From an early age Ciara Considine was humming and harmonizing along with her older sister and brothers. She was the youngest of four children of Irish parents from Counties Clare and Galway - they'd met in London as fresh immigrants in the 1950s. Theirs was a musical family, with a whole range of instruments filling the family home in Maidstone, Kent, UK. She gained a County Scholarship to study the flute (with Nancy Strevens) and piano (with Andrew Haigh) and toured Brazil and Argentina with the Kent Youth Orchestra; she was selected to join the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, touring the US, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia and Singapore.
She then went to Manchester to train as a classical concert-pianist at the Royal Northern College of Music (with Helen Krizos). After getting her Bachelors Degree in Music, she went on to gain both a Masters Degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Music Performance. Performing solo recitals and chamber music around the North West UK, she also taught the piano, flute and singing in Manchester, inspiring many children in that time.
Ciara then came full-circle, discovering her cultural roots, when the seed was set after hearing 'Once I Loved' sung by Rita & Sarah Keane from Co. Galway. She taught herself the celtic harp, celtic lyre, Irish tin-whistle and Irish flute in January 2007: just four months later, she was ready to go into the studio to record Ó Mo Chroí (meaning Of My Heart, from an old Irish saying). Steeped in history, these songs emerge from the wealth and beauty of Irish folk culture. The album has continued to gain positive reviews and radioplay and sells consistently online via all the major distributors since its 2008 release.
Following the success of her 1st album, Ciara brought talented Celtic musicians onboard for her 2nd album Beyond The Waves. Alongside beautiful Irish and Celtic ballads and jigs, this album brings to life some of Ireland's literary wealth, with poems by Kavanagh and Wilde, in song.
As well as producing her 2 albums, Ciara is the Conductor of the Vigo Singers and works with all the Kent Youth Choirs. Along with this she is a Singing Teacher at the renowned Benenden School in Kent, whilst working as a freelance classical pianist for recitals and functions. She recorded with "1916" in Abbey Road Studios and performs Irish folk music in London, Kent and the Aran Islands.
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Recording at MA Studios with Noel Rafferty 2008 |
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Recording at The Green Box with Jonathan Vincent 2010 |
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Musicians on "Beyond The Waves" recording
(for contact details email: considineciara@hotmail.com)
Jonathan has been writing music for the media since leaving Goldsmiths' College in 1992 where he studied for his Music Degree. He is a classically trained pianist and percussionist as well as being proficient in a number of other instruments. Jonathan also has a "Music for the Media" diploma in media composition. Jonathan has written music for features, many short films and various other media formats in almost every musical style. As head of R&D for Newtronic Midi Songware Jonathan invented the midi construction kit trailblazing many innovative and critically acclaimed production tools for musicians and producers. In 1999 he wrote and presented a six part series for the BBC World Service-"The Music Studio", Jonathan is also a music technology consultant and lecturer as well as a senior examiner for Edexcel. As a gigging musician Jonathan plays keyboards in bands including the excellent “Chocolate Charlie” performing with talented musicians such as Daniel Pearce (Dizzee Rascal, One True voice, X Factor, Howard Jones) and Charlotte Hodson (Basement Jaxx, Texas, St Etienne)
"Before working with Ciara I performed with some friends outside Cashconverters in the Bexleyheath Broadway. One Sunday a woman approached lying on a big brass bed which was being pushed by a man in sandals. He informed us that the lady was close to death and politely requested that we play the tune 'Lady in Red... for the woman in the bed.' Despite having no prior knowledge of the words, harmony or melodic line we did the best we could. She then insisted we perform it a further seventeen times and was only prevented from requesting an eighteenth by the fact that the shopping centre had closed two hours earlier. Still, she left us with a smile on her face. She was clearly on some very heavy medication at the time. On this album I used a Recording King dreadnought, fretless Fender bass, Hohner 3/4 size classical and Gremlin 5 string banjo. Only one of these instruments was legally in my possession at the time and for this I must apologise to my friend Will; sorry Will". Jack is a talented multi-instrumentalist - an experienced french-horn player, guitarist and organist whilst being Deputy Head of Music at Benenden School, Kent.
Matt Gabel was born and brought up in Lewes. He initially studied the violin under Adrian Davis, and later attended the Yehudi Menuhin School, going on to study at the Royal College of Music. As an orchestral player and soloist, he has performed in Sweden, Holland and France as well as all over the UK. Matt currently co-leads the University of Sussex Symphony Orchestra, and works as a freelance violinist as well as studying mathematics. An accomplished Irish folk fiddler, he originally studied under Brendan Mulkere, and came second in the world in the All-Ireland 'Fleadh' aged sixteen. Weather permitting he likes to row boats down Sussex waterways and play with the Duke, who was born in 1770. The Duke is his violin, not a local feudal lord.
Biography coming soon....
Biography coming soon.... Biography coming soon....
