Ceol A'Ghleanna - The Music of the Glen

The music of generations of Donegal fiddlers reverberates through this mighty debut from 21-year-old fiddler Ciarán Ó Maonaigh. From the first few notes of ‘Miss Paterson’s Slippers’ – the hard-driving reel made famous by the great travelling fiddler John Doherty, taken at a gentler but still lively pace by Ó Maonaigh – it’s obvious that this young man has a musical maturity well beyond his years. Drawing his repertoire almost exclusively from Donegal players, Ó Maonaigh takes his cue from tradition but makes the tunes his own. His version of the slow air ‘Iníon a’Bhaoghailligh’ is beautifully expressive, bringing out the lonesome feel of the melody through tasteful use of double-stopping and ornamentation.