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BC Singing the Praises of O’Hara and McCormack

Boston College is honoring two major figures in Irish music history: John McCormack and Mary O’Hara

By Sean Smith | Chronicle Editor

This fall, Boston College is honoring two major figures in Irish music history: a Westmeath native who became one of the most popular tenors of the early 20th century, and a Sligo-born woman credited with helping revive interest in the Irish harp in the 1950s and 60s.

The contributions of John McCormack (1884-1945) and Mary O’Hara are being recognized through two exhibitions, “John McCormack, Tenor: Celebrating 125 Years” and “Mary O’Hara, Singer and Harpist: A Retrospective” — both now on display at the Burns Library — and two upcoming campus events. 

This Sunday, Oct. 11, O’Hara will give a multimedia presentation on her life and career at 2 p.m. in Devlin 008. Then, during the weekend of Nov. 13-14, BC will formally mark the 125th anniversary of McCormack’s birth with a symposium, lecture, and performances, as well as a screening of his 1930 film, “Song O’ My Heart.”

The events are being held as part of the Gaelic Roots Music, Song, Dance, Workshop, and Lecture Series [www.bc.edu/gaelicroots] through the Center for Irish Programs; the McCormack tribute is co-sponsored by the Institute of Liberal Arts.

“John McCormack and Mary O’Hara are side by side in the annals of Irish music,” said Sullivan Artist in Residence Seamus Connolly, director of Irish music programs at BC. “In their own way, they each lifted the music’s profile, and brought it to a much wider audience — and helped bring the Irish experience to the world. So it’s very appropriate for Boston College, a university with such strong Irish connections, to recognize their contributions.”

O’Hara has appeared on many of the world’s major stages, including the Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, and Toronto’s Roy Thompson Hall. Beginning with her 1956 debut recording, she recorded 20 long-playing albums, 10 of which feature traditional songs of Ireland and Scotland on harp and voice. 

The Irish folk music tradition was at something of a nadir when O’Hara first began performing in the 1950s, and the Irish harp — often regarded as an icon of Ireland — seemed a relic of the distant past. But O’Hara, along with such performers as Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers, helped spark a revival of Irish music that has proved durable and wildly popular.

“The purity in her soprano voice, her diction and expression, the feeling in her songs, the dynamics in her performance — they all made a big impression,” said Connolly. “She also excelled at harp, and not just her technique: Her arrangements were very clever, and she found new ways of using the harp to accompany songs.”

O’Hara’s life took a drastic turn, however, when her husband died in 1957; she continued performing, but in 1962 she entered a Benedictine monastery, where she stayed for nearly 13 years. She took up her career again in 1975, recording 13 more albums, hosting her own TV series and publishing three books, including her autobiography The Scent of Roses. Although O’Hara is now retired, her story lives on in a recently staged play, “Harp on the Willow,” that was based on The Scent of Roses.

The Burns Library exhibit features posters, recordings, correspondence, books and other materials O’Hara donated to BC.
McCormack earned worldwide fame as a recitalist who performed a unique repertoire, combining classical music, folk ballads and sacred music. His recordings sold in the millions, and his popularity led to international tours and his appearance in two feature-length films. The Burns exhibit includes handwritten pages from McCormack’s unpublished memoirs, correspondence, photographs, and sheet music from McCormack’s personal collection. For more on the exhibit, see www.bc.edu/libraries/about/exhibits/burns/mccormack.html. [The Nov. 5 Chronicle will feature more details about the John McCormack celebration.]