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PEADAR O’LOCHLAINN AND AGGIE WHYTE - Seancheol Ar An Seannos

PEADAR O’LOCHLAINN AND AGGIE WHYTE - Seancheol Ar An Seannos
Na Piobairi Uilleann  NPUCD020

There is so much written about newer musicians who build on and expand the traditions that one could easily be forgiven for thinking that players of earlier generations could not have been so talented. If that thought has ever crossed your mind, then listening to this will banish it forever.

This little gem (slightly under fifteen minutes) was originally recorded in the early 1960s, and was the one musical release on the SPOL label, which was founded by the mighty Breandan Breathnach. Modern techies have weaved their spells, in partnership with a number of musical advisers, and the result is a CD which has the clarity of a modern recording to better reveal to us the peerless playing of two real experts.

Peadar O’Lochlainn and Aggie Whyte respectively won gold medals at Oireachtas competitions for solo flute and fiddle, as well as duets.  Peadar’s rolling County Clare flute interacts perfectly with Aggie’s Galway fiddle, with the result being as crisp and light as possible. The two instruments complement each other, with both musicians respecting each other’s integrity in a way which shows off the depth of the music.

There is a lot for any aspiring musician to learn from this recording, both in the structure of a duet and in the style of playing, but there is also the joy of experiencing the pleasure that the players draw from their material and convey easily to the listener.

It’s a great shame that the recording wasn’t any longer, but “good gear gangs in little bulk” right enough.

Gordon Potter

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This album was reviewed in Issue 88 of The Living Tradition magazine.