Trad 'powerhouse' for Venue concert on St Patrick's Day
Powerhouse traditional music quartet Keane/Connolly/McGorman make a St Patrick's Day appearance at the Venue, Ratoath, this year. Comprised of uilleann piper Pádraic Keane, fiddle player Aidan Connolly, and local brothers Fergus McGorman on flute and Ruairí McGorman on Greek bouzouki.
Their music is vibrant and fresh sounding, while also being heavily influenced by past masters of the tradition. Keane, from Maree in Galway, is a prodigious exponent of piping in Ireland today and also a recipient of the TG4 Young Musician of the Year Award. He is joined by fiddle player Connolly from Rathfarnham who has been heavily influenced both by the musicians of his locality and the great fiddlers of times past: Paddy Cronin, Paddy Canny and Denis Murphy to name but a few. He has studied traditional music in-depth and is a highly respected authority on traditional instrumental music from the 1920s onwards. Aidan has his own unique style of playing and is a highly sought-after performer both in Ireland and abroad.
Brothers Fergus McGorman (flute) and Ruairí McGorman (Greek Bouzouki) were born into a musical family in Ratoath. Fergus' powerful, rhythmic flute playing and Ruairí's weaving harmonies and countermelodies are the perfect match for the virtuosity of Keane and Connolly.
Released under the renowned Raelach Records label, a label synonymous with top-class, pure drop traditional music, their eponymous ‘Keane Connolly McGorman’ album has been described as ‘…highly anticipated…’, by concertina player Cormac Begley. The legendary Bothy Band founder member Paddy Glackin described Keane/Connolly/McGorman’s music as having a '...tonality, tempo and an articulacy of ornamentation that give a dimension to music that is unique and beautiful'. Featuring a variety of well researched jigs, reels and hornpipes, included is also a variety of rare tunes including hop jigs, an O’Carolan composition, and ‘La Cinquentaine’, a romantic piece from the 1880s. Noreen O’Donoghue guests on the harp, with Jack Talty also guesting on piano. ‘Keane Connolly McGorman’ is available on Bandcamp and from Raelach Records.