Irish music by Solas

Music on Sunday @ The Reaction

By R.K. Barry

I seem to love best whatever style of music I'm listening to at any given moment. Unfortunately, I also seem to love playing best whatever musical instrument is in my hands at any given moment, which guarantees that I'll never be all that good at any of them (but that's another story).

I have been a fan of Irish music since my father raised us on a steady diet of Clancy Brothers' records back in the day.

Since then I've learned to play some tin whistle and Irish flute as well as guitar in the Celtic style. From time to time I'll try to find my way to a local session, which, if you don't know, is what Irish musicians call a musical get together.

One of my favourite Irish bands is a group out of the U.S. called Solas. Although they play Irish traditional instruments at the highest level, to my mind they transcend traditional boundaries by a fair bit.

I remember buying their first CD when it came out in the mid 90s. I haven't followed them closely enough to know how or to what extent the membership has changed over the years, but I suspect it has. For me the person most identified with them is Seamus Egan on flute, tenor banjo, mandolin, tin whistle, guitar and bodran. Other members are Winifred Horan on violin and vocals (who I see has been there from the beginning); Mick McAuley on accordians, concertina, low whistle and vocals; Eamon McElholm on guitar, keyboards and vocals; and Niamh Varian-Barry on vocals.

I'm pretty sure Ms. Varian-Barry is new because I wouldn't miss noticing someone with whom I share a last name (Barry that is).

The style is wonderfully percussive and energetic. Great stuff. The link to their website is of course above if you're interested in what they do.

To be honest, I'm not sure of the membership of the band in the YouTube clip below, but it is the kind of music they play no matter the line up.

(A listening note: this kind of music is best heard at volume, so a pair of headphones or good speakers would add dramatically to the experience).

(Cross-posted to Music Across the 49th)