Tara Music


Tara Music has been regarded for many years as one of the leading traditional Irish music recording companies. The label was set up by Jack Fitzgerald and John Cook in the early 1970s.
Their first release was the album Prosperous by a young Christy Moore, still largely unknown at the time. There was quite a gap between that album coming out and anything further being released. Then, in the early eighties, there were two albums from Planxty, two further solo albums from Moore, as well as two albums from Clannad, followed by the first of numerous albums from Stockton's Wing.
In the late seventies, Tara recorded Shaun Davey's The Brendan Voyage, a ground-breaking album which featured uilleann piper Liam O'Flynn as a soloist with a full orchestra. The Brendan Voyage launched Davey as a contemporary orchestral composer of international standard and led to further commissions for work in a similar vein, several of which have been released on the Tara label. Most of Davey's works feature O'Flynn and vocalist Rita Connolly, both of whom have also recorded numerous solo albums for the Tara label under Davey's supervision as producer.
The Irish phenomenon that is Riverdance has musical roots that had been developing over many years prior to the first performance of Riverdance at Eurovision song contest in 1994. These roots included musical elements introduced by Andy Irvine who, having returned to Ireland from the Balkans, introduced Eastern European music and time signatures to the group Planxty, who then proceeded to record a number of these instrumental pieces. Irvine and Davy Spillane also recorded the East Wind album, which was produced by Bill Whelan, possibly the first seeds of what became Riverdance.
Tara Music also released Whelan's first major orchestral work, The Seville Suite and his most recent release: The Connemara Suite. Other albums, such as Spillane's Out of the Air and Pipedreams, as well as The Storm by Moving Hearts, feature some of the musical elements and instruments that are easily recognizable in their influence on the Riverdance music.
In recent years, many releases on the Tara Music label are recordings by self-produced artists, with Tara Music acting as distributor and coordinating press and publicity. Albums by artists such as: Frankie Gavin & De Dannan, The Voice Squad, Zoë Conway, Máirtín O'Connor and Michelle Lally are currently available on the Tara Music label.

Catalogue

Cat. No.TitleArtist
TARA1002/9The Best of Irish PipingSeamus Ennis
TARA2002The Iron Behind the VelvetChristy Moore
TARA2004Stockton's WingStockton's Wing
TARA2005Live In DublinChristy Moore
TARA2006Noel Hill & Tony LinnaneNoel Hill & Tony Linnane
TARA2007Doublin'Paddy Glackin & Paddy Keenan
TARA2008ProsperousChristy Moore
TARA2017Out of the AirDavy Spillane Band
TARA3001After The BreakPlanxty
TARA3003High Kings of TaraPlanxty & Other artists
TARA3004Take A ChanceStockton's Wing
TARA3005The Woman I Loved So WellPlanxty
TARA3006The Brendan VoyageShaun Davey / Liam O'Flynn
TARA3007Crann UllClannad
TARA3008FuaimClannad
TARA3014The StormMoving Hearts
TARA3015Memories of IrelandThe Emerald Isle Singers
TARA3017GranuaileShaun Davey / Rita Connolly
TARA3018Classic Irish BalladsDiarmuid O'Leary & The Bards
TARA3019Atlantic BridgeDavy Spillane
TARA3023Shadow HunterDavy Spillane
TARA3024The Relief of Derry SymphonyShaun Davey
TARA3025AnamClannad
TARA3026PipedreamsDavy Spillane
TARA3027EastWindAndy Irvine & Davy Spillane
TARA3028The Crooked RoseStockton's Wing
TARA3029 Rita ConnollyRita Connolly
TARA3030The Seville SuiteBill Whelan
TARA3031Out To An Other SideLiam O'Flynn
TARA3032 The PilgrimShaun Davey
TARA3033ValparaisoRita Connolly
TARA3034The Given NoteLiam O'Flynn
TARA3035CausewayNollaig Casey & Arty McGlynn
TARA3036Letting GoStockton's Wing
TARA3037The Piper's CallLiam O'Flynn
TARA3038Brian Boru - The High King of TaraMaurice Lennon
TARA3039Masters Of Their CraftCompilation
TARA4CollectionStockton's Wing
TARA4004Many's The Foolish YouthThe Voice Squad
TARA4005Happy Ever After - DeletedThe Fallen Angels
TARA4006Blood & Gold - DeletedMACA
TARA4007From The Edge of MemoryPhil Callery
TARA4008Josephine MarshJosephine Marsh
TARA4010MosaicAlan Kelly
TARA4011Fierce TraditionalFrankie Gavin
TARA4012Zoe ConwayZoe Conway
TARA4013Holly WoodThe Voice Squad
TARA4014Spirit of an Irish ChristmasRoisin Dempsey
TARA4015Aisling Na nGaelEmma Kate Tobia
TARA4016Stockton's Wing Live – Take OneStockton's Wing
TARA4017May We Never Have To Say GoodbyeShaun Davey
TARA4018The Horses TailZoe Conway
TARA4019If This Be LoveMichelle Lally
TARA4020The Full ScoreFrankie Gavin & Hibernian Rhapsody
TARA4021The Conemara SuiteBill Whelan
TARA4022Live at St. James Church DingleBeal Tuinne
TARA4023Voices from the Merry CemeteryShaun Davey
TARA4024Jigs, Reels & Rock n' RollFrankie Gavin & De Dannan
TARA4025Go Mairir i bhFad – Long Life to YouZoë Conway & John Mc Intyre
TARA9003Best of Irish BalladsJohn Ahern