Naomi Berrill;
Credit: Edoardo Delille
Irish musician Naomi Berrill is returning to the Grand Duchy, this time with her trio, for a concert at the Abbaye de Neumünster (neimënster) in Luxembourg-Grund on Sunday 7 April 2024 at 11:00.
Naomi Berrill is an Irish cellist, singer-songwriter and composer, currently based in Florence, Italy. Her latest album Inish was released in October 2023 by Casa Musicale Sonzogno (Milan). The new album (her fourth) sees Naomi's experimental approach to cello technique continue to break boundaries between musical genres. It also marks the beginning of her collaboration with Lorenzo Pellegrini and Andrea Beninati as part of a trio. The main single "Sea Warrior" is dedicated to the Irish pirate queen Grace O'Malley. The video was filmed in Italy and features many women who form part of Naomi's daily life and who represent contemporary female "Warriors".
Tickets for the one-hour neimënster concert cost €6 (€1.50 with Kulturpass) and are available online at https://www.neimenster.lu/evenements/naomi-berrill-trio/.
Speaking to Chronicle.lu ahead of this concert, Naomi Berrill said she was "very happy" to be returning to Luxembourg with her trio; she had performed here once before but as a solo act.
Chronicle.lu: What do you hope audiences will take away from this experience at neimënster?
Naomi Berrill: We will be presenting my new work Inish which tells of life off the west coast of Ireland, the beauty and also the hardship of this life and nature, extreme emotions! I am very excited to share this project with the Luxembourg audience. I am happy to bring them a taste of my original music and also a taste of Irish culture.
Chronicle.lu: In what ways does your latest album differ from or build upon your previous works? Are there certain elements you try to retain even when working within a trio?
Naomi Berrill: As a soloist, what makes me unique is the fact that I sing and use the cello as an accompanying instrument to the voice. In developing my work with the trio, I have maintained this trait, but with two multi instrumentalists alongside me, we create a much richer musical colour spectrum. The sound of my previous albums was clearly different as they were created as a solo artist, but I am very happy with the contrasting sound of this new project.
Chronicle.lu: Please elaborate on your new/recent collaboration with Lorenzo Pellegrini and Andrea Beninati. How did this come about? How do their musical styles complement or contrast with your own?
Naomi Berrill: Lorenzo is vocalist, guitarist and synth player in my trio but he is also the producer of my album. This is the first time I have worked with a producer, and as Lorenzo comes from a different musical world to me (more rock/pop), this journey of creating the album together has been a great adventure. His suggestions were very different to musical solutions I would have thought of, and also my suggestions regarding use of voce and cello were new ideas to his way of thinking.
Chronicle.lu: What are your main sources of inspiration? For example, Inish appears to draw inspiration from your homeland (Ireland)...
Naomi Berrill: Every project I have created so far has a different source of inspiration, but yes, Inish was inspired by both the beauty and the hardship of life on the islands off the west coast of Galway where I come from.
