Niamh plucks her way to semi- finals of Junior Eurovision song contest heats

LISLEA born musical protegee Niamh Noade has plucked her way to the semi- finals of the 2022 Junior Eurovision Song Contest heats.

The prestigious contest, which saw over 200 competitors perform in front of a live panel of judges at RTE studio headquarters in Dublin, is designed to determine which aspiring muse will have the privilege of representing Ireland in the 2022 Junior Eurovision Song Contest that will be held in Armenia later this year.

When asked how she felt having made it so far in a contest which attracts such a talented pool of competitors from all over the country Niamh, who last year used her seraphic singing talents and heavenly harp playing skills to raise over £5000 for charity, stated that being in the semi finals for the heats of the Junior Eurovision Song contest was an experience that she would never forget.

“Having made it through to the semi - finals of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest heats, I feel so happy. I have made it so far, and I can't believe it. For me this is such an achievement and I will never forget the experience.

“Performing in the heats for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest was very nerve wracking. I had to perform in the presence of three judges whilst I sang and played my harp and they would give me a score based on my performance and this would determine whether or not I made it through to the next stage of the heat or not.”

Although Niamh is gifted with an abundance of musical talent that would make the average person who can’t carry a tune envious beyond comprehension of the sensational singing abilities of this angelic young girl who is still only in her third year at Saint Pauls High School Newry, one element of the heats to determine who would be worthy this year to sing for Ireland cited by Niamh as posing a particular challenge for her to overcome was the fact that she had to sing in Irish during the contest.

However, owing to the phonetical training that she has received at the hands of her many tutors which include Fiona Flynn of Flynn Performing Arts Newry and Newcastle based vocal ovation coach Julie Miles, combined with the studies that she has undertaken of the eloquent tonuge of Gaeilge in school, Niamh was more than equipped to face this challenge head on and win over the hearts and minds of the judges with her lovely renditions of many contemporary songs that she covered in Irish at the heats.

“During the heats for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest I had to sing in Irish in front of the judges. Whist I did find it difficult to sing in Irish during the contest, I got trained in phonetics so this helped a lot. I also study the Irish language in school so this helped a lot as well.”

Niamh, who’s sensational singing talents first presented themselves when she was just three years of age, went on to state that for her “it would be such an achievement and privilege” to represent Ireland in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2022 playing the instrument that she feels so sincerely endeared to, that instrument also being Ireland’s national emblem the harp.

“If I was selected to represent Ireland in the Junior Eurovision song contest 2022, I would feel so happy and so privileged. It would just be such an achievement. It would be so exciting to travel to Armenia to play the instrument that I love whilst also representing Ireland in the contest.

“I first started singing when I was three years old. I have sung with the Traditional Arts Partnership ( TAP) and I also sang in Irish in the past. However, I also received singing lessons with Fiona Flynn of Flynn Performing Arts here in Newry. This was when I really started to develop my talent and passion for music. I have been with Fiona for the past twelve months.

“I then found my instrument which is the harp and this is when I started to take my love for music really seriously. Whilst I was always drawn to the harp, I did have to practice with it. I did have talent when it came to playing the harp but I did have to practice to get to the skill I now have with the instrument. The harp is the national emblem of Ireland and it is such a beautiful instrument, which really matches well with my style of singing.”

Commending the remarkable achievement of her daughter having made it to the semi-finals of the Junior Eurovision song contest heats this year was Niamh's mother Deidre Noade.

Mrs Noade emphasised the fact that Niamh’s success can be squarely attributed to two key elements in her life, those being the remarkable resiliency to study that her young daughter has demonstrated in the many hours that she has spent playing the harp in whatever time she has outside of school, as well as the tutelage that Niamh has received from the many teachers who have helped her along the long and difficult road towards mastering her craft as a musician.

“As a family we are very proud of Niamh and what it is she has achieved. Competing in the Junior Eurovision song contest heats has been a wonderful experience. If she is selected to represent Ireland in the Junior Eurovision song contest 2022 which will be held this December in Armenia , we would be absolutely thrilled.

“Niamh has worked very hard in the past with her singing so it would be great if she was selected to represent Ireland in the contest. Like I said Niamh did put in a lot of work to make it this far and we are very proud that she has made it to this stage of the heats. She had the task of not only singing in Irish but she also had to learn the harp cords to the songs in a very short space of time. “Currently Niamh is the only competitor who is playing an instrument through the heats for the contest, and she is the only person to have ever sang in the history of the contest who has also played the harp. Not only that but it would also be great to see the national emblem of Ireland, the lovely harp, on display and performing on the world stage in Armenia, this would be absolute magic.

“Niamh also had to learn the lyrics to a lot of contemporary as opposed traditional songs in Irish, which can be found on her Facebook and Instagram pages. Whilst Niamh's singing roots do rest in traditional Irish and this will always be a feature of her singing because this is what people want when she performs at events, she herself is trying to develop her own unique style as an artist. So far, the Eurovision song contest has been fantastic because it has given her the opportunity to do this.

“As a family we would also like to give our sincerest thanks to everyone who has helped Niamh get this far. This includes Dervla Bennet, who is Niamh's harp teacher. She is from South Armagh. We first met Dervla three years ago and she composes the cords for Niamh's songs. We would also like to thank the Traditional Arts Partnership that Niamh has been attending since she was seven. This organisation is based in Mullaghbawn with a lady by the name of Elaine O'Sullivan being its chair. This is where Niamh began her journey with musical instruments and singing in Irish, they have been having a fantastic organisation for her to develop her musical talent.

“We would also like to thank Fiona Flynn at Flynn performing arts who Niamh has been going to for the past twelve months. Fiona has been a great support. Niamh has also received mentoring from Julie Miles who is a vocal ovation coach based in Newcastle in England. Niamh first got involved with her when she did so well in the UK Wide Teens Star competition. Niamh travel to England on a regular basis to meet with Julie who has been absolutely amazing in helping her through the Junior Eurovision song contest heats.”