Russian classical pianist and mezzo soprano Larissa Tormey who has made a name for herself on the Irish country music scene, has a new Christmas single out, ‘In The Glow of a Winter’s Eve.’
Larissa co-wrote the emotive and heartwarming ‘In The Glow of a Winter’s Eve’ with Offaly poet and lyricist, Anthony Sullivan.
Larissa, who launched her latest and eponymously titled new album with a sold-out show at Bewley’s Cafe Theatre in Dublin in September, said that she and Anthony had something quite specific in mind when they set about writing ‘In The Glow of A Winter’s Eve.’
“We didn’t want to write a song that would really put Christmas in your face,” said Larissa who left behind her career in Moscow to live on a beef farm in Kilbeggan, Westmeath, after meeting her husband Christy when he visited Russia in 2001.
“Instead, we wanted to create something that would evoke all the best feelings of this time of year. We wanted to write something that would make people ‘feel’ Christmas, rather than just know it’s Christmas because we keep saying it in the song,” she laughed.
“With Anthony’s lyrics and my melody, we found something that we believed – what we hoped – would do this. Then my producer, the extraordinarily gifted Kevin Whyms, added his magic touch to things. And now we have a song that we love and that we hope everyone will enjoy when they hear it.”
The single’s release comes shortly after Larissa’s announcement of her concert at the Tuar Ard in Moate on February 3, also titled ‘In the Glow of a Winter’s Eye’ where she will be joined by special guests James Kilbane and Rachel Goode.
“This is a night I’m really looking forward to,” said Larissa. “A nice contemporary concert is something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time. We’ve been working on ideas for this since early in the year actually, so it’s very exciting that we’ve finally been able to announce it and share the details with everyone,” Larissa said.
“I’ve been a fan of James Kilbane who is a sheep farmer, for many years. I just love his voice and the fact that there’s a very real deep and spiritual element to how he sings and performs.
And this is something that you can really get a sense of from James as a person as well, the depth of his spirit,” said Larissa.
Larissa is also a big fan of her other special guest, Rachel Goode. “I first heard Rachel sing when she was on Glór Tíre earlier this year, and of course she was a finalist in Eurosong as well. Her voice is glorious. And what I love about her talent is that she can reach a listener’s soul singing any kind of song.
“For anybody who wants to know what I mean by that, all they have to do is go to Rachel’s Facebook page and spend a little time listening to some of the videos she has posted.
“But I’ll warn you now, all that you’ll want to do is continue listening to her all day long. So you will lose at least a day because you just don’t want to stop enjoying her voice.”
Meanwhile, Larissa is busy on the farm. “We have just finished buying the stock, which wasn’t easy this year as cattle prices are way up. The cattle are all nice and snug now in the sheds until April. We had a very good crop of silage this year, so they will be fine,” she said.
“We have been very busy in our butcher shop in Tullamore, getting ready for Christmas,” said Larissa.