This collection of arrangements of traditional Irish music, together with a few self-composed pieces, is the culmination of a long-standing partnership between the violinist Dermot Crehan and the composer/arranger Paul Honey. Having worked together for many years in a variety of professional situations, performing and producing music for other people, they decided the time was right to embark on their own project.
Their aim from the start was to create a collection of arrangements of traditional Irish music that are contemporary in style whilst being true to the original melodies and the period in which they were created. The result is music that moves away from the bland sentimentality of so many arrangements of traditional Irish music and instead explores the deep profundity as well as the darker, more melancholic aspect of that this music holds. All the pieces are scored for strings, 3 horns, harp and piano and have been specially chosen as they encompass a broad range of themes from religious persecution to death, from sex to forgiveness and reconciliation.
Crehan and Honey are joined by three highly respected exponents of Irish music; the vocalist Maggie Boyle, accordionist Luke Daniels and flautist Fiona Kelly. Some of the pieces have already been performed at a number of concerts. The premiere performance of the music at a concert in the Church of St Martin In The Fields received a standing ovation and has been enthusiastically received at subsequent performances including the Maidstone ‘Proms In The Park’ and a concert for the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund at the Royal Opera House.
