Concertina and Fiddle album on Bandcamp - The Hunting Room (folk music)

[Cogsey]

Hello!

 

if anyone is interested in a rather esoteric duet album, "The Hunting Room" by Aifric Boylan and me, I'm happy to say its now available on Bandcamp from today.

 

"The Hunting Room" was recorded in Castletown House in Co.Kildare on a balmy summer evening in 2013. We did print up a small number of hard copies a while ago but we dont often do concerts so I thought making a digital version available would be good. 

 

For the nerds among you (which is probably all of us), I used the high c and simple bellow dynamics to mimic the sound of a Hospital Heart rate monitor as an introduction to the Foggy Dew on track 1. We were feeling the direct effects of the Global financial crisis. It still feels relevant in these coronavirus times.

 

My concertina was lovingly made by Colin, Rosalie and John Dipper. We played one of John's tunes on the album - Ruskin Mill Waltz ( a beauty) and followed it with one of Rob Harbron's - Copernicus (Another). We're not sure who made Aifric's fiddle. 

 

Search ciarangogrady.bandcamp.com or The Hunting Room on Bandcamp and you'll find it.  If you're looking for a high-octane trad Irish album - this is NOT it. 

 

Hope you like it

 

All the best

 

Ciaran, Melbourne

 

[alex_holden]

Direct link: https://ciaranogrady.bandcamp.com/album/the-hunting-room

[Chris Ghent]

So glad I can now recommend this album; I waited until people could buy it. I have had it for three or four years. It is a brilliant recording and shows Ciarán O’Grady (Cogsey) to be one of the great anglo players of the world. His wife Afric is equally skilled on the fiddle.
 

Disclaimer: well, more of a claimer!  They are friends..! But seriously, listen to them. 

[gcoover]

It only took listening to the first two tracks to convince me to buy the album. No mad diddly thrash here, just incredibly musical explorations of how beautiful these tunes can be. An absolute pleasure to listen to, your efforts are much appreciated!

 

Gary

[alex_holden]

Note that Bandcamp is running a promotion where the first Friday of every month they don't take a cut from sales. If you buy the album tomorrow as of the time of writing [Friday 6th August 2021], @Cogsey will be paid a bit extra. The same thing applies to all other artists who are selling digital music downloads on Bandcamp.

https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/bandcamp-fridays-2021

[gcoover]

If you like Bertram Levy's and Frank Ferrel's excellent "Sageflower Suite" album, or Charles O'Connor's "Angel on the Mantelpiece", then you will likely enjoy this too!

 

Gary

Edited August 5, 2021 by gcoover

[Cogsey]

Thanks very much for putting up the link Alex and promoting it!! and to Gary and Chris for your very kind words. Feels good to put the recording out there a bit more. 

 

I'm listening to Charles O'Connor's album on bandcamp. Very enjoyable. It mentions that he was a founder of Horslips so I'm assuming its his concertina that was augmented into the design of that famous Horslips album . I have a copy - but its in Ireland!

 

Also, I am getting back to finishing the other album that I've been working on. Its half recorded and but I hadnt touched it in 2 years. Getting back to the right headspace to complete it so I'll put up a note here when its close.

 

Ciaran

 

[TehRazorBack]

I really enjoyed the album as a whole, but The Blaskets was my favourite. Wanted to play it myself, but also to get the lovely, haunting harmony that comes from the original. Here's my attempted arrangement.
 

 

The_Blaskets.pdf