My album has been stocked in Tambourine Music, a Celtic music specialist shop in Japan, since it was released in February this year. It was great to see 'Sheear' listed as number one in Japan’s ‘Top 10’ in the June edition of the Irish Music Magazine! Though the CD was actually released under my own label 'Purt Sheearan Records', I...
Read More‘Sheear’ received some lovely reviews this month from Aidan O’Hara - Irish Music Magazine and Neil King at FATEA Magazine. I have posted the full reviews below (though you can also access the FATEA review online here). FATEA review: One of the many things I love about music is its capacity to keep cultures, traditions and even languages alive. Over the years...
Read MoreThis morning, I received a rather spluttery, excited call from a friend: 'SWITCH ON BBC RADIO 6 RIGHT NOW! YOUR SONG IS PLAYING!' ...
Read MoreA couple of weeks ago, I travelled to Ireland to bring Manx music and language to BA and MA music students at Dundalk Institute of Technology, and the conservatory at Dublin Institute of Technology. With the help of my trio, I delivered lecture-recitals which focussed on the characteristics of Manx music; shared traditions between the Isle of Man, Scotland and...
Read MoreOn February 15th, my debut album 'Sheear' (meaning 'Westward' in Manx Gaelic) was released. Album launch gigs took place in the Isle of Man and in Ireland, the latter gigs being joint gigs with the Scottish Gaelic supergroup Dàimh. For the Manx launch, which took place on the release date at the Peel Centenary Centre, I gathered the full line-up from...
Read MoreYesterday something very exciting landed on my doorstep: my new CDs! The release date (15th February) is creeping up quickly now, and I'm very much looking forward to my album launch gigs that'll be happening that month. The first gig marks the release date of the album and will take place at the Peel Centenary Centre on the Isle of Man...
Read MorePhewph! It has been a busy month. November began with a whirlwind of a week in which two fantastic Norwegian musicians (Erlend Apneseth and Margit Myhr) arrived on the Isle of Man for an intensive four days of rehearsals with myself and fellow Manx traditional musicians Tomas Callister (fiddle) and David Kilgallon (piano/fiddle). Before I continue, I’ll give you a bit...
Read MoreIn February 2013, myself and Manx fiddle player Tomas Callister travelled to Western Norway to begin a musical collaboration with traditional singer Margit Myhr and Hardanger fiddler Erlend Apneseth. Margit and Erlend will travel to the Island at the beginning of November to join forces with myself, Tom and multi-instrumentalist David Kilgallon for the second part of the project, which is...
Read MoreExcitingly, two songs from my upcoming album were broadcast on 'World on 3' last night (11th Oct). Mary Ann Kennedy chose to play 'Roish my row flaunys er ny chroo' (Before the heavens were created) and 'Graih foalsey' (False love) on her programme: the first public broadcast of any of my solo material! If you had peeped through the keyhole...
Read MoreOn Saturday 21st September, Manx filmmaker Will Sutton shot some music videos for me. We filmed two songs as live performances: 'Fin as Oshin' (Finn and Ossian) and 'The road to Clady'. Both songs feature on my upcoming album. 'Fin as Oshin' is a traditional Manx Gaelic song, quick-paced and fiery. The melody to 'The road to Clady' is a traditional one...
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