Lou Stein and Bruce Springsteen's lighting designer Jeff Ravitz on the staging of her violin concerto Venus Blazing, which toured throughout the UK, premiering at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall. • For more information visit the composer's website http://www.deirdregribbin.com/ This new release presents chamber works for string quartet and soloists by Belfast-born composer, Deirdre Gribbin.   Her Catholic background, identification with Celtic folk tradition, fascination for myth, and love of remote places with big skies and water, have all infl uenced her work, but also she enjoys the buzz and relentless pace of city life in London where she now lives. We are delighted to welcome soprano Patricia Rozario - a singer who has inspired several of the world's leading composers to write for her, most notably Arvo Pärt and Sir John Tavener - and the internationally renowned RTÉ Vanburgh Quartet to the label.   With trumpeter Mark O'Keeffe they perform the title work Island People, a song-cycle setting verses by the Irish poet Seamus Heaney. Also on this recording are Crossing the Sea for mezzo (Loré Lixenberg) and quartet, which sets 7th century Chinese Tang poetry, and What the Whaleship Saw for quartet, inspired by a grisly incident in 1820 involving the crew aboard a shipwrecked whaling ship who resort to cannibalism in order to survive - depicting the darkest human instinct for survival. TRACK LISTING   1. Merrow Sang     9'48       Island People     16'30   2. The Given Note     4'16   3. Oracle     4'12   4. Gifts of Rain     3'45   5. Lovers on Aran     4'17       Crossing the Sea     20'20   6.   I Setting sail     3'52   7.  II A song of perfect happiness     2'10   8. III Looking at the moon and thinking of one far away     2'32   9. IV A song of dagger dancing     2'19 10.  V On a rainy night to a friend in the north     2'52 11. VI She sews a warrior's gown all night     1'52 12. VII A song of Running-Horse River in farewell     1'53 13. VIII A night-mooring on the river     2'50 14. Anahorish     6'38 15. What the Whaleship Saw     11'24 NMC Recordings are distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading, P.O.Box 44, Briar Hill, Vic, 3088, Australia Telephone (03) 9432 4149 ~ Facsimile (03) 9444 6879