Shaun Davey facts for kids

Shaun Davey (born on January 18, 1948) is a famous Irish composer. He writes amazing music, often blending classical styles with traditional Irish sounds.

Shaun Davey's Early Life

Shaun Davey was born in Belfast in 1948. He went to Rockport School in County Down. Later, he studied the history of Art at Trinity College, Dublin, graduating in 1971. He then earned a master's degree in London.

In the late 1970s, Shaun made his first music recording called Davey and Morris. He worked with James Morris and a special guest, Dónal Lunny. Shaun also wrote short, catchy songs for advertisements, known as "jingles." Some of his famous jingles were for the National Dairy Council, 7up, and the Bank of Ireland.

Big Music Works About Ireland

Shaun Davey is well-known for four large music pieces. These works are based on Irish history and often feature the traditional uilleann pipes and folk tunes.

The Brendan Voyage

The Brendan Voyage (1980) tells the story of explorer Tim Severin. In 1978, Severin sailed from Ireland across the Atlantic Ocean to Newfoundland. He used a leather currach, which is a traditional Irish boat. This journey was a recreation of one supposedly made by Saint Brendan. The music sounds a bit like film scores by John Williams. The uilleann pipes represent the small currach. The rest of the orchestra shows the ocean, islands, and animals Severin met.

The Pilgrim

The Pilgrim (1983) is set in an old, medieval world. It describes how the Irish, the Bretons, and the Scots explored the seas of western Europe. There are two versions of this music. The first was recorded in 1983. An expanded version was recorded mostly in the 1990s.

Granuaile's Story in Music

Granuaile (1985) shares the tale of Gráinne O'Malley. She was a famous Irish pirate queen in the 1500s. This work has more songs than Shaun's earlier pieces. It features the voice of Rita Connolly, who later married Shaun Davey. Dónal Lunny also helped with the music. It is a beautiful piece with a chamber orchestra.

The Relief of Derry Symphony

The Relief of Derry Symphony (1990) has a clearer symphonic structure. It is based on the 17th-century Siege of Derry. The music shows the Protestants inside the city and the Catholics outside. Unlike his other works, this one uses a Scottish bagpipe band. The band even enters the concert hall from behind the audience!

Other Music Recordings

May We Never Have To Say Goodbye was released by the Tara Music label. It's a collaboration between Shaun Davey, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, and many famous artists. The album's title comes from a special song. This song was composed for the Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics World Summer Games in 2003. Rita Connolly, Ronan Tynan, and six Dublin choirs performed it. The album also includes music from Shaun's other works. It features traditional soloists, singers, choirs, pipe bands, and orchestras. You can also find "Fill to me the Parting Glass" from the film Waking Ned and "Music of the Spheres" from a play called Pericles.

Beal Tuinne – Live at St. James' church Dingle (TARA4022) is a collection of songs. Shaun Davey composed these songs using poems by the late Kerry Poet Caoimhín Ó Cinnéide. Shaun is joined by his wife Rita Connolly and other musicians from Dingle. These include Séamus Begley, Eilís Kennedy, and Jim Murray.

Voices from the Merry Cemetery (TARA4023) is another set of songs by Shaun Davey. This time, the lyrics are based on grave inscriptions. These inscriptions come from the "Merry Cemetery" in Săpânța, a village in Romania. For this live recording, Shaun worked with Rita Connolly (vocals) and Liam O'Flynn (uilleann pipes) again. He also collaborated with a Romanian Men's Choir and parts of the Romanian State Philharmonia.

Shaun Davey as a Film Composer

Shaun Davey has composed music for many films. His most famous film score is for Waking Ned Devine (1998). Other musicians like John McSherry and Liam Ó Maonlaí also contributed to this score.

His other film scores include:

• Twelfth Night
• The Tailor of Panama
• David Copperfield
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Shaun has also worked on television shows. He composed music for The Hanging Gale (BBC), which won an Ivor Novello award. He also wrote the theme for Ballykissangel, which was nominated for a BAFTA award. In 2000, he worked on a musical called James Joyce's The Dead for Broadway. The music for this show was nominated for a Tony.

Another important work is Granuaile, which features Rita Connolly's amazing soprano voice. Liam O'Flynn's solo album Out to an Other Side (1993) included several songs written by Shaun. Shaun also created a musical setting for St. Patrick's Breastplate. It's called The Deer's Cry. This piece was first used in a TV documentary and later appeared on his album The Pilgrim.

Shaun Davey's Music Albums

Here is a list of some of Shaun Davey's recorded music.

Film Soundtracks

Television Soundtracks

Theatre Soundtracks

Orchestral Suites