BRENDAN MULHOLLAND

He is a familiar face at flute workshops and courses. He has performed and recorded with many artists, including Bríd Harper, John Carty and the Breton Jean-Michel Veillon. He has several albums to his credit, including a solo debut and another with Conor Lamb and Deirdre Galway in the trio Music in the Glen.

Bartins Bay is only his second solo album, twelve years after his first. Bartins Bay is only a few miles from Brendan's home village, and it inspired him to write his new album. There are some thirty tunes on this excellent opus, most of them traditional or composed by illustrious twentieth-century musicians such as Vincent Broderick: The Rookery, Paddy O'Brien: The Antrim Rose, Maurice Lennon: Trip to London, popularised in the 80s by the band Stockton's Wing, Ed Reevey: The Shoemaker's Daughter and Finbarr Dwyer: The Hollybush.

The opener is My Lagan Love, a tune that originated in County Antrim where the River Lagan flows. Then The Shelf, a very popular tune in Belfast flute circles, and The Foxhunter's, borrowed from Liam O'Flynn's repertoire.
Several musician friends joined Brendan on his album, including Terry Óg Conlon (guitar), Luke Ward (bouzouki), Liam Bradley (piano), Seán Óg Graham (guitar) and Bríd Harper (fiddle).
As an aside, Brendan plays on a flute made by Breton luthier Stéphane Morvan.
This is an absolutely superb album, showcasing all the qualities of B. Mulholland, who displays a treasure trove of dexterity, multiplying the ornamentation to enrich his already generous and energetic music and his round, warm sound.
One of the finest exponents of the traditional wooden flute.

Autoproduit BM005 - www.brendanmulholland.com