The Final Touches / Na Bailchríocha

In our last blog, we wrote about the long journey to complete Oíche Mhaith, a Ghrá. We thought we were going to succeed, but when we found the white dummy – that is, a copy of the sound book but without pictures – we realised that the music was not good enough. The story narration was fine, but the electronic keyboard didn’t work well with the spirit of the story nor with the music of our previous books. We needed something warmer, more heart-warming.

Sa bhlag deireanach uainn, scríobhamar faoin aistear fada chun ‘Oíche Mhaith, a Ghrá’ a thabhairt chun lánchríche. Cheapamar gur éirigh linn, ach nuair a fuaireamar an leabhar bán ­­- is é sin, cóip den fhuaimleabhar ach é gan phictúir – thuigeamar nach raibh an ceol ar chaighdeán sásúil. Bhí an reacaireacht go breá ach ní raibh an méarchlár leictreonach ag teacht le spiorad an scéil ná leis an gceol a bhí againn sna leabhair eile uainn go dtí seo. Bhí rud éigin ní ba láiche, ní ba chroíúla, ag teastáil uainn.

That’s when we got in touch with harpist Emer Ní Scolaí. Emer had previously worked with us as both an author and musician on Mo Chuid Uirlisí Ceoil and Mo Chuid Rainn Ghaeilge, and we knew that she – and her music – could bring the story to life in a way the keyboard simply couldn’t. She composed a bespoke harp score for each part of the story – bright and playful at the beginning, soft and lyrical at the end. Over several late-night sessions, we recorded and refined every passage until it aligned perfectly with the energy and rhythm of the text.

Ba ansin a chuamar i dteagmháil leis an gcruitire Emer Ní Scolaí. D’oibrigh Emer linn roimhe seo mar údar agus mar cheoltóir ar ‘Mo Chuid Uirlisí Ceoil’ agus ‘Mo Chuid Rainn Ghaeilge’, agus bhí a fhios againn go bhféadfadh sí, agus a cuid ceoil, beocht a chur sa scéal ar bhealach nárbh fhéidir leis an méarchlár. Chum sí scór cruite saincheaptha do gach cuid den scéal – geal agus spraíúil ag an tús, bog agus liriciúil ag an deireadh. Le linn roinnt seisiúin dhéanacha san oíche, rinneamar gach sliocht a thaifeadadh agus a bheachtú go dtí gur tháinig siad le fuinneamh agus le rithim an téacs.

The printer prepared a new white dummy for us and we were very happy with it. The final sound module is in production, and we expect stock to arrive in August. It was a long and careful process, but we truly believe that Oíche Mhaith, a Ghrá will be something special.

D’ullmhaigh an clódóir leabhar bán nua dúinn agus bhíomar thar a bheith sásta leis. Tá an modúl fuaime deiridh á tháirgeadh, agus táimid ag súil le stoc críochnaithe i mí Lúnasa. Próiseas fada cúramach a bhí ann, ach creidimid go fírinneach gur rud speisialta a bheidh in ‘Oíche Mhaith, a Ghrá’.