Uilleann Pipes
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Eilis Kennedy – Time to Sail
Press Reviews
Mike Harding, BBC Radio 2 presenter 18.9.02
I think this is one of my albums of the year so far, because it’s got some of the finest versions I’ve ever heard of Crazy Man Michael, Lord Franklin and the Nic Jones song, Canadeeio. I want to play now what I think bar Sandy Denny’s version of Who Know Where The Time Goes. I think this is 100% gold.
BBC Radio 2 Folk Web Site
Kerry-born Éilís (say Aylish) Kennedy comes of an Irish family where both music and the Gaelic language were part of everyday life, a happy fact reflected in this debut album. Time To Sail was recorded in her home town of Dingle and features, apart from her own pure, natural voice, a ton of top Irish artists including Máire Breathnach (fiddle, viola), William Coulter (guitar), Virginia McKee (clarinet), Bruce Abraham (slide guitar) and Séamus Begley (vocal).
Subtle and lush arrangements woven around traditional songs in two languages are the order of the day. Most of the ten tracks have been round the block many a time but Kennedy reworks them with a freshness that belies any qualms of pastiche. The Factory Girl, bouncing along on Gregg Sheehan’s funky percussion, dives into two slide guitar and kalimba-drenched barn dances; gorgeous layers of cello and clarinet drive away any echoes of Sandy Denny in Crazy Man Michael and Who Knows Where The Time Goes; Black is the Colour’s characterful phrasing and spooky slide guitar/woodwind soundscape prevents it neatly from stepping on Cara Dillon’s justly acclaimed version. Of the less familiar material, two Gaelic songs in particular tug the heartstrings – Amhrán na Leabhar (The Song Of Books), an 18th century poet’s lament for the loss of a boatload of beloved books to the sea and a song of loves’ tribulations, Tá Mé ‘mo Shuí.
Whatever it is, that indefinable quality that raises one singer above the many in these days of talent glut, Éilís has it. A great debut from a major new talent, Time To Sail is making big waves on both sides of the pond. Let’s hope some UK gigs are in the offing – I hear she’s really stunning live. Mel McClellan – November 2002
Live Ireland Web Site Nov 02
What a discovery Eilis Kennedy is! We have been stunned by her debut album, Time To Sail.
Eilis lives in Dingle, Co. Kerry and runs a music bar with her husband John. Also a high school teacher, Eilis is currently on a career break. We are the lucky ones.
This album showcases a major new voice in Irish traditional music. Some of the country’s best musicians have gathered around to appear on this album. The guest list includes the likes of Maire Breathnach, William Coulter, Seamus Begley, and Bruce Abraham on a great slide guitar.
There are more. Here’s the point. This woman can sing. Really sing! A lot of the female voices currently heard in Irish music are very similar, and they must be listened to closely to hear any difference. The great ones–Triona and Maighread ni Dhomnaill, Cathie Ryan, Maranna Mc Closkey and Fionola o’ Sciochru can be identified by voice in a storm! Different. Clear. Strong.
And, now, we add Eilis Kennedy to that very special list. This is a wonderfully produced album, with a really striking cover. Lovely. Also on offer here is the definitive version of “Franklin”, the song about the 19th century explorer, Lord John Franklin, lost in a polar expedition in 1845. We heard Altan and others do this, but Eilis’ version stopped us dead in our tracks.
A gob- smacking stunner. Great other tunes–uptempo, ballads, airs, a really lovely mix. Get your mitts on this one! and be prepared to listen and fall in love.
This is an incredible new talent on the international scene following recent tours with William Coulter. WOW! Bill Margeson
Pay The Reckoning Web Site Review
A major new talent emerges!
Kennedy’s debut is a thoughtful, intelligent and well-balanced collection of songs (and the odd tune), delivered by a singer whose control, phrasing and ability to communicate are a delight and whose backing musicians provide tasteful and sympathetic arrangements which complement her approach perfectly.
Kennedy evidently has an affection for the material which emanated from the folk revival in England in the 60s and 70s, as four of the tracks on offer attest. Her version of Sandy Denny’s often-covered “Who Knows Where The Time Goes?” in our opinion manages to surpass the fragile beauty of the original. Her rendition of “Crazy Man Michael”, another song which will be forever associated with Denny from her performance on Fairport Convention’s “Liege and Lief”, is yet another case in point.
However Denny is not the only troubadour of that era to inspire Kennedy. She manages to knock us for six with a poignant reading of the classic “Canadeeio” (which puts the versions by both Nic Jones and Bob Dylan in the shade). And still she finds time to resurrect, dust down and polish to a high lustre “Lord Franklin” – a song which John Renbourn and Jacqui McShee placed their stamp on many years ago.
Elsewhere you’ll find yourself tapping your foot along to the sparse (but dramatic!) “Factory Girls” – a nod to the song tradition “across the pond”. And you’ll be captivated by the Australian song “Andy’s Gone”.
Her version of “Black Is The Colour” invites comparisons to the recent revival of the song by Cara Dillon. The critics went wild over Dillon’s rendition on its release. However they hadn’t heard Kennedy at that stage and we respectfully suggest that anyone who rates highly Dillon’s reading of the song ought to give Kennedy a listen. Perhaps they’ll agree with us that Kennedy’s version is a much more characterful rendition.
Three songs in Irish complete the set. “Nead na Lachan” is a jaunty jig which serves as a great introduction to the album. “Amhran na Leabhar” and “Ta Me ‘Mo Shui” on the other hand are much more complex and moving numbers which show off Kennedy’s voice to great effect.
A mighty album, then! One which will find its way to your CD player time after time and whose nuances and subtleties will become more revealed on each playing.
Net Rhythms Web Site
I know next to nothing about Éilís, aside from the facts that she hails from Dingle in County Kerry and that Time To Sail is, astonishingly, her début album. It is a very fine collection, mixing traditional and contemporary material in a thoroughly engaging manner and with an equal affinity for either category of song.
Admittedly, the track-list contains some over-familiar titles — Lord Franklin, Black Is The Colour, Canadee-I-O and two associated with Sandy Denny (Who Knows Where The Time Goes?, Crazy Man Michael) — but it’s to Éilís’s credit that her versions of the vast majority of these turn out to be among the finest available (notwithstanding my personal hobby-horse about some spurious words in CMM); and I’d even rate Éilís’s version of Black Is The Colour (which closes the album in fine style) above Cara Dillon’s then-matchless reading of only a year or so ago.
Éilís is an exciting singer, who is clearly inspired by the texts she sings. She has a real flair for communicating expressively but not over-ornately, and possesses an enviable control of phrasing and dynamics. Her degree of accomplishment is uniformly impressive, on slower and faster material alike — her lightness and vocal control on the jig-paced opener Nead Na Lachan and the energetic Factory Girls contrasts well with the emotional impact of the Henry Lawson setting Andy’s GoneA-Droving, forinstance.
All of which makes it all the more surprising that her name was not previously known to me. She manages to be both moving and tasteful in her interpretations, and to this end she is aided considerably by her choice of supporting tone colours and accompanying musicians, which includes Máire Breathnach (fiddle), Virginia McKee (clarinet), William Coulter (guitar), Barry Phillips (cello) and Bruce Abraham (slide guitar).
This is a superb album, with a well-defined character and a stamp of real lasting quality, and a credit to all concerned. David Kidman
Folk Roots Magazine
Eilis Kennedy from Dingle Co Kerry is a quietly growing presence on Irish singing circles. Her debut album Time To Sail unveils a massively underrated vocal talent with a quiet mastery of her craft. Her voice is a thing of gentle sublime beauty, the like for which mothers would be sold and kings ransoms exchanged.. Her sweet, clear, and flowing tones make short work of demanding songs in both English and Gaelic. The material chosen includes some demanding songs from traditional epics Amhrán Na Leabhair and Ta Mé Mo Shuí, Canadee I O and Lord Franklin both hallowed pages from the Nic Jones and Martin Carthy songbook and Sandy Dennys seminal Who Knows where The Time Goes. While some of these approach standard status , Eilis not only handles these songs with care but also infuses them with a fresh buoyancy and relevance. . Two classic examples are Who Knows Where The Time Goes, a hard choice baring in mind the mighty shots Sandy, Judy Collins and Mary Black have had at this simple yet sublime allegory to Trevor Lucas. With William Coulters steel string guitar and Barry Phillips mournful cello, Eilis supple voice exhibits a steely yet reserved emotional strength. Likewise, Ta Mé Mo Shuí is equally minimalist in approach with her vocal performance shining in the quiet majesty of comfortable songs and arrangement. Its not all heavy weather though as Nead Na Lachain skips merrily along on waves of enthusiasm and a feisty percussive treatment of The Factory Girl mixes afro-American idioms with Irish vocal nous. Exhibiting a sense of restraint and care she brings a freshness to her performances suggesting comparisons with Kate Rusby, Bill Jones or closer to home Mary Black or Cara Dillon. Time To Sail is a work of gentle yet firm vocal majesty and adroit choice of material a sweetly beguiling affair the like of which falling in love with is not only just possible but inevitable.
The Irish Times December 2001
Without a lick of paint or a blast of fanfare, Eilis Kennedy ( one time member of the Melting Pot from Baile na nGall) has released a spectacular solo debut. Kennedy, a singer whose vocals need neither searchlight nor scaffolding to bore holes into the soul, belongs to a select company of singers (alongside Karan Casey and Virginia Rodriguez) possessd of the finesse of a seamstress and the precision of a neurosurgeon. Tá Mé ‘Mo Shuí straddles the folk/trad divide effortlessly, Kennedy’s guileless vocals hammocked by Barry Phillips’ perfectly-judged cello. Her re-working of The Factory Girl , funkily imbued with a new-found hip-swivelling optimism, gels startlingly with a pair of barndances that lift and seperate the sentiment and rhythms as though they were genetically engineered for one another. A magnificent collection. “. Siobhán Long, The Irish Times
Irish Music Magazine
Every once in a while, an album comes along which heralds a potentially, major yet underrated vocal talent. My first exposition to Eilis Kennedy and her debut album Time To Sail was through hearing Nead na Lachan sail through the radio waves, her clear sparkling voice and a clever arrangement made me want to checked out this Dingle based native. Now having listened to Time To Sail several times, my thoughts are unchanged Eilis Kennedy is an untapped major vocal talent waiting for the moment to shine. Why? For starters, she has a soft yet lyrical voice, which clearly sails through the albums ten, tracks and is equally at home with traditional and contemporary material. Some of the latter chosen is quite daunting including Sandy Dennys classic Who Knows where the Time Goes, Fairport Conventions Crazy Man Michael and Nic Jones s Canadee -i-o.
In the case of Who Knows where the Time Goes where lesser hands would have made a histrionic meal, Eilis interprets Sandy Dennys wistful allegory to her then lover Trevor Lucas with a quietly impressive authority and Canadee -i-o emerges as a fresh delightful performance. Where Eilis Kennedy scores is in the subtle arrangements framing her sparkling vocal chords and a tasteful choice in material. Time To Sails success is due to taste on all fronts- a gorgeous record no more no less.
Hot Press
Currently on furlough from a teaching career, this fine singer has taken her time in releasing her debut album. It has been quite a while in the planning, but is well worth the wait. An engaging mix of the traditional and comtemporary, it showcases to strong effect a warm voice and also a talent for picking damn good songs. The opening track Nead Na Lachan sets the tone; bouncy and full of movement, it demonstrates an easy relationship to rhythm. The real test of an album such as this
£14.99 -
Hendry, Mullholland, McSherry – Tuned Up
Music in Black & White
This album came about of an inherant love of music and great support from family and friends. We had lots of great nights putting this together and the odd late night drink wasn’t unheard of.
Having grown up immersed in music, and fortunate to be surrounded by people who had a great understanding of it, we set out on a voyage that
would respect this, and also create a style of music that reflected us.
So from the streets of West Belfast, to the hills of Tullyrusk and the lowlands of South Derry, Paul McSherry, Brendan Mulholland and Brendan Hendry say thanks for taking the time and we hope you enjoy our music. Brendan Mulholland / Brendan Hendry / Paul McSherry
Brendan Mulholland / Brendan Hendry / Paul McSherry
‘Fiddle and flute, fiddle and flute, fiddle and flute’ this was the mantra expressed to me time and time again by PJ Crotty, the wonderful flute player from Moyasta in West Clare.
The unifying sound created when these two instruments come together for me is second to none and my album In Good Company made up of duets with 9 different fiddle players is testimony to this.
On this recording Brendan Hendry (fiddle) from Bellaghy Co. Derry and Brendan Mulholland (flute) from Glenavy, Co. Antrim have added more weight
to my theory by producing an album full of great playing, lovely tunes (including 4 of their own) and tasty arrangements with the perfect guitar accompaniment provided by Paul McSherry.
This is one of those rare recordings that just keeps getting better and better with lots of hidden gems lurking beneath the surface. On each listen something new is revealed, resulting in a tightly knit unified performance that allows their individual virtuosity to shine through.
Their playing demonstrates a deep understanding and knowledge of the music’s subtle details and meaning with three musical minds creating something far greater than the sum of the parts. I love the sense of space created within the tunes, letting the music breath and pulse naturally and
effortlessly, carrying the listener along on a musical journey which starts out and ends up at the heart of the tradition.
The expert guitar playing of Paul McSherry from Belfast, Co. Antrim can not be overlooked on this recording, his skilled and sensitive touch combined with his drive and rhythm provides the right grounding upon which the music can flourish ……. and flourish it has. Brendan Hendry and
Brendan Mulholland are making music on a par with that of Matt Molloy and Tommy Peoples. Fred Finn and Peter Horan, Frankie Kennedy and Mairead NiMhaonaigh etc.
I am sure by now you’ll agree with PJ Crotty and myself that this combination of instruments takes some beating!
Repeat after me – “fiddle and flute, fiddle and flute, fiddle and flute”. Kevin Crawford February 2008
Brendan Hendry
from Bellaghy in Co Derry is one of the great fiddle player’s in Ireland today. Brendan a member of the White Hare Band were the first Irish act to be awarded a prestigious Danny Kyle Award at the legendary Celtic Connection’s Festival.
Brendan is a widely respected musician in traditional music and has entertained many audiences and if the conditions are right he will deliver a rendition of many a fine song.
Brenadan Mulholland
lives in Glenavy, Co Antrim and is regarded as one of the finest young flute exponents in Ireland.
Paul McSherry
From Belfast, Co. Antrim, Paul began was self-taught on the guitar from the age of 14. Considered one of the top guitar players in Irish Traditional Music, he has worked and recorded with artists such as Michael McGoldrick, Kevin Crawford, Gerry O’Connor, Cormac Breatnach, John McSherry as well as bands Commonalty, Tamalin and more recently Guidewires.
A gifted player, he continues to be a highly influential and respected guitarist in Irish Traditional Music.
Press Reviews
www.liveireland.com The Livie AWards 2012
Concert of the Year – Brendan Hendry / Brendan Mulholland / Jim Rainey
This trio came in from Northern Ireland for Irish Fest in Milwaukee. As you have read above, Brendan Hendry is this year’s Male Musician of the Year. Next year’s is probably the flute player, Brendan Mulholland. Jim Rainey did a lovely job of accompaniment on guitar. The lads offered a weekend-long tutorial of music and concerts of perfection. We have known for a long time what an incredible musician of soul and substance Brendan Hendry is. Brendan Mulholland on wooden flute came as a stunning surprise of an introduction. Brendan has a new album coming out in 2012 and he is the early favorite for next year’s Musician of the Year. We can tell you that Mulholland equals any flute player in the music today. He is magic. Their albums show masters at the top of their form. This is the way Irish music is supposed to sound and it has never sounded better than in those concerts.
The Living Tradition May/June 09
Now this is something special. A couple of handy Ulster lads on flute and fiddle may not be unusual, but the fierce energy and passion, which pours out of Brendan Mulholland and Brendan Hendry is rare indeed. Add to that their uncanny synchrony, plus their taste for good tunes, and it’s tempting to see Tuned Up as an instant classic.
Certainly this recording is proof enough that the tradition of flute and fiddle duets is alive and well in Derry and Antrim. Listen to the change out of Tatter Jack Walsh, the lead into Mug of Brown Ale. And it’s not just jigs: The Boys of Malin is rattled out in impeccable unison, and the opening Fox on the Town set is pretty spot-on too. There’s a strong Scots influence on the material here, with Gladstone’s Reel maintaining its popularity in Ulster and The High Road to Linton treated as a two-part swagger. Ian “Tonkan” MacDonald’s charming waltz opens a set containing Tania “Duhks” Elizabeth’s slow reel The Dregs of Birch and a spirited rendition of The Road to Taynuilt – a definite highlight. I should also mention the trio of jigs by Brendan Hendry, eccentric and familiar by turns, great old-style tunes.
Some might take issue with the phrase “perfect guitar accompaniment” applied to Irish music, but if you have to have a guitarist you’d be wise to look in County Antrim and you couldn’t get much better than Paul McSherry. His strumming drives the jigs and reels, and his rippling runs and arpeggios provide the ideal backdrop for Gerald Fahy’s air Magh Seola. There’s interesting little bits and pieces going on behind Johnny O’Leary’s Polka, and Paul takes the lead on a silky slow version of The Kilavil Jig. Brendan Mulholland’s composition The Lost Ring follows seamlessly as a flute and guitar duet, and Brendan Hendry finally takes his bow on the Jerry Holland tune Malcolm’s New Fiddle. That’s Jerry with a J, from Boston. Neither Jerry nor anyone else joins the trio here:
Tuned Up is all their own work, and very proud of it they should be too. Alex Monaghan
www.folkradio.co.uk
Tuned Up! A stunning album
These gentlemen are top of their class and this album is up there with the best of them in the Irish Tradition. This is a classic that will breathe new life into Irish traditional music. Fantastic!
It’s not often I start a review by explaining what an album isn’t rather than what it is. In the case of Brendan Hendry (fiddle), Brendan Mulholland (flute) and Paul McSherry (guitar) it seems very appropriate as it is so far removed from what you often hear today. You will find no fancy arrangements although there are of course flourishes, no guest stars (you don’t need them to sell this album) and no percussion (the guitar and rythm of flute and fiddle more than makes up for that). This is pure traditional Irish music: fiddle, flute and guitar.
The album I am referring to is ‘Tuned Up’; it has a sincerity and well rooted respect for Irish traditional music which comes across throughout the album. In this day and age making an album so unvarnished is often seen as a daring move. This may sound strange but a lot of music is underpinned by big production values and attempts to do things differently. The result is often over use of fancy play, many instruments competing for attention and a raft of guest stars with a big budget on tow. It was refreshing to hear this album it makes you realise how great a good traditional act can sound where their playing is sincerely based on an inherent love of traditional music.
The fiddle and flute combine to create a beautiful sound that, with the accompaniment of Paul McSherry on guitar, make every track on this album a virtuoso performance. They work so closely together with the flute and fiddle matching note for note in places followed by subtle interplay and flourishes. There is a bond between these musicians that you will struggle to hear in others. That bond has allowed them to master a fine traditional art of play. Their instruments don’t shout for attention and they play incredibly well. Forget your spotlight solos, this is clever musicianship that sounds effortless and is as natural as can be.
SONGLINES Apr/May 09
Making the fiendishly difficult sound easy peasy ****
Simplicity is the watchword for this accomplished first album from the combined talents of fiddler Brendan Hendry, Brendan Mulholland on flute and guitarist Paul McSherry. Bringing a fresh, heartfelt and occasionally feisty musicality to bear on an effortlessly engaging collection of traditional and new material, the trio adopts a back-to-basics approach that emphasises substance over surface gloss.
The White Hare Band frontman Hendry acquits himself with a direct and understated dexterity that summons up flattering memories of Sligo legend MichaeI Coleman. Home to the no-less-deft Mulholland is the village of Glenavy in Antrim, a county with a teeming but hidden heritage of traditional music, while the West Belfast-born and self taught McSherry is part of one of the most respected musical families.
The well-chosen blend of fast and slow reels and jigs, subtly peppered with contrasting waltzes, polkas, hornpipes and airs, is executed with enviable ease, the playing unfailingly alive and alert. Immediately apparent is the straight forward, unornamented honesty of the playing and the vividly reciprocal sense ensemble.
Where Mulholland carries himself with the skilful delicacy of Paddy Carty and the poetic brio of Matt Molloy.
Hendry is simply one of the finest and most nuanced fiddle players in Ireland today. The much-in-demand McSherry offers supple and sensitive support throughout.
All in all, an impressive first outing for a fine partnership that leaves you eager to hear more. Michael Quinn
Froots
“This is an album so damned good that its essence should be bottled and force-fed to all Irish infants”. Geoff Wallis
FolkWorld Alex Monaghan’s Best Loved Albums of 008
Now this is something special. A couple of handy Ulster lads on flute and fiddle may not be unusual, but the fierce energy and passion which pours out of Brendan Mulholland and Brendan Hendry is rare indeed. Add to that their uncanny synchrony, plus their taste for good tunes, and it’s tempting to see Tuned Up as an instant classic. Certainly this recording is proof enough that the tradition of flute and fiddle duets is alive and well in Derry and Antrim. Listen to the change out of Tatter Jack Walsh, the lead into Mug of Brown Ale. And it’s not just jigs: The Boys of Malin is rattled out in impeccable unison, and the opening Fox on the Town set is pretty spot-on too. There’s a strong Scots influence on the material here, with Gladstone’s Reel maintaining its popularity in Ulster and The High Road to Linton treated as a two-part swagger. Ian “Tonkan” MacDonald’s charming waltz opens a set containing Tania “Duhks” Elizabeth’s slow reel The Dregs of Birch and a spirited rendition of The Road to Taynuilt – a definite highlight. I should also mention the trio of jigs by Brendan Hendry, eccentric and familiar by turns, great old-style tunes.
Some might take issue with the phrase “perfect guitar accompaniment” applied to Irish music, but if you have to have a guitarist you’d be wise to look in County Antrim and you couldn’t get much better than Paul McSherry. His strumming drives the jigs and reels, and his rippling runs and arpeggios provide the ideal backdrop for Gerald Fahy’s air Magh Seola. There’s interesting little bits and pieces going on behind Johnny O’Leary’s Polka, and Paul takes the lead on a silky slow version of The Kilavil Jig. Brendan Mulholland’s composition The Lost Ring follows seamlessly as a flute and guitar duet, and Brendan Hendry finally takes his bow on the Jerry Holland tune Malcolm’s New Fiddle. That’s Jerry with a J, from Boston. Neither Jerry nor anyone else joins the trio here: Tuned Up is all their own work, and very proud of it they should be too.
Alex Monaghan
www.liveireland.com
THE LIVIES 2009
Instrumental Album of the Year: Tuned Up: Hendry, Mulholland, McSherry
Brendan Hendry, Brendan Mulholland and Paul McSherry are from Derry and Antrim, and have produced the virtually perfect traditional, instrumental album. Master musicians all. We have played the first cut on the album about 125 times. It is a set of three reels, Fox in the Town/In the Tap Room/The Belfast Traveller. Hendry is on fiddle, Mulholland on flute and McSherry on guitar. This is straight ahead, no frills, no gimmick trad played by wonderful musicians. This is what it is all about. Or should be. Incredible. Again, when dealing with this level of musicianship, words fail us. Get up, ‘ya boyos!! Bill Margeson
Taplas
THIS album is well ensconced in the field of the neo-traditional.The melodies, played on flute and fiddle, and sometimes guitar, are unadulterated trad Irish through and through. The guitar accompaniment has a slightly more modern twist, but nothing particularly out of the ordinary.
The style of the fiddle and flute playing leans more towards emotion and precision and further away from the more rhythmically diverse and bouncier playing of many of their contemporaries.They’re not in your face.The music of the Brendans has, therefore, married in well with the driving and diverse playing of Paul McSherry.
It’s quite an interesting album: lots of interesting little musical titbits popping up. There’s a fair bit of overdubbing, intros, interludes, harmonies, changes of pace etc. The solo guitar melodies and sparser tracks highlighting one or two players contrast with the other more full-bodied pieces. Imogen O’Rourke
Folking.Com
The more music I listen to, the more I am convinced that where music is concerned, three is a magic number — a trio of musicians always seem to achieve a certain balance. With Tuned Up there is balance in abundance, in fact there is plenty in abundance here: pace, poise and elegance immediately spring to mind. This is an album of the most beautifully pure music. There is no unnecessarily fussy production, no wanton rhythm section muscling in on the action, just the gorgeously intoxicating sound of guitar, flute and fiddle working together in heavenly harmony.
In this case the trio consists of two Antrim men, Brendan Mulholland on flute and Paul McSherry on guitar, alongside Derry’s Brendan Hendry on fiddle. Comprising mainly jigs and reels — with a polka, waltz, hornpipe and slow air thrown in for good measure — Tuned Up provides ten sets of tunes that demonstrate relentlessly excellent musicianship, taking the listener from one exhilarating high point to another, with a masterfully engaging immediacy.
A set of reels gets things off to a lively start as the guys come racing off the starting line. McSherry’s pacey guitar lends a fierce and fiery rhythm as the duelling fiddle and flute of Hendry and Mulholland entwine in an inseparable embrace. The trio’s versatility shines through on “The Killavil” with McSherry employing a more measured, intricate guitar technique, alongside the wallowing flute of Mulholland and Hendry’s reticent fiddle, before the set turns to some more up-tempo jigs, allowing all the musicians to once again stretch their legs.
This isn’t music that you can listen to in a detached manner. This is music with a passion that carries you along for the ride. It’s not really like listening to an album, it’s more like sitting in on a seamlessly flowing session. It’s almost a surprise when you look up after the end of the album to find there are no musicians alongside you, no crowd egging them on to further fast and furious delights.Tuned Up is a refreshing blast of an album that basks in uncompromising candour, and is certain not to disappoint. Mike Wilson
The Irish World
NORTHERN TREATMENT
Three Northern musicians cook up a real treat…
Tuned Up’ (Copperplate) sees three fine musicians from the North of Ireland join forces to create a fine classic fiddle and flute album. They are great West Belfast guitar player Paul McSherry, brilliant young flute player Brendan Mulholland from Glenavy, Co Antrim and the wonderful fiddler Brendan Hendry from Belaghy in Derrv.
The music speaks for itself here – there’s no showing off with arrangement, no huge names or unusual instruments – just traditional music with the instruments in duet, flute and fiddle
that form its very foundation. McSherry, one of the most in demand guitarists on the traditional scene, provides unobtrusive support like a true pro.
These three musicians have come up with an album whose beauty lies in its simplicitv. With a mix of self-penned and traditional numbers, it not only pays its respects to tradition,
but is full of flair and a love of Irish music. And with each polka, jig and reel, rarely have three musicians sounded like they were singing to such a degree from the same hymn sheet.
Shelley Marsden
LiveIreland.com
There are 10 cuts on this album, and it is an early qualifier for Instrumental Album of the Year. Derry musicians Mulholland on flute, Hendry on fiddle and McSherry on guitar have produced the virtually perfect instrumental album. These lads can play! No fuss. No frills. No production gimmicks. Just straight ahead trad played perfectly. There is always, always more than
enough room for musicians of this caliber using this approach. Welcome, lads! You have played a blinder! Fab! Rating: Four Harps Bill Margeson
The Irish Post
Ulster musicians release CD
A TRIO of traditional Irish musicians from Ulster have released their fantastic new album. Tuned Up is the new record from Brendan Hendry, Brendan Mulholland and Paul McSherry.
There are no flashy arrangements, no exotic instruments, no guest stars, no percussion, no Celtic misty washes – just good honest Irish traditional music played by masters of the art.
Brendan Hendry hails from Bellaghy in Co. Derry. Over the years he has played on many stages and is one of the great fiddle players in Ireland today.
Brendan Mulholland lives in Glenavy, Co. Antrim and is regarded as one of the finest young flute exponents in Ireland.
Paul McSherry was a founder member of the family group Tamalin. From there he moved on to work with At First Light and Lunasa among others. He is one of the most sought after guitarists in Irish traditional music.
This trio of brilliant musicians has produced an album that respects the tradition and also produces music from the bottom of their hearts, full of flair, colour and soul.
The Clare People Newspaper
When you put three of the best musicians in the country together on three of the most popular instruments in Irish music you are bound to hear something that will blow you away.
Their playing demonstrates a real sound of effection towards their music and this is shown with great taste in the selction of tunes and versions they play.
The album starts with a great set of reels played so tight that you would think its one instrument at times. The second track straight away throws you in a different direction with just
flute and fiddle.
My favourite track has to be the third. It starts with a great slow groove from the guitar into the Killavel jig, followed by one of the nicest tunes I have heard written by Mullholland entgitled ‘The lost ring’ and finishes powerfully with ‘Malcolms new fiddle’.
There are so many great tunes on this recording but some that stand out are ‘Magh Seola’ written by Ger Fahy and ‘The Bar Mouth’ written by Brendan Hendry.
Overall a top class album with great production and thought gone into it. Padraig Rynne 9/10
FOLKWORDS
A new CD from Copperplate Distribution arrived a few days ago. Called ‘Tuned Up’ from Brendan Hendry, Brendan Mulholland and Paul McSherry, it’s a reflection of three men and their collective love of the music of Ireland. Although the names may sound like a firm of solicitors, Hendry, Mulholland and McSherry are musicians – and damn fine musicians too, ranked among the best in timeless Irish traditional music.
If you consider the classic combination of fiddle and flute to be the essence of Irish music then ‘Tuned Up’ is for you. If adding supremely sensitive guitar rounds out your mood, then you’re in for a treat.
The two Brendans – Hendry and Mulholland, play fiddle and flute respectively, while Paul McSherry plays guitar. With ‘Tuned Up’ these three have created a simple unadorned album that works on so many levels. Straight out the box it’s a lovingly crafted selection of tunes – traditional, self-penned and borrowed. On subsequent listens it grows into a musical book with new, half-remembered and untold tales woven into its fabric. The more you listen the more you hear. And they’ve included some of my favourites: ‘High Road to Linton/ The Humours of Newcastle’ plus ‘Johnny O’Leary’/ Boys of Malin’.
There’s a well-worn expression about musicians being so tight you can’t force a cigarette paper between them — well these guys are so tight they must be joined at the hip. Brendan Hendry is rightfully recognised among the great and good of Irish fiddlers – easy to see why. Brendan Mulholland makes the flute his own instrument, so much so that few can match him. Too often when bands use guitar or bouzouki with fiddle and flute, it’s with the finesse of a road drill. Not so here, Paul McSherry wraps his style around the fiddle and flute with the balance of a true master.
These great musicians touch the beating heart of their music and clearly soak up its changing moods with the air they breathe. Released on 27 October, ‘Tuned Up’ should be in your
collection.- No doubt. Tim Carroll
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Kathleen Loughnane – Harp to Heart
Press Reviews
Hot Press KATHLEEN LOUGHNANE HARP TO HEART
Acclaimed both as a solo player and for her work with the group Dordon, harpist Kathleen Loughnane has already made two fine solo albums. Affairs Of The Harp and Harping On.
Like its predecessors, Harp To Heart was co-produced by Loughnane with De Dannan’s Alee Finn. The arrangements are kept nicely varied, with Loughnane’s deft, precise playing always to the fore, as is only right.
A high point is her adaptation of the Allegro from Corelli’s Sonata XI, originally written for violin and harpsichord. Performed here on flute, whistle and harp, it loses none of its baroque elegance in the translation. EIGHTPOINT FIVE/TEN
Irish Music Magazine Dec 05
Many people will know Kathleen Loughnane from the all-woman group, Dordan, which she co-founded in 1990. Kathleen Loughnane is from Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, and began playing the harp at an early age and has been based in Galway since 1982.
She has a particular interest in arranging traditional Irish dance tunes and airs for the harp and researching the music of the Irish harper composers of the 17th and 18th centuries. Her arrangements for harp have appeared in several publications.
Her new CD “Harp to Heart” is her third album and features harping tunes from Edward Bunting’s collecting work in 1792 and tunes from the aural tradition. Kathleen says: “In the former case, I have tried to imagine how they might have been played had the tradition remained unbroken.” And isn’t that what we all wonder? How the harp music of the distinctive Irish harping tradition might have sounded two hundred years ago before it died out in the early decades of the 19th century. But however they might have sounded, and they were noted for their skill and dexterity, Kathleen’s playing is wonderfully fluid and full of ‘elegant musicality’, a phrase I once 1 heard an old man use to describe a musician’s performance.
Kathleen is not alone on this CD; with her are friends, Alec Finn (bouzouki, guitar, tenor guitar), Cormac Cannon,(uilleann pipes, whistles), and Martin Hughes (flute). Their ensemble playing is very pleasing and perhaps could be said to be evocative of the ‘big house’ gathering of musicians described by people like the Tyrone harper, Arthur O’Neill(1734-1818) in his memoirs. Paul Mulligan of Mount Scribe Studio, Kinvara, Co. Galway, is to be commended for his sound engineering and mixing skills; there is a delightful and satisfying clarity everywhere, not least in the balance he gets from the solo harp playing.
There are detailed notes accompanying this CD and they are full of useful and fascinating information. Take track 1, for instance, where Kathleen tells us that the tune,”The Two William Davises”, is heard both in Ireland and Scotland. “As an O’Carolan tune,” she says, “this is known as ‘Planxty Davis’, but it would seem that it was composed by his predecessor, Thomas Connellan, from County Sligo, Ireland.” And she adds that in Scotland, where Connellan spent some years, it is known as “The Battle of Killecrankie”. There are several other Carolan pieces,and with a musical nod of deference to the great man, there is even one tune called “Planxty Finn” which Kathleen wrote for what she says was Alec Finn’s “?th birthday”! Aidan O’Hara
“In 1792, Edward Bunting, then a young assistant organist at St. Anne’s Church, Belfast, noted down the music of the harpers attending the Belfast Harp Festival. These musicians represented a distinctive Irish harping tradition dating back at least to the 12th century. When, this tradition of harping died out in the early decades of the 19th century, Bunting’s collection remained as an invaluable record.
Continuity within the instrumental tradition as a whole would have resulted in the sharing of tunes and similarities in the manner of their interpretation. With the demise of the harping tradition, some of the tunes lived on in the repertoire of the uilleann pipes and fiddle, to be ‘minded’, to be developed and re-shaped.
But many lovely harping tunes remained on the page, the details of their nuancing and interpretation fading from memory.
On this CD I have included harping tunes both from Bunting’s collection and from the aural tradition. In the former case, I have tried to imagine how they might have been played had the tradition remained unbroken”. Kathleen Loughnane.
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Kevin Glackin, Ronan Browne, Sean Tyrrell – And so the story goes
and so the story goes…
Inspirational Traditional Trio Tour Ireland
A new album and a national tour, scheduled for this May & June, 2011, will harvest the talents of three of the most highly respected musicians within the Irish traditional/folk scene.
Sean Tyrrell, renowned for his unique singer/ songwriter talents, legendary fiddle player Kevin Glackin and creative uilleann piper Ronan Browne will fuse their talents on stage, for what promises to be an inspiring tour. Gigs have been scheduled across Ireland, from Dublin to Clifden and from Monaghan to An Daingean.
Sean, Kevin and Ronan have been playing together socially and for tours and shows since the 1980s but are only now (after major hounding by their fans) releasing a CD of songs and tunes. The CD is nicely balanced between gentle and wild music, without suffering from
that dreadful modern ailment of over-production; just warm, friendly music and singing. The tracks are rounded out beautifully by the delicately responsive accompaniment of three fine musicians.
Commenting on the forthcoming tour, Sean Tyrrell said, “Although the three of us are old hands in the business, we are very much looking forward to this tour. We respect one another’s talents and know that, as always, we will each benefit from this collaboration. We are also confident that our audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy an honest performance.”
Full tour details available at www.tyrrellglackinbrowne. com
Press Reviews
R2 Magazine
Irish musicians Sean Tyrrell, Kevin Glackin and Ronan Browne, each well respected in their own right, are also longstanding friends who’ve played together socially since the 1980s. And So The Story Goes is a collection of their favourite songs and traditional tunes
Glackin and Browne are at their best on Micho Russell’s Jigs’, which are actually from Sliabh Luachra rather than from the playing of the late Micho’. Their logic for the naming of this set perhaps sumes up the sentiment of the CD. “No idea what happened, but why change our ways at this late stage!” However the story goes, the fiddle and pipes meld into one in a way that is only achieved through years of playing together.
Tyrrell’s songs are unusual yet charming. Dan O’Hara was made famous by Ronan Browne’s grandmother, Delia Murphy, tells of th eimpact of the 1846-47 famine on the life of a Connemara farmer.
The recording makes you feel you’ve been invited to sit in on a live kitchen session, rather than it being a studio piece. As the lads put it. And So The Story Goes,..is warm, friendly music and song”.
Keith Whiddon
The Irish World 7.7.11
And So The Story Goes is the new album by Sean Tyrrell, Kevin Glackin and Ronan Browne, harvesting the talents of these three greats of the traditional music scene. As you can imagine, the result is pretty good.
Relaxed and honest, each track on this long-awaited album exudes a natural ease which can only be earned between musicians who go back a long way and have seen out more than a few lively sessions together.
Tyrrell, renowned as a singer-songwriter, legendary fiddler Kevin Glackin and unique uilleann piper Ronan Browne fuse their skills both on this album and on stage, as the three have just finished a set of acclaimed dates across Ireland.
As old friends, Sean, Kevin and Ronan have been hooking up to play a few tunes together as well as shows and concerts since the 1980s, but only now (after a serious amount of pressure from fans!) have they released a CD together.
And So The Story Goes balances both the gentle and the wild elements of their musk, warm, friendly and not at all overproduced; letting the talents of each of these three brilliant musicians reign supreme.
Unusual song choices and a deep-rooted vivacity underpinning each offering make for a truly excellent listen.
Sean Tyrrell said of the trio getting back on the road together – also very fitting with regards to the album: “Although the three of us are old hands in the business, we are very much looking forward to this tour.
“We respect one another’s talents and know that, as always, we will each benefit from this collaboration. “We are also confident that our audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy an honest performance.”
For more on the band and live dates, see www.tyrrellglackinbrowne.com.
The Irish Post 19.6.11
Although great friends this is the first time Sean Tyrrell, Kevin Glacken and Ronan Browne have actually recorded an album of their own.
They have, however, been performing together in various combinations on and off for about 30 years. I have always liked Sean Tyrrell’s voice and choice of material and the Galway man’s vocals and mandocello combined with the fiddle and pipes of Dublin men Glackin and Browne works perfectly.
When you add in touches by guests Fergus Feely on mandola, Jimmy Fitzgerald on guitar and Paul O’Driscoll on double bass the overall sound is one of taste and style where nothing is overdone or intrusive. They combine brilliantly to get the best out of each other and you get the impression that they are playing to their individual and collective strengths.
It is a lovely album and I was delighted to see that Sean included Dan O’Hara on the CD. This sad song of forced emigration in the aftermath of the famine has always been a favourite of mine and he does a lovely job on it. Putting WB Yeats’ poem Cap and Bells to music was a brilliant idea with a jig added in for good measure. Joe Giltrap.
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Lorcan MacMathuna – Rogaire Dubh
Personal Details of Lorcán Mac Mathúna
I have been singing sean-nós songs for the past ten years over which time I have regularly competed in and attended festivals throughout the country. I am on the organising committee of sean-nós cois life, an annual festival in Dublin which promotes this type of singing.
I have collected a repertoire of sean-nós songs through listening to the exponents (past and Present) of Gaeltacht areas from around the country. I am not biased toward any particular style or local repertoire of singing or songs. My repertoire comes from Connemara, and the three Gaeltachts of Munster. I like to think that I have my own approach to all of the songs I have collected and my rendition of sean-nós is customised to my interpretation of the empathy between the lyrics and mood of the music.
Like all sean-nós exponents I have built a relationship with the songs I sing my style of presentation reflects the story in the cadence of the music and phraseology. Songs which exhibit the potential for this include: Cath Chéim an Fhia, Tuireamh Mhic Fhinghin Duibh, An Clár Bog Déal, An Scailpín Draighean, Johnny Seoighe, Na Táilliúirí. The list could include many more.
Collaborating musicians
Caoimhín Ó Raghaille
Caoimhín has been described as an eclectic musician. He has a love of and very intuitive appreciation of sean-nós and identifies the patterns of the music with great sensitivity. He has already recorded a solo album and another in conjunction with Mick O’Brien entitled Kitty Lie Over.
Mick O Brien
Mick O’Brien is a name recognised in Irish music circles as one of the finest pipers of his generation. His albums include “Kitty Lie Over”, and ” May Morning Dew
Jane Hughes: Jane is a professional musician who works with the RTE symphony orchestra. She has been playing professionally for over ten years.
Helen Lyons: Helen is a young harper with a background in classical and traditional music. A fine exponent of the instrument.
Conor Lyons: Conor plays the bodhrán. He has played on tours with Comhaltas and with various bands as far a field as Lorient.
The CD: Introduction
The concept of the CD “Rógaire Dubh” has been in my head for many years but I never had the opportunity to explore its potential. However, an opportunity arose recently for me to work with two very good musicians (Caoimhín O Raghaille -traditional, on fiddle and whistle, and Jane Hughes -classical, on cello) who were flexible enough to try something completely new.
The opportunity arose because of a recital we did in Bantry this St. Patrick’s Day which was a sort of cross pollination of sean-nós singing and traditional and classical music.
It was my intention to work with musicians with both classical and traditional styles to present some, or, most of these songs with a backing that is compatible with the songs. Songs such as:
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