Latest releases reviewed.
ANNE-MARIE O'FARRELL AND CORMAC DE BARRA Double Strung Claddagh Records ****
Contemporary duos performing erudite repertoires on the Irish harp are a rarity. Loitering in their company for an entire album is akin to navigating a path back in time, but with one foot still firmly planted in the present. Cormac de Barra and Anne-Marie O'Farrell have let enough grass grow beneath their feet to ensure they're keenly attuned to one another's stylistic idiosyncrasies. They've chosen to stretch what could have been a cosy Carolan repertoire to embrace the European classical tradition, all the while mining the nethermost regions of their instruments, so that their reading of Carlos Salzedo's Chanson Dans La Nuit is a revelatory melding of creative energy and lateral thinking. A collection that promises to lure classical, traditional and contemporary music lovers harpwards.
Siobhán Long
GAY, CONOR AND SEÁN MCKEON The Dusty Miller Claddagh Records ****
Three pipers, one gene pool, and three spirited piping styles coalesce on this superb collection from Dublin father-and-sons trio Gay, Conor and Seán McKeon. While solo piping is hard to beat, the McKeon clan's audacious ensemble playing on the opening set of reels, The Blackthorn Stick/ Tansey's Favourite/Barr Na Cúille unveils another side to their instrument, each player separated by a hair's breadth. Gay's stately piping style is the perfect foil for March of the High King of Laois, Conor's forensic attention to detail sets Palm Sunday apart, and Seán's mature command of the reel set Lady Gordan's consolidates his reputation as a piper of uncommon talent. An unsullied joy for piping lovers. www.claddaghrecords.com
Siobhán Long
