Bridget Fitzgerald
Bridget Fitzgerald was born and reared in An Locháán Beag near Indreabháán in the heart of the Cois Fharraige Gaeltacht in South Connemara. Bridget comes from a family of seven children better known locally as Muintir an Tááilliúúra or The Tailor Clan. Her parents Michael and Nan Coyne were known to have a house always open to music, song, and craic. For generations singing had been given great importance in their family, and Bridget was named after her grandmother who was rated among the best singers in the area. In 1964, she moved to the United States to join her aunts and uncle in Massachusetts, residing there until she moved to Providence, Rhode Island; she now lives again in Massachusetts. In 1981, Bridget placed first in the Fleadh Cheoil in New York in English sean nos style singing and second in Irish sean nos singing. She can be heard on the album "We’re Irish Still" produced by Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann. Bridget’s singing received international acclaim upon joining Cherish the Ladies as their lead vocalist in the 1980s. She is one of a handful of sean nos singers now living in the United States. (Source: www.bridgetcoynefitzgerald.com)
“I have a significant repertoire of songs in English, which is my second language. The presentation of these songs is noted for the regional influence of Connemara, in the Gaeltacht, where I was raised with Irish as my first language. Therefore, both the Irish language and English language songs in my repertoire reflect a highly ornamented style with the voice pitched in the upper vocal range. My song repertoire in Irish includes content offering historic, romantic, or occasional themes. Songs in English include content from the ballad tradition brought to Ireland centuries ago, as well as songs in English composed in Ireland and abroad that were popularized from the 18th century, onward.”
Bridget has taught master classes at a number of folk music camps. In Massachusetts she worked with apprentice Michael O'Leary, a fine traditional singer, concentrating on the regional style of Connemara, the Irish-speaking area of Fitzgerald's birth in County Galway, Ireland. She has been a mentor artist twice in the Southern New England Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program: in Year 12 (2009-2010) working with Lisa Coyne, and in Year 20 (2017-2018) working with Mary Lee Partington.
