The Blackberry Blossom

In these days of increasing homogenisation, it is a pure delight to hear Irish traditional music of such distinctive hue.

Mary McNamara has a musical lineage which is the equivalent of any royal house, being related to Tony MacMahon on one side and Paddy Murphy on the other. Her playing is beautiful and stately, and not at all rushed as is often the fashion of today.

Her version of ‘An Pristín Fionn’ is quite distinctive – played in two different tempos, a couple of melodic twists away from the line of the tune give the piece an ever more unusual construct. Likewise, her use – in sparing fashion – of the left side keys as regulators, mimetic of a piping style, is a lovely touch.

With The Blackberry Blossom, Mary McNamara has given us something fresh and distinctive. This is a lovely record, one to savour especially for its grace – not to mention the sleeve notes which are among the most readable I’ve encountered.

All concerned can feel very proud indeed.