Singer Ciara Fox ‘delighted’ to release poignant new single

The name Ciara Fox has long-inspired the admiration of Ireland’s traditional music fraternity; the ethereal lilt of her voice bewitching anybody whose ears it falls upon.

On Monday (July 4), the Fleadh Cheoil champion singer released her version of a song, that, despite being widely covered in recent years, has resisted the tragic slide into cheesiness that has befallen
so many other anthemic Irish ballads.

In her cover of ‘The Streets of New York’ – a song written by Liam Reilly and notably popularised by the Wolfe Tones – the effortless range and cut-glass-clarity of Ciara’s voice find the perfect gallery in which to display themselves, untainted, unobstructed, and beautifully backlit by the masterful musicians accompanying her.

But this song, while it undoubtedly affords the Greencastle girl the opportunity to express the delicate nuances of her voice, is far more than a mere vehicle or vessel. The song was carefully chosen, and the result is a moving, authentic and elegantly raw piece of music.

We spoke with Ciara to find out why she chose to record ‘The Streets of New York’.

“It’s a beautiful song in its own right; even without the person listening or singing having any special or specific connection with the subject,” said Ciara.

“But, of course, given our history, and our present situation with migration, too, I suppose, it isn’t hard to see how the song has become such a popular and well-known one.

“It resonates deeply with us as Irish people.”

The song tells of a young Irish fella who parts company with the land of his raring, determining to voyage to the promised land of America where he will unite with his uncle, a New York policeman. But, as is typical of the Irish ballad, a tragic fate intervenes, and, with a single act of violence, his uncle, and innocent dreams, succumb to the cold steel of a bullet. The Streets of New York has left many-a hard man bawling.

“My brother, Peter, has been out in New York for a year or so now, and it can be pretty hard sometimes,” remarked Ciara.
“You want to see him, and you can’t.

“I miss him, and he always drifts into my head when I’m singing this song. I think about him working as an engineers, playing football and living his life away from home.”

Gifted with such a refined and articulate voice, Ciara is able to express the subtleties of her feelings through this song in a way which few other singers could.

And, to top it off, the whole thing dances across a crystal stage, delicately arranged by a small army of world class musicians backing her, including Matt McGlinn (who also produced the record), James McCaffrey, Eamon McElholm, Nick Scott, and Liam Bradley, among others.

“I hope this some can be a comfort to people who are away, or, at the very least, is capabe of entertaining them, or maybe even reminding them of home,” Ciara concluded.

Listen to the tune on any major music streaming platform, or, alternativley, go find it on YouTube. Slainte!