The Flute Player Of Roscommon: Volume 1

With its ambitious subtitle promising future volumes, this CD has been compiled to benefit the purchase of flutes and the provision of bursaries and master classes for emerging musicians. That’s a noble cause, and it’s a pity that the album is marred by a noisy burst of static at the close of one track and by the inclusion of one musician whose playing is noticeably below the standard of the other eleven. Otherwise, though, it’s a superb piece of work. Throughout, the players are unaccompanied – which only serves to highlight the wonderful variety of styles. The extensive notes, meanwhile, cover everything from a history of the concert flute to an entertainingly tongue-in-cheek essay by Fintan Vallely.