Home

Comprising three sisters and one brother of the Corr family – vocalist Andrea, drummer Caroline, violinist Sharon and guitarist/keyboard player Jim – the Corrs blend the music of their Irish background with contemporary pop/rock and occasional use of synthesizers. The quartet formed in 1991, and was confined to regional popularity in Ireland until 1994, when the American ambassador to the country invited the Corrs to perform at the 1994 World Cup in Boston. The attraction led to a support slot on Celine Dion's 1996 tour, which the group joined just after an appearance at that year's Olympic Games in Atlanta. The Corrs' debut album Forgiven, Not Forgotten became internationally popular. One year after their last studio album Ireland's third biggest export after Guinness and U2, The Corrs, recorded Home, their fifth album. Though they've long traded on their Celtic heritage, The Corrs have long been, first and foremost, a pop act. Home, though, as the title implies, eschews their usual gloss in favor of songs sung in Gaelic. No wonder: Home is dedicated to their mother, Jean, who used to spend her weekends playing Irish songs in pubs.

It was Caroline Corr who first suggested a return to traditional form. Featuring the BBC Radio 2 Concert Orchestra and working with orchestral arranger Fiachra Trench and producer Mitchell Froom, who has worked with The Corrs on three previous albums, the band set out to create an eclectic mixture of songs and instrumental airs. Recorded over six months, the making of the album became a journey in uniting both old and new. Their cover of Richard Thompson's Dimming Of The Day is markedly superior to Bonnie Raitt's own take. The overall aura of Home is a tribute to their homeland and its emphasis on unpretentious fun.

Traditional Irish songs were carefully chosen, and set to new arrangements, whilst remaining true and faithful to the core emotion of the originals. The mixture of traditional and contemporary is one that is truly celebrated throughout Home. Whereas the predominately Irish songs are interpreted in a contemporary way, other songs such as Heart Like A Wheel, originally written by Anna McGarrigle, remain strongly Irish in sound and spirit. This spirit shines through in tracks such as Buachaill On Eirne and Brid Og Ni Mhaille sung in Gaelic. The Corrs are back to fond beginnings, defining a journey that began 15 years ago. Home is a record that is held close to the bands’ hearts and a true testament to its integrity and desire to bring together Ireland’s past, present and future.