Owning overtones: Grá agus Bás and spectral traditions

In this article the Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy reflects upon the research and composition process of his 2006-07 composition Grá agus Bás, written for the Irish sean nós singer Iarla Ó Lionaírd. The piece is the first to bring together this traditional Irish singing style (literally, 'old tradition') with techniques derived from spectral music. In the second part of the article Dennehy reflects on his own relationship with spectralism, his points of inspiration and points of departure from what have come to seem spectral orthodoxies.