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Oisin & Conol Hernon – Up and Coming
Up and Coming – O Ghluin go Gluin is a new album of traditional music from Oisin and Conal Hernon, released on the Clo lar-Chonnachta label.
Brothers Oisin and Conal Hernon are two young musicians from the Aran Islands who, although just sixteen and thirteen years of age respectively, display the musical ability and skills of musicians twice their age. They began playing music when they were very young, both starting out on tin whistle, with Oisin moving to button-accordion at the tender age of six and Conal taking up banjo at the age of nine. It wasn’t long before they began playing in competitions and they have amassed a long list of prizes over the years, including All-Ireland titles on button-accordion and banjo. They have performed music on many stages, with one of the highlights being a performance for visiting EU ministers and dignitaries during Ireland’s hosting of the EU Presidency in 2004. The brothers’ musical talents come as little surprise because their mother, Marion, is also an accomplished musician who has won the All-Ireland title for button-accordion, as well as prizes for singing in English and Irish. Her own parents are also musical – her mother is from Milltown Malbay in west Clare, a town renowned for traditional music, and her father is an accomplished box player who toured Ireland with his band, The Inky Craven Dance Band. This exceptional family can boast seventeen All-Ireland titles between them, spread over three generations, and all three generations can be heard playing on Up and Coming – O Ghluin go Gluin.
The tunes on the album include two of Conal’s own compositions – ‘The Renmore Jig’, named after the place where his grandparents live, and ‘Philomena’s Fancy’, named after his grandmother as well as a song by Marion, ‘Sean-Phadraic’. The brothers turn their music skills to a different genre of music for the final track, an instrumental version of ‘The Way I Are’ by Timbaland!
Oisin and Conal will be performing in Aistear Ceilteach – Celtic Passage, a traditional music and dance show on Inis Mor, throughout the summer.
Press Reviews
wwwLiveIreland.com
Oisin and Conal are 16 and 13, respectively, as of the time of this recording. Oisin is on the button box, Conal on the banjo. Of course, it goes without saying they come from an incredibly talented musical family. The immediate family, including the brothers, has 17 All-Ireland titles to its credit. To hear two musicians this good, this mature and this young can get depressing. Stunning. Stunning. This much talent and their whole lives ahead of them. Who wins? All of us! Especially us. We get to hear them for years, God willing. Get up,’ya boyos! It is on Clo-iar-Chonnacta. Is this label capable of producing anything less than perfection from each of its artists? Rating: Four Harps Bill Margeson
£14.99 -
Oisin MacDiarmada – On the fiddle (ar an bhfidil)
Press Reviews
Irish Music Review
One of the brightest young stars in the panoply of Ireland traditional music, this is fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada’s third album, though the first to bear just his own name. First came, in 2000, the sparkling Traditional Music on Fiddle, Banjo & Harp, recorded with banjo player Brian Fitzgerald and harper Micheál Ó Ruanaigh, followed earlier this year by Oisín’s band Téada’s self-titled debut album, also on Ceol Records. However, Ar an bhFidil (‘On the fiddle’) tops the lot, fully confirming Mac Diarmada’s position as a wonderfully adept and evocative musician.
Oisín’s early years were spent in County Clare where he learnt his first music before the family moved to South Sligo where he took lessons from the notable fiddle teacher, Paddy Ryan. Now noted as a music tutor in his own right, and still only in his early twenties, Oisín’s playing on Ar an bhFidil creates a relaxed confection of the music of Sligo and Clare, topped with the delicacies of an astounding technique given full expression by the sheer imagination of his tune settings. His playing of the slow air Bean a ‘leanna, associated with the late Connemara singer Joe Heaney, simmers with an unrequited passion. Jigs and reels are threaded with an innate merriment and, above all, Oisín has the power to invest very familiar tunes, such as The Lark in the Morning with new life fashioned by the pure merriment in his playing. Thoroughly enjoyable throughout, this is unquestionably an album that merits repeated listening.
The Living Tradition Dec/ Jan 2004
This is really good fiddle playing by a 24 year old who’s got more talent than many older fiddlers. Moving from Clare to Sligo as a lad must have done something for him because he has a mixture of both styles as well as his own personality stamped on his playing.
He wrote his own concise but thorough sleeve notes giving due credit to the players he got the tunes from and they show the wide range of the players who influenced him, Coleman, James Morrison, John McKenna, and Ennis (of course).
He seems to be able to change style as easily as changing key, from the old Clare style of the first track, to the 1920s James Morrison/ Michael Coleman tracks on The Tap Room/The Kerryman’s Daughter, via John McKenna, Josie McDermott, Denis Murphy and Ed Reavy. Yet throughout, he puts his own style of playing on every tune. In some ways, his ability to do this is reminiscent of Frankie Gavin in one of his mischievous moods.
There’s a good mix of tunes, mostly well known but with rarities like a Seamus Ennis version of The Lark in the Morning that’s not often played now. Reels predominate, of course, but ther are single and double jigs, hornpipes, and Leitrim style polkas too. A big surprise is The Strayaway Child, composed by Maggie Barry (who’s become known as Margaret lately), that Michael German used to play But the big one for me is The Morning Thrush, composed by Seamus Ennis’s father James. I’ve never heard anyone else but Ennis play this, and Mac Diarmada makes a great fist of it. It’s a great pipe tune that deserves more playing.
My old friend Paddy Ryan wrote the introduction to the CD and says at the end that he can highly recommend it. I sometimes disagreed with Paddy in the past, but not this time. This is great music, well played by a fine young fiddler. I look forward to his next release. Mick Furey
Irish Music Magazine April 2003
Of late, there seems to have been a trend among traditional musicians of a younger generation to move from fiery blistering pyrotechnics to more mellower and laid back means of musical expression. By that, I mean players are engaging themselves with the details of the music and it’s manifold subtleties rather than kick stepping their ways to oblivion. Martin Hayes is one such example and on this showing, Oisin MacDiarmada is another.
Oisin MacDiarmada’s debut solo album, Ar an bhFidil typifies this laid back approach. MacDiarmada’s fiddle playing is rooted in the Sligo style. While the frantic wildness of a Michael Coleman is evident on, The Tap Room, he is no idle speed merchant. He favours the low-fi approach with the music speaking for itself; the result is a warm natural sounding album.
Ar an bhFidil revels in the small dry sounds so beloved of Television’s, Tom Verlaine on their seminal Marquee Moon album. This is low-key traditional music, yet rich in character, subtlety, and individual strength. The 17 tracks on show augurs well for the purse strings along with a plentiful supply of notes for each track detailing source musicians and other details. We aren’t talking encyclopedia type documentation, but enough for the casual reader to get the gist of what’s going on, and yet nail the vital facts down.
The accompaniments are also sparse with a minimum on one extra instrument whether, it’s piano, flute, second fiddle or bouzouki – the balance between featured protagonist and guests is just right. Add to that, a concise production from Harry Bradshaw and this becomes one well thought and enacted affair. Ar an bhFidil is a work of discernment and quality, check it out. John O’Regan.
Claddagh
A very pleasing trait of some current young musicians is that quite a few of them are happy to play in the way their antecedents played; one thinks immediatly of the Kane sisters, Harry Bradley, Martin Hayes. Oisin MacDiarmada is another such. He has the lonesome touch, and quite a few of the tracks are totaly unaccompanied. Where accompaniment is used, it is not as an offensive weapon, and throughout. he proves that he is not just a very fine fiddler, but a young man with an understanding of exactly what the music means. Yet another very worthwhile release in a year that has provided us with many great recordings.
Hot Press November 6th 2002
This debut solo CD by 24-year-old Sligo fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada opens with a superbly confident set of tunes played without accompaniment, full of lovely raw scraping double-stops and rolls. Elsewhere on the album, Séamus Quinn contributes a bouncy piano to a few tracks, a set of reels played by Mac Diarmada on the whistle has bodhrán backing from Tristan Rosenstock, and several others feature bouzouki or guitar accompaniment; there are also a couple of fine duets with fellow fiddler John Carty. Mostly, though, it does exactly what it says on the tin – pure traditional fiddling, raw and unadorned, and all the better for it. The album was produced by RTÉ’s Harry Bradshaw, who’s done a beautiful job at keeping the sound natural and letting the tunes take centre stage. Sarah McQuaid. Nine out of Ten.
The Irish Times (Irish Newspaper) September 26th 2002
Fiddle music for folks who like their trad infusion unadulterated. Oisín Mac Diarmada, Sligo fiddler and member of young turks téada, is already on his second solo run, and how his pace has slowed – but admirably so. Ar An bhFidil is exactly what is says on the tin: a stripped down sally (back and) forth through the Sligo tradition. Duelling and duetting with fellow fiddler John Carty on the set of Michael Coleman jigs, Jackson’s Morning Brush/The Rambling Pitchfork, Mac Diarmada’s playing is feisty and earthy at the same time. Not afraid to let the fiddle’s hoarseness seep through, this is a player who cajoles his instrument through nooks and crannies in the tradition that lesser players would avoid. Lonesome magnificence.
Siobhán Long**** (4 stars)
The Irish Examiner (Irish Newspaper).September 26th 2002
In traditional music, as in other forms, solo albums are rarely what they claim to be. At a minimum, musicians like to use the safety net of an accompanist. Other players are added, sometimes in a perfectly valid attempt to recreate some fondly remembered session. When the process is taken to extremes, the leading player is often relegated to the background. In his new album, Ar an bhFidil, Oisín Mac Diarmada sets a brave course.
This is a solo fiddle album and, on many tracks, solo fiddle is exactly what we get. When he moves beyond the strictly solo format, it is in the company of another melody player – John Carty on fiddle and Damien Stenson on flute. Or in tandem with a single accompanist – Séamus Quinn on piano, Seán McElwain on bouzouki, Tristan Rosenstock on bodhrán and John Blake on guitar all take turns. Mary Brennan’s Favourite kicks off, slow and steady. The pace picks up for The White Leaf, but the velocity remains on the leisurely side. John Carty joins for the jigs, Jackson’s Morning Brush/The Rambling Pitchfork, and the hornpipe/schottische Peter Wyper’s/The Killarney Wonder. The two players meld wonderfully. Mac Diarmada shows another part of his musical personality in switching to whistle for the reels The Flannel Jacket/The Maid That Dare Not Tell. The Cisco Hornpipe and Walsh’s Hornpipe are taken at a strolling pace, which allows both the music and the musician room to breathe. The Morning Thrush – written by Séamus Ennis’ father James – is a beautifully clear and expressive slow reel. A jokey piano line introduces The Tap Room, pushing forward to the point of interference. In contrast, the bouzouki background on The Rainy Day is unobtrusive.
Ar an bhFidil is warm, rich music that combines a high level of technical skill with a sense of humour. Pat Ahern
Pay The Reckoning Web Site
Pay The Reckoning was captivated by Teada’s recent offering and so we were excited to hear rumours that Oisin MacDiarmada, the band’s fiddler, was in the process of putting together a solo recording. Well, folks, the patient wait is at an end and the results of MacDiarmada’s time in the studio have surpassed our high expectations.
MacDiarmada proves himself yet again to be one of the most sensitive and soulful fiddlers around. The album’s design, simple and straightforward, reflects his own approach to his craft. MacDiarmada isn’t a man for pyrotechnics, he doesn’t batter a tune into submission and then bends it to his will. His is a more subtle approach; he gives the tune room to develop in a seemingly organic way, so that his ornamentation and embellishments seem natural, unforced.
However, as any musician will tell you, such apparently natural ease with a tune is the product of two elements – natural talent and hard work. MacDiarmada has no end of the former and has no fear of the latter. The result is pure magic!
MacDiarmada’s knowledge of, and captivation by, the music of the 20s and the 30s (the “golden age” of Irish music, as some have dubbed the period) is worn proudly on his sleeve as he gives us versions of a number of tunes and sets on the album which were recorded by such legends as Coleman, Morrison, John McKenna, Patsy Tuohey and Paddy Killoran. However, you mustn’t get the impression that MacDiarmada’s an academic. His interest isn’t so much in the history of the tunes as their timelessness and his playing of the tunes represents a reawakeneing rather than a resurrection.
There are moments of savage, soulful (there goes that word again) perfection on this album. His playing of “The White Leaf” – a version of the more widely known “Mason’s Apron” – is so elementally powerful a sound as to cause the listener to wonder how one tune can express at the same time such extremes of joy and melancholy.
On the polka set “The Merry Girl/Charlie O’Neill’s”, MacDiarmda lays claim to Sligo/Leitrim influences. But to our ears, the latter tune in particular sounded as if it was being played by the ghost of the long-dead John Doherty (and we know of no higher compliment), so refined was the blend of dazzling technique and sheer emotion.
The reel set “The Flannel Jacket/The Maid That Dare Not Tell” is of interest in that MacDiarmada shows us another aspect of his musical ability as he gives both tunes an airing on the whistle. Accompanied by Tristan Rosenstock on inventive, yet rock-solid bodhran, the “spare” feel of the track conjures up an atmosphere which a more busy production could never capture.
And so, throughout the album, MacDiarmada, along with various musical sparring partners (Seamus Quinn on piano, John Carty on fiddle, Damien Stenson on flute, with guest cameos by fellow Teada members Sean McElwain on bouzouki, John Blake on guitar and Trisan Rosenstock on bodhran), lays out his stall of mighty talent, a great ear for a tune and a great feel for capturing mood.
However, even amid all the excellent music which MacDiarmada provides, his solo version of “The Strayaway Child” stands out as a defining moment of the album. Played to great effect by Kevin Burke in his Bothy Band days, MacDiarmada nevertheless manages to inject the tune with so much of his own feeling that it’s difficult to imagine it ever having been played by anyone before and almost impossible to imagine anyone else ever doing the tune justice.
A massive album. Honest, passionate and quietly defiant. You’d do well to visit http://go.to/copperplate and get yourself a copy. And while you’re at it, grab hold of a copy of Teada’s debut!
Live Reviews
Teada Live Review
The Herald (Scottish Newspaper) April 25th 2003
The name, like k d lang’s, is determinedly lower case. It’s pronounced “tay-day”. It’s Irish for “strings”, and it might be advisable to get used to it because there was a feeling of portent as pronounced as a poteen hangover about this gig. The band are young – how young you can guess by the news of teada’s bodhran player’s absence due to exams – and maybe it was the novelty of having an accordionist make up the quartet, but loathers of football clichés look away because I’m going to use one: this was a game of two halves – bloody good and bleedin’ marvellous. The first established the group’s liking for variety of metre and arrangement, pairing off for fiddle and flute duets, and employing numerous other instrumental permutations, from solo to quartet. It also confirmed that, in Oisin Mac Diarmada, teada have a fiddler of quite starting old-head-on-young-shoulders ability. You could hear centuries of tradition and doubtless long hours of dedication in his sweet and graceful melodiousness. If at times, then, his colleagues seemed to be playing catch-up, later they were right on the pace, adding richness and precision on banjo, bouzouki, box, and flute. Flautist John Blake, English-accented but Galway-based, takes stick for his origins but brings natural aptitude and technique on tunes, and in doubling upon guitar he offers harmonic invention and real drive. One complaint might be their one song per set ration. Mac Diarmada sings well, interestingly, and with feeling, and might do even more so with some practice. But with such quality of musicianship and attention to a tune’s essential shape, they’ll so as they are for now. Rob Adams
Teada Live Review
Edinburgh Evening News (Scottish Newspaper) April 24th 2003
Edinburgh’s Ceilidh Culture programme continued last night as young Irish band Teada brought their classic Celtic credentials to town in their debut Scottish gig. Now a five-piece outfit since the recruitment of accordion player Paul Finn earlier this year, Teada were shorn of their bodhran player Tristan Rosenstock, back home in Dublin preparing for his finals, but, in his absence, the band, with Oisin Mac Diarmada leading on fiddle and excellent vocals certainly passed this test. Traditionally Irish but with a punkish edge to their style, Teada, which is Irish for strings, genuinely enjoy their music, and their repertoire had enough shifts in pace and style to keep the band, and their audience, on their toes, raucous one minute, sensitive and serene the next, traditional Irish music with attitude. Seemingly playing well within themselves in their first set, with an intriguing mix of reels, jigs and hornpipes, the band cut loose in a second set that got one encore, but could have received several, such was the reception they received. Mac Diarmada is a real talent, his fiddle-playing of the highest order, but with a distinctive, almost discordant edge to it, and his Irish vocals were full of Irish passion. Teada, however, are no one-man-band, and with banjo/bouzouki player Sean McElwain offering subtlety and style, Finn on accordion and John Blake on guitar and flute, they are a refreshing addition to the genre. The highlights were the numbers in celebration of the piping tradition shared on both sides of the Irish Sea, and the hornpipes, especially Tom Connor’s and Mayday, and reels such as Teetotaller and Billy McCumiskey’s showed the versatility of Teada goes across the spectrum of Irish music. Teada are a tight, traditional Irish band with something quite intangible to separate them from the rest, and if there is a better new band on the Emerald Isle, then they must be very, very good. Mike J. Wilson
Customers Comments.
I was having a few tunes with Marcus O’Murchu this evening, (as you do) & he happened to have a few copies of this new CD about his person, so I took out one of those crisp foldy things & exchanged it for Oisin’s brilliant new CD – fair exchange is no robbery.
It is lovely piece of work, from this highly accomplished young musician, who is confident enough to play many of the tracks without any accompaniment, & his playing stands up beautifully on it’s own, a joy, especially for Fiddlers, to listen to.
He is joined by John Carty on a couple of tracks for some super double Fiddle magic. Seamus Quinn comes in on a couple of tracks on Piano, while Sean McElwain does the same on Bouzouki, John Blake lends a hand on Guitar on one track & Tristan Rosenstock accompanies Oisin’s whistle playing, on Bodhran, on track No. 5.
Paddy Ryan writes about how ‘the music is tastefully played by a musician who knows his art form. He has a deep understyanding of the richness & beauty of the music & an innate ability to interpret a good tune.
The imaginative tune settings, the intricate variations & technical mastery, & the full-bodied, sweet tone are the hallmarks of his superb musicianship. His style is very distinctive & very personal with influences from Clare & North Connaught showing through. This recording encapsulates the artistry of Oisin MacDiarmada as a top class Fiddler. The music flows with clarity & fluency, & the rich variety of tunes displays his extensive musical range.’
Paddy concludes by saying he ‘can highly recommend it’. Well I concur, it’s a beezer, & if your a Fiddler, it will be added to your collection, sooner or later, mark my words.
One wee gripe, & it’s nothing to do with this CD, or it’s incredible music, which is sure to delight all who are fortunate to listen to it. It’s just that since James Morrison’s Orchestra recorded this tune in the 20’s, & someone miss spelt the name, nobody has since checked up, they just copy the fault. For anyone interested, take out an atlas & find Aberdeen, on the NE coast of Scotland, now travel due west until you come to the village of Monymusk – not Money Musk. OK – you have now been warned!
Posted on August 30th 2002 by PtarmiganSligo fiddle-player Oisin Mac Diarmada, at 24 years of age, is an honours graduate in Music Education from Trinity College, Dublin. In addition to widespread performing activity whish has brought performances in venues and festivals throughout Europe and the USA, Oisin is respected internationally as a fiddle tutor and his journalistic, lecturing, examining and production work. He is fast becoming one of the most exciting young musicians on the traditional music scene, his playing on a previous release, CICD144 Traditional Music on Fiddle, Banjo and Harp (available from Copperplate) was described by renowned music journalist, Simon Jones as “so sensitive it’s enough to make grown men cry”.
Now, performing with exciting young traditional band, teada, who have released their highly successful debut album (available from Copperplate) recently, Oisin’s performances bring a strong flavour of the rich Sligo tradition of fiddle-playing, together with what fiddler/ researcher/ broadcaster, Paddy Ryan describes as ” a deep understanding of the richness and beauty of the music, and an innate ability to interpret a good tune”.
On this new release, Oisin predominately features traditional Irish fiddle-playing in a pure, solo context, performed in a uniquely personal and traditional style with flavours of the great Sligo fiddle tradition. Additionally there are a number of tracks which separately feature artists of the calibre of John Carty, on fiddle, Seamus Quinn on piano, Sean McElwain on bouzouki, Damien Stenson on flute, John Blake on guitar and Tristan Rosenstock on Bodhran.
We at Copperplate will be supporting this release with a high profile promotional campaign and full-scale mail out to media and retail sectors. Feedback always welcome. Thank you for your support.
£14.99 -
Oonagh Derby – Harmony Street
Oonagh on the songs.
About You Now: Is a Cathy Denis cover – this was a club hit for the Sugababes and we had great fun stripping it right back to a simple love song.
Sore and Tired: Is a cheeky number about being in a band and missing everyone at home.
Harmony Street: I wrote this song very quickly whilst recording the album – the studio is off Harmony Street in Belfast. I read a lot so you will find a lot of lines from books in my songs. “A sleepless bed is a haunted place” is in Harmony Street – I think it’s a great line.
September: I live behind a woodland and park in Moira and one day in autumn I noticed the swallows getting ready for their big journey and I thought to myself, September is a month of tremendous change, the world preparing for winter. It’s something similar to coming to the end of a relationship – you know there’s a dark time ahead, but you also know there will be spring.
I Still Believe: Is about being married and how life circumstances change but you have to remember why you got together in the first place.
Beauty the Betrayer: Is a woman’s delicate relationship with beauty and how it is like an adulterous husband who has left her for youth – but she still loves him.
Jigsaw Pieces: There is no joy on this earth like your children – this song is about my son Leo, but hopefully all parents will relate to this song because as parents we all have to make the same journey.
Lovely Friend: I am blessed to have three sisters who I couldn’t do without. There’s an old saying, “you can pick your friends but not your family”. This song says ‘I’d choose you anyway’.
Silver Shoes: About the nights out I have with my university friends – they are treasured and precious.
l Am Because: I wanted something simple and catchy for this number; it sort of does what it says on the tin -I am because we are! Gerry O’Connor (producer) thought it lent itself to a pop sound – so we did a big production on this one – sort of threw the kitchen sink at it.
Dear Miss Lonely Hearts: I love Thin Lizzy and think Phil Lynott was a fantastic songwriter -1 just had to do one of his songs.
The Dove Children: Is about Northern Ireland – it’s the story of a boy who has grown up without first-hand knowledge of the Troubles (thank God) but his father is still embittered. I suppose we need to be careful what we say to our children – give them a chance if we can.
Latest News
www.liveireland.com The Livie Awards 2012 Thunder on the Horizon Award – Oonagh Derby
We have never done this before. Harmony Street by Oonagh Derby is a fantastic album. This talented woman from Northern Ireland has a voice from heaven. She is a superior songwriter and a massive talent. It is thrilling that Ireland can still produce such as she. Here’s the thing. This is not a traditional album. As we said, we have never done this before. I mean, it’s just not traditional. But, she is that good. You heard it here first. Find her. Find this album. Find something brand new and special.
more detail at www.oonaghderby.com
Press Reviews
www.LiveIreland.com Christmas Recommendations
If you’ve bought every one of these cd’s and now you want something that is completely Irish to the bone, but not traditional, look no further than Oonagh Derby’s Harmony Street. This singer from Northern Ireland has put out an overpowering first album of mature music and lyrics, perfectly performed. What a future. She is a star already. Get ready to tap your foot, and Imelda May, stand back.
Stirrings Magazine
Oonagh Derby is a singer/songwriter from Armagh who here presents ten self-penned song together with two covers: The Sugar Babes’ About You Now, on which I will make no comment, being unfamiliar with the original, and an excellent take on Dear Miss Lonely Hearts, one of my favourites from the Phil Lynott canon and superb demonstration on how to cram as many internal rhymes as you possibly can into one set of lyrics.
Many of her own songs are on the subject of love, lost (September, Harmony Street), found (I Am Because), for a friend (Lovely Friend – underpinned by some fine 60s/70s folk finger-style guitar), for a father (The Dove Children – a few seconds of pure celtic blues here from Barry Kerr’s uilleann pipes) and for a child (Jigsaw Pieces – loved Colin Henry’s discreet use of dobro).
Oonagh has a fine voice, writes good strong tunes and is a more , than competent lyricist. She gets sympathetic support from some very able musicians on guitar, flute, fiddle, bass, pipes, percussion, banjo, viola etc and the arrangements are well thought out and executed. Stylistically she rings the changes sufficiently to maintain interest throughout, from the country rock of Sick, Sore and Tired to Beauty the Betrayer – for me the standout track, a lament spoken over a slow air on the pipes (a minor niggle here, I wish she’d stuck to “you” throughout instead of going into classical poetry mode and throwing in a few “thee’s” and “thou’s”) Recommended. Ian Spattford
www.netrhythms.com
Oonagh’s an Armagh singer-songwriter whose original songs, written from a modern-day woman’s perspective, are musically accessible while remaining edgily contemporary in outlook. Her debut CD’s 12 tracks comprise ten original compositions and two covers, and employ a comfortingly familiar-sounding instrumental backdrop that makes good capital of acoustic instrumentation alongside occasional use of a radio-friendly rhythm section. Oonagh has evidently found a sympathetic producer in Gerry O’Connor (of Four Men And A Dog fame), who also brings his own brand of banjo and fiddle virtuosity to the mix on several tracks.
Perhaps against the odds, Oonagh has chosen to kick off the CD with one of the covers, a neat and perky take on The Sugar Babes’ About You Now with some pleasing guest dobro work from Colin Henry well up in the mix. After that encouraging opener, though, I was surprised to find Oonagh’s own compositions, for all their well-sung and pleasantly scored qualities, rather lacking in individuality, at any rate the first pair, Sick Sore And Tired and the title track, these being little more than pop-rock confections with not a great deal of musical substance to fire the imagination. Things seem to improve with Oonagh’s poetic expression of regret on the more lyrical September and the cautious optimism of I Still Believe.
The album’s centrepiece, Beauty The Betrayer, is the odd-track-out in that it pits Oonagh’s spoken lyric against Barry Kerr’s keening uilleann pipes, and the wistful acoustica of Jigsaw Pieces (one of four songs jointly penned with Stephen Derby) is an affectionate expression of love for a child couched in a gentle and attractive musical setting. Lovely Friend continues in a similar vein, while the uptempo country-styled Silver Shoes explores the fantasies and regrets of a modern multi-tasking mother. However, the spell is then broken by I Am Because, another slight, pop-styled excursion that doesn’t really do anything special. Oonagh’s individual and clearly heartfelt cover of Thin Lizzy’s Dear Miss Lonely Hearts brings the disc’s final interlude, and qualifies as another successful reworking, leading effectively into one of the album’s standout cuts, The Dove Children, which closes proceedings in reflective mood with a beautiful guitar-and-dobro backing that (sparse though it is) feels almost too sumptuous for its tearfully questioning and confused lyric.
In all, while I can appreciate the superb quality of Oonagh’s voice and some of her songwriting certainly engages appropriately, I still don’t feel wholly convinced by her debut offering, even after a number of visits to Harmony Street. David Kidman August 2011
The Irish Post 14.8.11
ARMAGH-BORN singer/songwriter Oonagh Derby has written 12 tracks on this debut album. Although Oonagh’s family roots are in traditional music the album opens with her very own interpretation of The Sugar Babes’ About You. It works incredibly well, as indeed does the whole project.
The album is a mixture of different influences but somehow Oonagh manages to knit them all together to produce a very impressive and enjoyable sound. Particularly impressive are her own harmonies.
The arrangements by guitarist Gerard Thompson are melodious, well-crafted and beautiful – it seems Oonagh has gathered a wonderful collection of musicians to complement the choice of material. Sometimes it is easy to pick a favourite track but this album is different because so many of the songs are of equal strength.
Since radio play is such a lottery these days I wonder where Oonagh will get the exposure she deserves because some of these songs deserve recognition – I can see some of them being covered by other artistes.Track 4 September is simply gorgeous.
The brilliant Gerry O’Connor, who also plays a number of instruments as well as producing the album, shows his considerable production skills by getting the feel of the songs just right.
Other guest musicians include Barry Kerr on uilleann pipes/ whistles, Colin Hendry on dobro, Cormac O’Kane on keyboards and Liam Bradley on drums.
This is a cracking debut album that has manifestly been given a lot of thought. It should certainly help establish Oonagh Derby’s reputation as a singer and songwriter of real quality. Joe Giltrap
www.liveIreland.com
Oonagh Derby has Harmony Street out. A great singer. Fab songwriter. Okay. This is not strictly trad. It IS strictly Irish, and this talented young woman from Armagh is set for a very long run, indeed. This is a fast train leaving the station. Get on board. Big time talent. Stunning. Check her out, and we know Copperplate in London has this, as well. If Copperplate is handling it, and it is not trad, it tells you how good this is. Bill Margeson
R2 Reviews Shorts.
Oonagh Derby makes her solo debut with Harmony Street, helped by guitarist Gerard Thompson. Pop-rock with folkish overtones – flute, fiddle and pipes, it’s pleasant Radio 2 fare.
www.liveIreland.com June 11
Speaking of Copperplate, they are representing the fantastic, Oonagh Derby and her brand new album, Harmony Street. Full review coming next month. Suffice it to say that this Armagh young woman is a stunner of an alto singer. It is available through the Copperplate site, and we’re sure you could also get it from her directly, as well as th usual outlets such as cdbaby and Claddagh. Google. We may well be listening to Newcomer of the Year! Bill Margeson
Fatea Online Magazine
Oonagh, pronounced Una, Derby’s impressive debut album “Harmony Street” is contempory country with the odd Celtic twist. Songs like “Sick Sore And Tired”, a look at the tedious side of touring, give the album an honest feel, this is not an album that allows you to wallow in false sentimentality, rather one that introduces you to a fresh perspective on country songs. Produced by 4 Men and A Dog’d Gerry O’Connor, it’s an album with clean lines and one that picks up Irish instrumentation along the way to give the whole project a distinctive feel.Tim Carroll
FolkWords Album Reviews (June 19, 2011)
Oonagh Derby – gorgeous debut album ‘Harmony Street’
An outstanding cover of ‘About You Now’ immediately connects (this is how it should be sung) delivered by the emotive voice of singer songwriter Oonagh Derby. Her debut album ‘Harmony Street’ also includes 10 outstanding original songs plus an engrossing version of Thin Lizzy’s ‘Dear Miss Lonely Hearts’. And it’s a momentous album.
Harmony StreetOonagh’s voice carries the passionate, accented edge of Armagh with songs that are piercing, meaningful and memorable. From her startling rendition of ‘Beauty the Betrayer’ (the most eloquent piece of poetry set to music that I’ve heard in a long time) to the awesome, almost frightening beauty of ‘The Dove Children’ — this is earth-shattering, intense and evocative. The forceful ‘Sick, Sore & Tired’ with its biting, uncompromising cut of truth and the passionate yearning of the title song ‘Harmony Street’ together stand testimony to Oonagh’s impressive vocals.
Songs rejoicing in the wonder of childhood run the risk of syrupy sweet talk — not so with ‘Jigsaw Pieces’, Oonagh sings this tender tale with soothing sincerity that touches with its careful observations. There’s a bluegrass feel to ‘Silver Shoes’ enhanced by a subtle banjo, which cuts into a longing desire to return to a time with less responsibilities — easy to identify with that one; while the lilt of ‘I Am Because’ with its infectious hook sticks in your mind.
Bathed in the traditions of her heritage yet written and delivered in a ‘bang up to date’ style, ‘Harmony Street’ displays both depth and originality – seldom will a debut make such an impression.
Playing alongside Oonagh on various tracks on ‘Harmony Street are Gerard Thompson (guitar) Gerry O’Connor (banjo, fiddle, viola) Nicky Scott (bass) Liam Bradley (percussion, backing vocals) Cormac O’Kane (bass, keyboards) Barry Kerr (flute, pipes) Colin Henry (dobro, Wiessenborne slide guitar). Tim Carroll
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Open The Door For Three: The Joyful Hour
Open The Door For Three: The Joyful Hour
Open the Door for Three is fiddle player Liz Knowles, uilleann piper Kieran O’Hare, and Dublin-born singer and bouzouki player Pat Broaders. Their music is a rare combination of unearthed tunes from centuries-old collections, newly composed melodies, fresh arrangements of songs old and new, homages to the musicians and bands they grew up listening to, and the unmatched energy of a trio of good friends playing great Irish music together.
“A road-tested, audience-approved, high-octane, fist-in-glove, laughing-out-loud trio of Irish musicians…” “Theirs is a big and brilliant sound!” — Sean Smith, Boston Irish Reporter
Liz, Kieran, and Pat have been mainstays of the Irish music scene around the world, having distinguished themselves over the last two decades as soloists with Riverdance, Cherish the Ladies, String Sisters, Secret Garden, Anúna, and The New York Pops. As a trio, they have played to a wide range of audiences in venues large and small, from Irish festivals, to concert halls, house concerts, and pubs. They have performed around the world: on Broadway and at Carnegie Hall, at L’Olympia and the Palais des Congrès in Paris, in Malaysian rainforest festivals, in theatres from Shanghai to São Paulo, and even in a bullring in Mallorca. Most recently, they have been featured at The Kennedy Center’s Ireland 100 festival, the Celtic Colours festival in Cape Breton, at The Milwaukee Irish Festival, and in The Masters of Tradition series in Bantry, County Cork, Ireland.
Irish music is a living, breathing part of Irish and Irish-American culture, and there is no single story that can sum up its history, its charm, grace, and drive. The soul of Open the Door for Three’s music is filled with connections: the connections to people and places, to teachers and heritage and audiences, and to the stories and humor that bring us all together. From these connections comes inspiration, which fills a bottomless well that keeps the trio coming back again and again – to refill, refuel, reinvent, and share.
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Paddy O’Brien – Mixing the Punch
MIXING THE PUNCH features Paddy O’Brien playing his old 1947 Paolo Soprani button accordion (an instrument that once belonged to legendary Dublin musician Sonny Brogan). The new CD offers a wide mixture of jigs, reels, and hornpipes, one slow air, and one selection of polkas, which are Paddy’s own compositions. The tunes included are particular versions from Counties Clare and Donegal, or settings from players Paddy has known over the years, and filtered through his own taste and musical expression.
Paddy is accompanied on MIXING THE PUNCH by Teresa Baker, a wonderful piano player who hails from Portland, Oregon. Fellow Offalyman, Felim Egan from Cloghan, plays a selection of jigs on solo accordion as a guest artist.
PADDY O’BRIEN
A product of County Offaly in the midlands of Ireland, Paddy O’Brien is regarded by serious players and collectors of Irish traditional music as one of the tradition’s most important repositories. In a career that spans the last half-century, Paddy has earned a reputation as a walking encyclopedia of Irish traditional music; according to conservative estimates, he carries in his head more than 3,000 Irish melodies – jigs, reels, hornpipes, airs, and marches, including many rare and unusual tunes. His mastery of the two-row button accordion was also acknowledged through prestigious awards: he was named Direachtas champion four times, and All-Ireland senior accordion champion in 1975.
Paddy’s particular skill is in remembering not just melodies, but particular individual and regional settings learned from older players who are now gone. He has made his mark on Irish traditional music in many different ways: through live performances with some of Ireland’s best-loved traditional bands, through classic recordings in the tradition; and, not least of all, through his work on The Paddy O’Brien Tune Collection: A Personal Treasury of Irish Traditional Music, a monumental undertaking that documents 1,000 melodies from his repertoire.
Paddy is also known for putting his own distinct stamp on the music of the groups he has founded: Bowhand, Hill 16, Chulrua, The Doon Ceili Band, and O’Rourke’s Feast. He has worked to create a distinct sound with each group, in the process earning major accolades in the world of Irish traditional music.
In Ireland, Paddy played and recorded with the famed Castle Ceili Band and Ceoltoiri Laighean. In 1978, he began playing regularly in the United States, in Washington DC, Saint Louis, Saint Paul, San Francisco, Boston, New York, and many places between. He has been featured on six recordings with Shanachie Records since 1978, including two with fiddler James Kelly and guitarist/singer Daithf Sproule, which are now considered iconic examples of Irish traditional music all around the world. In 1988 Paddy released his first solo album, Stranger at the Gate, on the Green Linnet label (and recently re-released by Compass Records). His most recent recordings include The Sailor’s Cravat, with fiddler Tom Schaefer, bouzouki player Paul Wehling, and singer Erin Hart (who happens to be his wife); and a new solo CD, Mixing the Punch. Both of these recent recordings are available from Copperplate.
Paddy has taught at the Willie Clancy Summer School held in Milltown Malbay, County Clare, Goderich Celtic College, The Swannanoa Gathering, and the Catskills Irish Arts Week, and served several times as a master artist in the Minnesota State Arts Board Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program. Since 1994, he has received a number of prestigious fellowships and grants tc support his work with traditional musicians, and The Paddy O’Brien Tune Collection.
“In its recalling of past masters, in its thoughtful and well-crafted performances, this recording is at once a wakeup call and a reminder of the things that matter in Irish traditional music.” — Irish Music Magazine
“The music. Button box wizard Paddy O’Brien gets it. Really gets it. ‘What I like inra musician now,’ states Paddy, “is the one who plays the nicest tune, even more than the technical musicianship.” In that one sentence the legendary Offaly born button box player encapsulates a life spent in the center and soul of Irish music. And that center is the music itself. Not the current fashion. Not the current ‘hot’ group. Not ‘the buzz.’The music. Period. Full stop.”— Irish Music Magazine
TERESA BAKER
A native of Missouri, now resident in Portland, Oregon, Teresa Baker has been playing Irish traditional music on the tin whistle and piano for many years. She will sing if provoked. Teresa has performed at the Alaska Folk Festival, Portland’s “Art in the Pearl” Kell’s Irish Pub Festivals, and countless dances, weddings and parties.
FELIM EGAN
Button accordion virtuoso Felim Egan hails from Cloghan in County Offaly. Born into an accomplished musical family, Felim began playing at the age of four. Tutored first by his father and then later by the legendary Irish fiddler Dan Cleary, Felim spent his youth in Ireland competing in numerous competitions on button accordion and bodhran (Irish hand drum).
Also by Paddy O’Brien: The Sailor’s Cravat
Press Reviews
The Living Tradition
Paddy O’Brien, originally from County Offaly, is, by any standard you care to mention, one of the outstanding players of the two-row button accordion, with a string of awards to his name. He is also a prodigious collector of tunes, with an ability to retain regional variations and styles, as well as recalling the individual techniques of players who have now left us. He is quoted as saying that he likes musicians who play the nicest tunes even more than those who have technical musicianship — surely the sort of thing that can only be said by someone whose own technical musicianship is an absolute given.
Paddy’s technical playing gives some of the cleanest, clearest playing that you could hope for, but never at the expense of the heart and soul of the tunes. Each set here involves the listener straight away, and you just know that there’s been a lot of thought put into what you’re hearing, so that everything sounds just right. There is a lightness of touch here that is extraordinary and a passion for the music that is evident.
The tune sets take us on a tour all round Ireland, with Paddy’s playing reflecting the regional styles perfectly. Mostly jigs and reels, as you might expect, with hornpipes, polkas and slow airs thrown in for good balance, this selection really is a showcase to treasure.
Teresa Baker provides piano accompaniment, and her non-obtrusive, complementary style should be a lesson to any who aspire to the genre. There’s a guest appearance from fellow-Offaly man Felim Egan as well, to add some extras to this really splendid production. Class this as ‘essential listening’. Gordon Potter
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Padraig Rynne – Bye a While
Press Reviews
“This young concertina star from Clare has taken his time before releasing a debut CD, and it’s paid off. Bye A While shows maturity and style as well as virtuoso talent. The foibles of this fiddly instrument are usually apparent even in the hands of a master, but the opening Barbara Needham’s
and the great Christy Barry’s Jig are well past before the concertina is allowed to constrain Pádraig Rynne’s music. Not many players can achieve that. Even if you’ve come across Pádraig before as part of Cían or other groups, you can’t fail to be impressed by his performance here. Molloy’s and The
Palm Tree flow from his fingers. Paddy Fahy’s Jig, learnt from the man himself, fairly dances along. Pádraig’s talent is broad enough to encompass the wonderful bouncy Fusco from Galician band Berroguetto, the hypnotic Plevin by Brittany’s Soig Siberil, and a couple of other glorious oddities.
Amongst tunes by several great composers, he sneaks in a very decent jig of his own which provides the album’s title.
Pádraig has surrounded himself with some great session musicians on this recording. John McSherry plays angelic whistles and demonic pipes, John Jo Kelly beats all kinds of magic out of a goatskin.
Tóla Custy and Mirella Murray add their duo skills to the party, and the foundations are laid by Arty McGlynn and Paul McSherry on guitars, amongst others. The slow reels The Old Bush and The Swallow’s Tail are a definite highlight, with plenty of space for tune and accompaniment. The New
Century Hornpipe and the one that comes after it are a rare treat too, as is the set of reels which ends this album.
Check out Padraig’s own site for more info:www.padraigrynne.com
Irish Music Magazine, March 2006
“I first heard Pádraig Rynne in 1998 and was immediately taken with his vigourous, yet subtle musicianship, and his mastery of his chosen instrument. Pádraig is of open mind musically, and this is reflected with integrity and style, on this long awaited debut album, which includes some of the best musicians in this country today. Enjoy.”Brendan O’Regan
Froots Magazine
“One of the freshest sounds in Irish music..
Claddagh Records.
“This is top class music. Pádraig is a young concertina player from County Clare, but he’s a vastly experienced one. He has gathered a group of similarly experienced friends to make a recording of mostly Irish music, with a sprinkling of Breton and Galician. The friends include Arty McGlynn, Mirella Murray, John Jo Kelly, John McSherry and Donal O’Connor, so you can see the respect with which Pádraig is regarded.”
All Celtic Music.
“Jigs to go! And we do, at a nice pace with clean clear playing. There is a strong supporting line-up on this debut CD and that generally hints at a player respected by his peers and a guy folk just want to play along with.”
Trad Magazine France, French version on: www.tradmagazine.com
“First there was Turas. It was a long time ago, a group of unknown but talented young men, with amongst them an outstanding concertina player… A very young Pádraig Rynne.
A couple of years later, Cian emerged. More modern and catchy and once again the public discovered Pádraig Rynne, concertina player amongst the best of his generation. This was in 1999.
Here we are in 2005 with this youths work of art finished. Like Niall Vallely and Mícheál O’Raghallaigh, two-masters on their subjects, Pádraig Rynne recorded one of the most beautiful CDs on concertina. Long awaited by his fans, the CD is self-produced, recorded with some of his friends
like Tóla Custy, Mirella Murray, John Joe Kelly, and the appearance of John McSherry. Accompanied by Kevin Dorris playing bouzouki, Paul McSherry and Arty McGlynn playing guitar.
If you were an unconditional fan of Cian but frustrated by the intrusion of the keyboard, then in Padráig’s CD the alchemy is a dream come true. The repetoir, principally trad, is highlighted by original arrangement, giving a little tribute to The Bothy Band with The Fisherstreet jig! Padraig
Rynne explores Irish music with a sensitivity and a taste as good as his fabulous variations and whoever had the privilege to be at his concerts, knows what this magician of a Concertina player is able to do… Anne Girard
Custy’s Music, 2005
“October 2005 release of a CD by another of Co. Clare’s young crop of fine young concertina players. Lissycasey-native, Pádraig, has made a huge impact latterly with his band, Cian, and his debut solo album has been eagerly awaited.”
Celtic Grooves, 2006
“A former member of the band Cian, Padraig Rynne is a high-power concertina player whose choice of material and arrangements set him firmly among the modernists. So one shouldn’t be surprised to find quite a few new compositions as well as a smattering of Breton and Galician tunes on the album. Nor will the list of guest musicians, a who’s who of the “fast and the furious” of today, leave any doubt about the approach to music, generally full steam ahead with high-wire virtuosic detours.
Rynne is capable of a mellower groove, as on the “Old Bush” track of slow reels–but one whishes the accompanist would have followed suit with less adventurous harmonies. But it’s all so well played that it’s hard to resist. A guilty pleasure to be sure.**** 4 stars.”
FolkWorld – Issue 32 – 12/2006 Source: www.folkworld.de”Pádraig Rynne from County Clare is one of the finest concertina players in the Irish music scene. He started his career with the band Turas when he was seventeen and joined in 1998 another Irish band, Cían. Since he left Cían in 2001 he has worked with some of the best traditional musicians like John McSherry and At First Light, John Joe Kelly and Flook, Paul Meehan (Lunasa, Karan Casey Band, North Cregg) and fiddle maker Paul Bradley. I saw him live in 2004 with Rogaire Dubh (see my review in issue 28 from April 2004) and I was very pleased to receive his first solo CD “Bye a while” for reviewing.
Pádraig Rynne wrote the title track “Bye a while” and named it after a favourite saying of his father. He has been joined by a bunch of brilliant guest musicians; some of them long time musical partners from the At First Light/Flook connection. The album is composed of nine traditional and
contemporary Irish tunes – jigs, slip-jigs, reels, slow reels, hornpipes – as well as two Breton instrumental tracks.
The first set of jigs “Barbara Needham’s/Christy Barry’s/Bye a while” starts with a brilliant duo with Rynne on concertina and John McSherry on the uilleann pipes. Another great playing together with McSherry on low whistle and pipes can be heard on the beautiful Breton “Dans Loudieg”. But the
concertina also matches very well with Mirella Murray’s piano accordion on the reels “Not Safe with a Razor/The Palm Tree/Jimmy’s Return”. The Galician/Breton set “Fusco/Plevin” is a perfect showcase for Murray’s musical partner Tóla Custy on fiddle and John Joe Kelly on bodhrán. Arty McGlynn and Paul McSherry add their excellent guitar playing throughout the album and thus together with Kevin Dorris on bouzouki and Kelly on bodhrán they guarantee the breathtaking rhythms. I also love Rynne’s playing on the slow reels “The Old Bush/The Swallow’s Tail” and Dónal O’Connor’s keyboards on the jig/slip-jig/reel set “Fisherstreet/The Wingflapper/The Céilíer”.
The CD is a wonderful sample of Irish music brought forward by some of the finest traditional musicians of the Irish music scene.
Adolf “Gorhand” Goirup
Folk Radio UK
“This is a wonderful album from Padraig Rynne in which he has chosen a unique mix of music to show off his great talent with the concertina
Band Details,
Pádraig Rynne, Tóla Custy, and Paul McSherry
Regarded as one of the finest concertina players in Irish music today, Pádraig Rynne was born in Co. Clare. He won five All-Ireland titles as well as three Oireachtas titles and began his recording career with the bands Turas and Cían. More recently, Pádraig has worked and recorded with artists of the calibre of Arty McGlynn, Alan Kelly, John McSherry, John Jo Kelly, At First Light, Flook, and Tamalin. Other recordings include Live in Belfast with Paul Meehan and Paul Bradley, and Pádraig’s first solo album Bye A While which was released in 2005 to great critical acclaim.
Tóla Custy is a highly accomplished fiddle player from a renowned Clare musical family. He recorded his first solo album in 1994 and is now one of Irish music’s busiest performers and composers.Tóla was a founder member of the Cork-based group Calico and he has also played and recorded
with many artists including Cyril O’Donoghue, Mirella Murray, Flook, Alan Kelly, Arty McGlynn, Heidi Talbot, Pauline Scanlon, Gráda and Chara. Tóla’s many compositions can be heard in sessions, albums and performances throughout the Irish music industry.
Paul McSherry hails from West Belfast and began playing guitar at the age of 14. He played and recorded with the Belfast band Commonalty and also with Tamalin who released their debut album Rhythm and Rhyme in 1997. Paul has accompanied on stage and recorded with a wealth of well-
known musicians including Liam O’Flynn, Paddy Keenan, Paddy Glackin, Cathal Hayden, Tommy Peoples, Siobhán Peoples, Michael McGoldrick, Gerry (banjo) O’Connor, Kevin Crawford, Gerry (fiddle) O’Connor and John McSherry as well as singers Tommy Makem and Brian Kennedy.
Guest members include John McSherry on Uileann pipes and John Joe Kelly on Bodhran.
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