Track of the Day: Patrick Dexter - 'Brigid' (Feat. Laoise Kelly)

Evoking the warmth of spring and the gentleness of first love, the new song from world-renowned cellist Patrick Dexter brings an ancient tale into the modern world.

'Brigid,' featuring Mayo-based harp player Laoise Kelly, is the pairs new arrangement of a composition originally by Turlough O'Carolan, an Irish harpist born in 1670.

O'Carolan wrote the piece about Brigid Cruise, a woman he believed to be his soulmate despite being promised to marry another. Legend says the two met again years later at Lough Derg, long after O'Carolan had lost his sight. When Cruise reached out to him, he instantly recognised the woman by her touch.

"I have always found O'Carolan's melodies completely enchanting,” Dexter said. "Playing his music makes me feel like I am being whisked away, on a gentle journey through the Irish landscape, over hills, through bogs and along the golden sand beaches and dramatic cliff edges of the west coast."

'Brigid' is the third single to be taken from Dexter's upcoming album Solace. Recorded remotely during the pandemic, 'Brigid' is a reflection of Dexter's deep-seeded desire for togetherness. "Playing this melody written by a blind Irish harper centuries ago for his true love felt like the perfect reflection of the situation," he said.

The song, which weaves together the deep timbre of the cello with light, hopeful harp, brings to mind the earthy smell of spring. Equal parts soaring and light, gorgeous and optimistic, 'Brigid,' calls to mind the innocence of first love, combined with the perspective of time.

The song was recorded in celebration of St. Brigid's day, originally the ancient pagan Celtic festival of Imbolc. The day, a celebration of the goddess Brigid, is the marker of Springtime.

Listen to 'Brigid' (Feat. Laoise Kelly) below.

The viral sensation has, in just over a year, amassed an impressive 130,000 dedicated followers on social media. After posting a video of himself playing the cello at his rural cottage in Ireland, Patrick’s music began to reach the far corners of the globe.

Garnering praise from Oscar-winning singer-songwriter Markéta Irglová (The Swell Season), Patrick has performed on CNN, BBC, ITV, Sky News, Global News Canada, RTÉ’s The Ryan Tubridy Show, Virgin Media, and TG4. In March 2021, Patrick was even invited by the Irish Embassy in the US to play for President Joe Biden.

Blending his classical training with his experience of living in the west of Ireland, Patrick's debut album harnesses a unique sound. The project was always intended to be as raw and intimate as humanly possible, and to achieve this, Dexter recorded his cello completely unprocessed.

Weaving through the complex and fascinating history of traditional Irish music, as well as his own personal story, Patrick revisits classics like ‘Raglan Road’ and ‘Mná na hÉireann’. Solace is a vast, accomplished and life-affirming body of work from an artist who has so much more to offer.