French band doing Celtic music whacks your belly with humor.
Great! Here is a French band here playing Celtic music. They are Fun. Well, they take their music seriously though. You can tell by listening to sample tracks off their MySpace site. I checked their website. I went to their photo gallery. There is this one picture where the piper stuffed all the whistles and flutes in his right pocket. The fiddler looks a bit like a Goth chic minus the angst.
What about the music? It is anything you’d expect from a Celtic rock band. But you have to think of something a little but edgy like for comparison. Think of the Pogues and Horslips. I do know bands that are comfortable to jam with them in the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany. It is just a matter of time. I recommend that you give them a listen if you are in the mood for some Celtic rock-if you find the slurring make vocals with French accent your kind of thing.
The played last June 22 in the recent Fête de la musique in Talmont Saint Hilaire .
I think I am coming down with a cold. We’ve been having some nasty weather lately….
Music is my sanctuary. I am sure it is the same with you. With all the negativity in the world, I am glad that there is this place I can go and feel at home. Music has sustained me through the years. I think my ‘relationship’ with my favorite musicians lasted longer than with few actual people. Music heals. Sometimes when we are mad we forget who we are. But music restores that purity. It tells you ” I am here and I will never leave you or hurt you.”
I want to share with you this amazing accordion player. Her name is Harriet Bartlett and she’s from the UK. You should hear her own version of Music For a Found Harmonium originally done by Patrick Street. She adds her twist to it! Her album Eyes Wide Open has been out for years. She does both instruments and vocals. She has a terrific voice. I find it strange that an artist of her caliber doesn’t have a follow-up album yet.
They say don’t judge the book by its cover but I can tell that looking at her album art and listening to the tracks you really get what you see-pure talent and awe-inspiring energy. Right now I don’t have news for you about her current projects. But if someone out there can step forward, that would really be awesome!
Harriet has been playing accordion for 13 years and performing at festivals, folk clubs and theatres for the past 8 years. Her repertoire consists of Celtic music on the piano accordion at lightening speed, heart rendering slow airs and beautiful songs. She has already composed many of her own tunes with a traditional style that belies her years.
To date she has played at many venues at home and abroad to include Celtic Connections, Sidmouth International, Venner Folk Frühling, Fylde, Bromyard and Warwick Festival, to name but a few.
Harriet was invited to do a studio session / interview withAndy Kershaw, BBC Radio 3which was aired on 3rd October 2004.
In 2003 Harriet was a winner of a coveted Celtic Connections Danny Kyle Award – the competition was held throughout the festival with no less than eighty entrants. Harriet was then approached by Greentrax Recordings to record her debut CD Eyes Wide Open produced by Dr Phil Cunningham MBE. Harriet was joined by some fantastic musicians – Ed Boyd (Flook) on guitar, Mark Maguire (Deaf Shepherd) on bodhran and Phil Cunningham on piano cittern and whistles. The CD was launched at Celtic Connections January 2004, and has received excellent reviews.
“Hugely talented. Eyes Wide Open is one of my favourite CDs of the year.”— ANDY KERSHAW, BBC RADIO 3
“Harriet has assembled here a fine collection of tunes, some contemporary with a maturity far beyond her years and if this is her first outing on CD… I can’t wait to hear the next. Go get em Harriet.” ..— Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham.
In July 2004 she was nominated for the West Midlands Folk Federation “2004 Award for an outstanding contribution to West Midlands folk / traditional arts.”
She was the winner of the In the Tradition Awards 2001 at the Assembly Rooms, in Derby. Organised by Mick Peat of PR Promotions and Folkwaves on BBC in the East Midlands. There were 6 finalists; amongst the judges were Jo Freya and Lester Simpson. She has been invited to play on stage with Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham on numerous occasions, always to be enjoyed. “Phil Cunningham is a marvellous accordionist and I’ve admired him for years, so to actually join him and Aly on stage and play some tunes was fantastic!”
Living Tradition, Taplas, Celtic Heritage and Shropshire magazines have all run articles on Harriet. To view, go to the reviews section at www.harrietbartlett.com
Patrick Ball continues to bring the lyrical gift of Ireland to the world through harp music and spoken word.
Anyone who is interested in the sound of the wire-strung harp knows Patrick Ball. A fan of traditional Irish music isn’t a stranger to his name or music. If you are an insider, I am sure you have heard of O’Carolan’s Farewell to Music. This man knows intensity. He knows how to use it to put the audience under his spell.
Listening to his music is a wonderful excursion into the world of imagination. That unique bell-like purity of the wire strung harp or Clarsach has gained worldwide prominence lately and Patrick Ball is among those spearheading its renaissance. I read his biography and that years ago, this artist was studying to become a lawyer. I guess music finds us even in the most unexpected places and situations.
His music can move you to dance or to weep with its sublime beauty. Such magic contained in this instrument. And such power to move the emotions. Close your eyes and turn off the lights. Let the golden stars sparkle in every note. The album Wood of Morois is out in 2010. You can learn more about him through the links I attached here.
Christian’s drums have added a new glamour to bodhran making . The beautiful veneers on his shells, the elegant fittings, and the high quality finishes make his drums a must-have item. He is one of the big innovators and is always seeking how to improve the bodhran into an ultra modern drum. He uses the latest materials in shell design to keep ahead of other makers. His ideas have had great influence on the bodhran as we now know it….an instrument equal in prestige to any other musical instrument.
– Seamus O´Kane
From a “percussive instrument” to a “tonal-like instrument” the heartbeat of Irish music has come a long way.
I know Christian Hedwitschak through his bodhran designs for Canadian award-winning percussionist Jacob McCauley. These are huge instruments. They are stunning in their unique designs. They also make deep tonal sounds. Any bodhran player will go gaga over the look and feel of the Hedwitschak bodhrans.
Christian has been a master cabinet maker before venturing into making bodhrans. Now his own line is known all over the world. His Philosophy states: “Being a master cabinet maker and also a bodhrán player, my aim is to build high quality instruments with several special features.
As an instrument manufacturer three things are important to me: the quality in the choice of materials and the construction of the instrument, the responsibility I have towards the environment and an individual service approach.”
He is celebrating his 10th anniversary in the business after making over 4,000 of them.
Why is the Hedwitschak bodhráns so different from the rest in the market?
I’d say I dig deeper, and go the “German” way in analyzing each part of the instrument. I do sound analyses in the sound studio. I work together with some of the best bodhrán players of our time and always want to improve every single part ;o)
As for the custom orders, I really want to fulfill the customer’s wishes in a way that makes sense. Some of the “custom makers” these days just do everything that the customer is asking for. Just because it’s possible to make. I always try to combine customers’ requests with the most logical construction / material of choice etc.
The first thing I do when a customer comes up with a new idea is to find the core of his aim, what is the important thing we need and then we start and build the whole drum around it. This can be about a specific sound, size or just an optical thing.
I also say `no’ if I see a customer is only looking for decorative things or don’t have the experience and just wants “the best” because it is the most expensive ;o)
Yea, I think this is good to point out which may differ to most of the other makers. I still see there are lots of mysticism involved in bodhrán making and some of the makers use this as a part of their marketing strategy ;o) I’d say it’s all about the Physics, the Science, the experience and the craftsmanship which comprise a lot and maybe just 1 % mysticism ;o)))
Let us talk about the requests you get for customized bodhrans. This must be challenging in terms of design and time constraints?
Yes. For example the deep drum for Jacob McCauley ;o)
But the most challenging is to create a signature line bodhrán. Because it isn’t just about creating a drum which is fitting 100% for the customers, it also means that this drum is exactly in the same quality that has to be reproduced again and again. So when I am working on a signature line drum- which can be really a work for a couple of years with all the testing and experience until it can be launched- I have to keep in mind right from the start that I have to find techniques to copy exactly this quality again and again for over a period of few years.
So this also contains the means of finding the materials and keeping the suppliers consistent in the quality of materials and the ability to deliver the right measurements.
For example it was a huge challenge to get enough Lambeg skins for the RolfWagelsEdition bodhran.
Do you think the market for Celtic music instruments is more lucrative now compared to 5 years ago?
Well I couldn’t complain about the demand for my drums over the past 10 years to be honest. But I think it’s a different market and a different thing to what you might mean now. But what I see now is that big companies like REMO, Meinl, Waltons are entering the professional Bodhrán market now as well (not just tourist stuff). And this is a new development in the past few years. The bodhrán is right in the middle of the change from a special instrument to a world instrument. Also the amount of bodhrán players has increased unbelievably. So yes, in this case I would say the Celtic music market is more lucrative than say 10 or even 5 years ago.
Do you think, the style of playing has evolved as well to accommodate the new shapes and sizes? Before, there was one design. Now there are many designs.
Yes, definitely. I’d say the general development went from a “percussive instrument” to a “tonal-like instrument”. It means the drums made these days are (in general, of course) more civilized and more musical, more tonal than years ago. Bodhrán players are now listening to tune keys and key changes.
What is the most effective way of marketing your bodhrans? How do you go a step ahead of the game?
Somewhere around 2006, I was added by Celtic Conspiracy to their list of friends. I think the group brought something refreshing to the then blossoming online network for bands and solo artists. Well , we all know what happened to Myspace years later when facebook took over . But Myspace is still a great directory if you want to look for bands of any genre. Celtic Conspiracy only uploaded three tracks on their page which I think was too little considering that I really like their sound. Part chill out, part ambient and unmistakably Celtic, I was expecting a full album. But until now nothing yet.
Louisa Maxwell’s voice is such a great instrument. There is that powerful optimism that flows to the track O’Neil’s March that makes you simply smile from ear to ear. This goes to show that having a classically trained soprano voice morphed with studio effects can create a new kind of sound and feeling. The reverb, delay-the ‘wet’ vocals can enhance a sound. And for layered vocals tracks, I think it is necessary to offer atmosphere and ‘space’. And atmosphere is the strong point of any ambient music. A little electronic groove would not hurt either. I found myself dancing alone in the computer room with headphones during my break from. That was six years ago.
I did some research and found out that Louisa Maxwell released an album The Wedding Music Guide which is available for sale at Amazon.
Louisa started her career as a classical soprano at the Juilliard New York.
Her love of Celtic music brought her to the harp combining ethereal vocals with Celtic melodies. She has no qualms about moving outside the boundaries of tradition using a modern electro acoustic harp. She has performed all over the world: New York’s Lincoln Centre, Carnegie Hall, The Irish National Concert Hall, Bunratty Castle, Scotland’s Highland Festival, the Celtic Congress in Dublin, BBC radio and TV, Channel 4, Irish, French and American Television.
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Blast from the past: Dagda – Home Again in Eireann
Home Again in Eireann is taken from Dagda’s album Hibernia. It is one of those albums you’d like to listen to again and again after getting home from work. It teeters between being a dance album and one which New Agers love to relax to. Groove and electronic effects are the strong points of this album. Love it! You should try it too.
You can listen to the samples or buy the album at Amazon
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Mortal longing, immortal music.
I am a big fan of Enya and Clannad. I am proud to say it. Somewhere around 2009 I met Justin Elswick online. He is better known as Sleepthief. His music, although heavily grounded on ambient and electro, is very much influenced by vocal layering. He made sure that he gets this style across. He has been consistent too. After his amazing Labyrinthine Heart, which I think if it was vinyl or tape would have worn out after a gazillion listens, he is now releasing a new EP to be due this summer. Mortal Longing is the new single off the album. Canadian Singer Jody Quine provides the vocals her and she also worked with him in his previous releases. For those who haven’t read the interview I did for him, here is the link: http://celticmusicfan.com/2009/09/11/sleepthiefs-justin-elswick-talks-about-labyrinthine-heart-the-new-album/
Here is his bio:
Justin Elswick may be an anomaly in the music industry a full-time attorney who has found the tenacity and creative inspiration to create a lush new electronic/pop vocal project as “SLEEPTHIEF.” Originally from Southern CA, Justin became obsessed with music at the age of four when his parents bought him a Fisher Price record player for Christmas. Although his parents were unable to afford piano lessons, Justin would somehow always find a way to play his grandmother’s old piano. His love of music also translated into various DJ gigs during high school and college. For the last several years, he has also written reviews as a music critic for the popular website musicaldiscoveries.com.
As Sleepthief, he has released two successful albums “The Dawnseeker” and “Labyrinthine Heart” plus several singles and tracks included in compilations.
Now he is working on the new long-awaited EP, first single will be “Mortal Longing”(feat. Jody Quine), set for digital release on 11th June 2012, along with a video (released 4th June).
those albums you’d like to listen to again and again after getting home from work. It teeters between being a dance album and one which New Agers love to relax to. Groove and electronic effects are the strong points of this album. Love it! You should try it too.
Celtic Music Fan 