AN FHIDIL SRAITH 1

 AN FHIDIL SRAITH 1 

THE FIDDLE ALBUM 1

Gael-Linn, 1978, CEF 068

This is the first album in a series of three dedicated to young fiddlers. These 5 musicians were under the age of 20 when they recorded their bit and were all All-Ireland Champions in different age categories. Martin Hayes was the youngest (16 years old) and shared the 20 tracks allocated to them with  Séamus Glackin, Maurice Lennon, Seàn Montgomery and Séamus Thompson meaning they had 4  tracks each to display their talent.
This kind of  album is interesting because it reminds us that Irish music is first a soloist affair. In France the session aspect is very strong and rightly so for it is part of the Irish way of life in some areas but I think that  the pleasure of playing this music is the freedom we have when playing on our own. These 5 fiddlers were the next generation after big names like Paddy Canny, Patrick Kelly, Padraig O'Keeffe, Séan Ryan, John Doherty among others and they had to respect a certain tradition but also to forge their own way. It is what is called style that is really exciting in Irish music : the choice in the ornements and how to use them, the tempo, the swing and the variations in the melody, all things you can't do (a little bit though) when playing in a session of more than 3 or 4 musicians. I think  solo playing is like a test : if you can't listen to it you probably don't like Irish music in the end.
Hope you'll be attracted enough to those young fiddlers; some of them have reached international fame with albums, concerts, TV and radio programs etc..

Gael-Linn is one of the major companies in Ireland and the production is very good both technically and editing wise. 

 

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