There’s an hour of contemporary Irish music including work by Dublin-based drone-folk quartet Lankum, Franco-Italian duo Varo, and Irish-American all-star group, The Gloaming.
Listen to music by Dublin-based four-piece Lankum, made up of brothers Ian and Daragh Lynch, Cormac MacDiarmada and Radie Peat. They aren’t shy about using darkness and drone in their originals and when they rework traditional folk songs into immersive sonic landscapes. Hear their version of “Hunting the Wren”, a song with old and deep roots: “the wren is the subject of many legends (most of them unflattering) in European folk tales, and in the British Isles especially the birds have traditionally been hunted on St. Stephen’s Day (December 26).” (-Schaefer.)
Then, hear Ye Vagabonds, Dublin-based brothers Diarmuid and Brían Mac Gloinn whose music is a mix of traditional Irish and European music, old time American tunes, and the music of the 1960s folk revival. There’s also music from Dublin-based duo Varo made up of Lucie Azconaga and Consuelo Breschi (and special guests.) Lucie is from France and she brings the jazz, classical and French folk while Consuelo is from Italy, steeped in folk and world music.
Listen to Irish-American "Supergroup" The Gloaming, made up of extraordinary musicians: New York pianist Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman), the late Chicago guitarist Dennis Cahill, gifted Irish fiddler Martin Hayes, hardanger innovator Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and Irish master singer Iarla Ó Lionáird. Their minimalist and haunting takes on traditional folk music are truly spellbinding. Plus, music from Dublin-based Irish cellist Kate Ellis in a work by Irish composer and Princeton University professor Donacha Dennehy, who is also the Founder of the new music group, Crash Ensemble. And more.
Program #4988, Contemporary Irish Music (First aired 3/17/2025)
ARTIST: Martin Hayes & The Common Ground Ensemble
WORK: The Boyne Water [4:20]
RECORDING: Peggy's Dream
SOURCE:251
INFO: https://martinhayesfiddle.bandcamp.com/album/peggys-dream
ARTIST: MLunasa
WORK: The Bull's March [5:17]
RECORDING: Live in Kyoto
SOURCE: Lúnasa Records
INFO: https://www.lunasamusic.com
ARTIST: Ye Vagabonds
WORK: Joyáil [3:04]
RECORDING: Nine Waves
SOURCE: Rough Trade’s River Lea Recordings
INFO: store.roughtraderecords.com | https://yevagabonds.bandcamp.com/album/nine-waves
ARTIST: Varo
WORK: The Rakes of Clonmel/I Ne'er Shall Wean Her [5:06]
RECORDING: Varo
SOURCE/INFO: https://varodublin.bandcamp.com/album/varo
ARTIST: Dàibhidh Stiùbhard
WORK: Úirchill An Chreagáin (The Churchyard Of Kilcreggan) [3:36]
RECORDING: An Sionnach Dubh
SOURCE: Wildtune
INFO: wildtune.org
ARTIST: The Gloaming
WORK: Reo [7:48]
RECORDING: The Gloaming 3
SOURCE: Real World Records
INFO: https://thegloaming.bandcamp.com/album/the-gloaming-3-2
ARTIST: Lankum
WORK: Hunting the Wren [7:12]
RECORDING: The Livelong Day
SOURCE: Rough Trade
INFO: lankum.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Crash Ensemble feat. Kate Ellis, cello
WORK: Donnacha Dennehy: Aisling Gheal (Bright Vision) [5:46]
RECORDING: Private recording
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available.
INFO: Kate has released a recording of the piece on Diatribe Records
ARTIST: Martin Hayes Quartet
WORK: The Humours of Scariff [4:21]
RECORDING: The Blue Room
SOURCE: 251
INFO: Available at YouTube, AppleMusic, Spotify, Amazon.com