The great Breton flute player Jean-Michel Veillon has released a new duet CD, “Deus an Aod d’ar Menez,” with Yvon Riou (guitar). Details are available on Jean-Michel’s website.
The Hungarian flute maker Barna Gábos is making, among other designs, a multi-piece Pratten-style Irish keyless flute out of bamboo.
Check them out at http://marroncitoflutes.weebly.com/bamboo-pratten.html
Another interesting alternative to conventional woods is the “Canadian model” flute by Windward flutes, made from heat-treated maple:
A gorgeous album of tunes played on C flute by Brid O’Gorman, accompanied on bouzouki by Eoin O’Neil.
Available at Custy’s Music.
In memory of the great Mike Raffery, the Summit, New Jersey Free Public Library will host Tunes of Old East Galway, a free workshop followed by a free concert, on November 13, 2016 at 2pm. With Lesl Harker, Irish flute and Jerry O’Sullivan, uilleann pipes. Session to follow if time permits!
Details
Summit Free Public Library, 75 Maple Street, Summit, NJ 07901 Sunday, November 13th 2016 at 2pm.
General information (908) 273-0350
Flyer with more details
This program is made possible by The Summit Free Public Library and by a
2016 HEART (History, Education, Arts Reaching Thousands) Grant from the
Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
Carlow flute player Ciarán Somers has released a new CD; check out the sound samples on his website.
Flute player, pilot, and filmmaker Jem Moore has been posting some nice videos from a trip that he and Blaine Chastain took in 2011 as part of their work on a documentary about flute maker Patrick Olwell.
My friend John Elder, a nature writer and former professor of English at Middlebury College in Vermont, has written a book about his experience taking up Irish flute in his 60s. He and his wife Rita played classical music together for years, but when they retired they decided to learn traditional Irish music; she picked up the concertina and he picked up the flute. The book covers much more than just the process of learning a new instrument and an unfamiliar genre of music; there are musings here on marriage, literature, nature, poetry, geology, and the coast of Connemara. Highly recommended!
Details at http://www.johnelderauthor.com
Caoimhín Ó Fearghail is an excellent piper, flute player, whistle player, guitar player, and séan-nos singer. Here he is on the flute with concertina player Caitlín Nic Gabhann from a concert a few years back. Thanks to William Bajzek for bringing this video to my attention.
Chris Norman has a pretty amazing lineup of instructors and performers for this year’s Boxwood flute festival and workshop in Lunenberg, Nova Scotia (24-30 July). Registration is now open.
- Matt MOLLOY, John CARTY, Arty McGLYNN – special guests July 29 & 30
- Jean-Michel VEILLON – Breton flute
- Louise MULCAHY – Irish flute, whistle, Uillean pipes
- François LAZAREVITCH– baroque flute, renaissance flute, recorder, musette de cour
- Adrianne GREENBAUM – Klezmer flute & beginning traverso
- Andra BOHNET – flute choir
- Chris NORMAN – traditional flutes, small pipes, director
- David GREENBERG – Cape Breton & baroque violin
- Michelle MULCAHY – Irish fiddle, harp, concertina
- Magnus HOLSTROM – Nyckelharpa
- Alison McGILLIVRAY – cello & gamba
- Andy RIGBY – Celtic & South American harp
- Yann FALQUET – guitar, songs
- Marie BOUCHARD – harpsichord & piano
- Nick HALLEY – percussion & rhythm
- Lewis MacKINNON – Gaelic song, Puirt a Beul & guitar
- Adam LeBLANC – Acadian step dance & fiddle
- Marlys NORMAN– dance: modern, ballet & Pilates, administrator
- Forbes & Yola CHRISTIE – Flute makers and restorers
Conor Byrne is a great flute player from Dublin; I remember seeing him a memorable concert there with Máire Breatnach one night in the late 1990s and being very taken with his tone and command of the flute. In this video, you can see him playing with Mick O’Brien (pipes and flute) and Mick’s daughter Ciara Ní Bhriaín (fiddle) from a concert a few years ago in Wexford.