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Máire Ní Chathasaigh & Chris Newman
Máire Ní Chathasaigh (pronounced Moira Nee Ha-ha-sig) is "the doyenne of Irish harpers" (SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY) and the sole harpist recipient to date of Irish music’s most prestigious award, Gradam Cheoil TG4 (Traditional Musician of the Year). Her celebrated partnership with "one of the UK’s most staggering and influential acoustic guitarists" (fROOTS), Chris Newman, has toured in twenty-two countries worldwide to venues ranging from the tiniest of village halls and historic European churches to palaces in Kyoto and Istanbul, London’s Barbican, Sydney Town Hall, and Cologne's Philharmonie.
The duo’s performances are an emotional rollercoaster, deeply rooted but eclectic and adventurous too: a breathtaking blend of traditional Irish music from five centuries, hot jazz, bluegrass, and baroque, coupled with striking new compositions - and what THE WEST AUSTRALIAN calls Chris’s "delightfully subversive wit"! They’ve made seven acclaimed albums together.
They guest on Irish rock legend Rory Gallagher’s posthumous "Wheels within Wheels" (BMG); Máire is harp/voice soloist with the New English Chamber Orchestra and the Choir of New College Oxford on John Cameron's "Missa Celtica" (Erato Disques); her singing features on the Goldcrest film "Driftwood" and her harping on Dan ar Braz's Gold Disc-awarded CD "Finisterres" (Sony). Broadcasts include televised concerts on TG4 and Rai Uno; TV appearances on RTÉ, BBC, S4C, HTV, WDR, ABC, France 3, PBS (the TV special associated with the Polygram USA CD release "Celtic Harpestry") and countless radio performances worldwide.
Máire is "the greatest Celtic harper of our age" (LIVE IRELAND), whose West Cork upbringing steeped in the oral tradition led to multiple All-Ireland and Pan-Celtic wins and her development, while still a teenager, of profoundly influential techniques for harp performance of traditional Irish music – subsequently heard on "The New-Strung Harp" (1985), the first harp album ever to concentrate on traditional Irish dance music. "A milestone in Irish harp music" THE IRISH EXAMINER "Her work restores the harp to its true voice." THE IRISH TIMES
Chris is "one of the UK’s greatest musicians" (BBC Radio 2), whose recent solo album "Still Getting Away with It" is "An astonishing, joy-filled romp... a must-buy for any guitar player" **** SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY "I'm fully conscious that I'm in the presence of greatness... one of the top guitarists of his ilk anywhere" THE LIVING TRADITION "The exuberance of Newman's dazzling playing... would leave you open-mouthed if you weren't too busy smiling." ***** ROCK n REEL He's toured and recorded with luminaries of many musical worlds: folk (harper Máire, Boys of the Lough, Aly Bain &c), jazz (Stéphane Grappelli and Diz Disley) and comedy (Fred Wedlock) - composing the tune for and producing Fred's hit "Oldest Swinger in Town," which reached No. 2 in the charts in the UK and No. 1 in several other countries and brought him a silver disc. "Dazzling" ACOUSTIC GUITAR (USA) "His playing boggles my mind" Flatpicking Guitar Magazine (USA)
"Their blinding technique, sizzling Irish reels and hot jazz improvisation brought an extended standing ovation… Newman has the great gift of being informative and hilarious simultaneously" THE WEST AUSTRALIAN "This celebrated duo took the place by storm. Stately Carolan tunes, jazzy Django-ish numbers, dazzling Doc Watson style flat picking fliers, driving Irish dance tunes - this pair can nonchalantly do the lot. Guitar players applauded and went sadly home to burn their instruments!" THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH "Blazing guitar and dancing harp" DIRTY LINEN (USA) "This virtuoso guitar/harp duo test the limits of Irish music – a delight" - SING OUT (USA) "An eclecticism and spirit of adventure that is quite thrilling" THE TIMES "Dazzling virtuosity" THE DAILY TELEGRAPH "Music of fire and brilliance from the high-wire act in traditional music" THE IRISH TIMES "In a class of their own" THE GUARDIAN "Brilliant, innovative harping and guitar-playing of astonishing virtuosity and versatility" * * * * SONGLINES More information at www.mairenichathasaigh.com and www.oldbridgemusic.com
Máire Ní Chathasaigh (pronounced Moira Nee Ha-ha-sig) is "the doyenne of Irish harpers" (SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY) and the sole harpist recipient to date of Irish music’s most prestigious award, Gradam Cheoil TG4 (Traditional Musician of the Year). Her celebrated partnership with "one of the UK’s most staggering and influential acoustic guitarists" (fROOTS), Chris Newman, has toured in twenty-two countries worldwide to venues ranging from the tiniest of village halls and historic European churches to palaces in Kyoto and Istanbul, London’s Barbican, Sydney Town Hall, and Cologne's Philharmonie.
The duo’s performances are an emotional rollercoaster, deeply rooted but eclectic and adventurous too: a breathtaking blend of traditional Irish music from five centuries, hot jazz, bluegrass, and baroque, coupled with striking new compositions - and what THE WEST AUSTRALIAN calls Chris’s "delightfully subversive wit"! They’ve made seven acclaimed albums together.
They guest on Irish rock legend Rory Gallagher’s posthumous "Wheels within Wheels" (BMG); Máire is harp/voice soloist with the New English Chamber Orchestra and the Choir of New College Oxford on John Cameron's "Missa Celtica" (Erato Disques); her singing features on the Goldcrest film "Driftwood" and her harping on Dan ar Braz's Gold Disc-awarded CD "Finisterres" (Sony). Broadcasts include televised concerts on TG4 and Rai Uno; TV appearances on RTÉ, BBC, S4C, HTV, WDR, ABC, France 3, PBS (the TV special associated with the Polygram USA CD release "Celtic Harpestry") and countless radio performances worldwide.
Máire is "the greatest Celtic harper of our age" (LIVE IRELAND), whose West Cork upbringing steeped in the oral tradition led to multiple All-Ireland and Pan-Celtic wins and her development, while still a teenager, of profoundly influential techniques for harp performance of traditional Irish music – subsequently heard on "The New-Strung Harp" (1985), the first harp album ever to concentrate on traditional Irish dance music. "A milestone in Irish harp music" THE IRISH EXAMINER "Her work restores the harp to its true voice." THE IRISH TIMES
Chris is "one of the UK’s greatest musicians" (BBC Radio 2), whose recent solo album "Still Getting Away with It" is "An astonishing, joy-filled romp... a must-buy for any guitar player" **** SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY "I'm fully conscious that I'm in the presence of greatness... one of the top guitarists of his ilk anywhere" THE LIVING TRADITION "The exuberance of Newman's dazzling playing... would leave you open-mouthed if you weren't too busy smiling." ***** ROCK n REEL He's toured and recorded with luminaries of many musical worlds: folk (harper Máire, Boys of the Lough, Aly Bain &c), jazz (Stéphane Grappelli and Diz Disley) and comedy (Fred Wedlock) - composing the tune for and producing Fred's hit "Oldest Swinger in Town," which reached No. 2 in the charts in the UK and No. 1 in several other countries and brought him a silver disc. "Dazzling" ACOUSTIC GUITAR (USA) "His playing boggles my mind" Flatpicking Guitar Magazine (USA)
"Their blinding technique, sizzling Irish reels and hot jazz improvisation brought an extended standing ovation… Newman has the great gift of being informative and hilarious simultaneously" THE WEST AUSTRALIAN "This celebrated duo took the place by storm. Stately Carolan tunes, jazzy Django-ish numbers, dazzling Doc Watson style flat picking fliers, driving Irish dance tunes - this pair can nonchalantly do the lot. Guitar players applauded and went sadly home to burn their instruments!" THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH "Blazing guitar and dancing harp" DIRTY LINEN (USA) "This virtuoso guitar/harp duo test the limits of Irish music – a delight" - SING OUT (USA) "An eclecticism and spirit of adventure that is quite thrilling" THE TIMES "Dazzling virtuosity" THE DAILY TELEGRAPH "Music of fire and brilliance from the high-wire act in traditional music" THE IRISH TIMES "In a class of their own" THE GUARDIAN "Brilliant, innovative harping and guitar-playing of astonishing virtuosity and versatility" * * * * SONGLINES More information at www.mairenichathasaigh.com and www.oldbridgemusic.com
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