Irish singing star Mary Black in Bangor for university celebrations

Oct 8 2009

ONE of Ireland’s top female singers is to appear in North Wales for the first time in a special performance to celebrate Bangor University’s 125th anniversary.

Mary Black is promoting her own 25-year album, Twenty-five Years – Twenty- five Songs, and the concert at the university’s Prichard Jones Hall is one of her two gigs in the UK this year.

She said: "I’ve been to Wales very many times before, but have mainly performed in the larger cities like Cardiff. This is a special year at Bangor University and I’m excited to be part of that. I’ve always been drawn to Welsh music, and have a strong Celtic connection with the country, so it’ll be nice to bring some Irish culture to the day."

Mary didn’t go to university herself, but chose to follow her passion for music after leaving school.

She said: "It was a different time – I came from inner city Dublin and no one was going to uni!

"I loved a lot of subjects, but I suppose you could say I wasn’t particularly academic. I had my heart set on performing and loved music so much that I didn’t want to do anything else.

"After I left school I joined a group called General Humbert, and did a bit of waitressing to fund it. I released my first album in 1983."

Whilst Mary may not have attended university as a student, she is no stranger to them as a performer. As part of the performing arts theatre she has performed at universities across America, and is a familiar face at universities in Ireland.

She enjoys performing to the young crowds, describing them as an "enjoyable experience, with a healthy mixed audience".

Mary describes her style as contemporary folk, with flavours of the traditional. She has a broad taste in music, and would not confine herself to liking only one particular genre.

She said: "Sandy Denny, who sadly died in 1980, was perhaps my biggest influence growing up. But I also listened to Billie Holliday, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor. I think the most important thing is that I’m Irish, and I believe that the strong musical tradition in Ireland goes a long way to shaping the artists it produces. We’ve been through so much as a country, like the famine, that we can laugh in the face of hardship. Being Irish has definitely shaped what I do."

Although Mary uses various singer-songwriters in Ireland, she also writes her own music.

She said: "It is wonderful to be able to channel your emotions into something like songwriting. When my mother died I was able to write about how I felt at the time, and it was nice to be able to attribute something to her, to talk about how amazing she was.

"Being a part of the music world is a hard road, harder now than it used to be. But if it brings you pleasure, you should keep at it.", that would be my advice to anyone thinking of this career path. Do it because you want to do it, and don’t give up."

Mary performs at the Prichard Jones Hall, Bangor on Friday, October 16 at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from Galeri box office on 01286 685222

Mary Black performs at the Prichard Jones Hall, Bangor on October 16 at 7.30pm. Tickets are available on 01286 685222.