Eleanor McEvoy

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Eleanor McEvoy


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Born = 22 January 1967
Background = [singer/songwriter]
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Origin = IRL
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Years_active = 1971 - present
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URL = [http://www.eleanormcevoy.net/ Official Website]

[http://www.myspace.com/emcevoymusic Eleanor on Myspace]

Eleanor McEvoy (born 22 January 1967) is one of Ireland's most accomplished contemporary singer/songwriters. Eleanor composed the song "Only A Woman's Heart", title track of "A Woman's Heart", the biggest-selling album in Irish history.

Eleanor made her stage debut in November 1971 at the age of four with her older sister Marion and brother Kieran, playing her sister’s piano accompaniment for an Irish song in the “Slogadh” competition. They won the Dublin round of the competition.

At a very young age, Eleanor was playing violin, improvising harmonies, in the parish folk group. In later years she arranged music for the group.

From 1975 to 1988 Eleanor studied at the V.E.C. College of Music in Dublin, winning numerous scholarships for violin and piano. She won the college Senior Composition prize in 1983, and gained the A.L.C.M. Diploma (Violin) in 1988.

Eleanor was tutored by Máire Breathnach in Irish traditional music, and was the winner of the Oireachtas Junior Solo Traditional Violin competition in 1981.

In 1984 Eleanor commenced her four year Single Honour course in Music in Trinity College, Dublin, graduating in 1988 with a B.A. Mod, (Music). She was a Choral Scholar there in 1985 and 1986, and was also the leader of The University of Dublin Choral Society Orchestra. At this time also she was a violinist in several other orchestras and string quartets, and leader of the College of Music Senior orchestra.

Eleanor did some part-time violin teaching in the North Dublin School of Music in Swords, Coolmine Community College, and in the prestigious St. Columba’s College, Rathfarnham.

Eleanor toured with Phil Coulter in the United States, and with Mary Black's band's extensive and memorable tours, which included Japan. In 1988 Eleanor became a violinist in the National Symphony Orchestra, and remained there until 1992 when her song "Only A Woman's Heart" inspired the title for, and appeared on, the "A Woman's Heart" anthology album. It has since become the best selling album in Irish history. "A Woman's Heart" stayed in the Top 10 for over a year.

In 1993 Eleanor released her self-titled album and toured extensively, including the United States and Asia, to promote it.

1996 saw the release of Eleanor's second album "What's Following Me?". Eleanor released her third album "Snapshots" in 1999. Although she has featured in innumerable TV programmes over the years, it is worth mentioning that the production of this album was the subject of an excellent documentary in RTE’s “Cúrsai Ealaine” series.

Eleanor released her fourth album, "Yola", in 2001 and her fifth, "Early Hours", in 2004.

In August 2005 Eleanor had a sellout concert entitled “Eleanor McEvoy "Her Songs and Music” in the National Concert Hall with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.

Eleanor's sixth album, "Out There", was released in September 2006. She has since toured extensively in the UK and Europe, and in Australia where she toured for twenty-five days in the Spring of 2007 and again in 2008.

Eleanor's co-writing credits have seen her published with fellow writers and performers such as Rodney Crowell, Lloyd Cole, Brad Parker, Henry Priestman, Johnny Rivers and Dave Rotheray of The Beautiful South.

Caroline Lavelle's version of the McEvoy/Lavelle composition "All I Have" features in the USA television series Six Feet Under.

Eleanor's song "Whisper a Prayer to the Moon" from her second album was featured in the film "The Nephew", starring Pierce Brosnan. In "Some Mother’s Son", which starred Helen Mirren, she sang Bill Whelan’s "The Seagull".

Eleanor's recent albums have been adopted by the Hi-Fi community, and are frequently used to test speakers and amplifiers. "Yola" has been described as an industry standard for SACD, winning awards and accolades from the Hi-Fi industry.

The album, "Out There", was named Album of the Year for 2007 by Hi-Fi Plus magazine in Britain.

Eleanor's latest album "Love Must be Tough" was released in May 2008.

Discography

*Eleanor McEvoy (Geffen Records) 1993
*What's Following Me (Columbia Records) 1996
*Snapshots (Columbia Records) 1999
*Yola (Moscodisc) 2001
*Eleanor McEvoy - Special Edition (Moscodisc) 2003
*Early Hours (Moscodisc) 2004
*Out There (Moscodisc) 2006
*Love Must Be Tough (Moscodisc) 2008

External links

* [http://www.eleanormcevoy.net/ Official Eleanor McEvoy website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/emcevoymusic Eleanor McEvoy MySpace site]
* [http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_/026-4785990-2081264?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=eleanor+mcevoy&x=18&y=15/ Purchase Eleanor McEvoy Music]