On tour in Germany

1656ad9f-190a-4301-a151-aa280d53d711Beautiful Concert in Lissa last Friday with Bernd Lüdtke. Here a few pix. Coming up this Friday Murray & Falkenau in Löbnitz in the amazing medieval church there. Also looking forward to returning to the Alte Klosterkirche in Oschatz this Sunday evening, start 18.00.

3b7d946d-7612-46c3-ae91-7f9f88e0d206

8a70efeb-8c95-4648-89a7-ecd7840d9ba2

c641593c-d737-4001-a935-17bda5782aee

Great weekend of music

It was just a lovely weekend of music. What a treat to meet and listen to and play tunes with old-time fiddle player Bruce Green in Kinvara (in Green’s!). Thanks to Frank Hall for organising it all!
And mighty tunes with Mary Shannon and Steve Sweeney in Padraicin’s last Friday night. And last but not least, great to see the Droighneann Donn in Spiddal open again. Jimmy Dillon, Regis Golding and myself took a break from Taaffe’s and enjoyed Saturday night there. And Sunday evening’s session was a great buzz. And on top of that the AMAZING weather. Feels like the South of France but with all the great music sessions!

Nice piece in Irish Music Magazine

from this months in the Irish Music Magazine: “I CAN HEAR YOU CALLING” RESONATES WORLWIDE – Anna Falkenau & Lena Ullman

“A wonderful collaborative album,“ this latest release by acclaimed fiddle player Anna Falkenau
and five-string banjo virtuoso / singer Lena Ullman has found open ears around the world. Since its launch at the Ennis Tradfest it has been widely played on radio shows in Ireland, France, Denmark, New Zealand and across the US. At home I Can Hear You Calling continuous to be featured on RTE1, Clare FM and RnaG. In printed and virtual media, the new album has met with appraisals from national and international music press. “A superb album, that only improves with listening” writes Lonesome Highway Magazine. fRoots remarkes on the “rich cultural influences” of the duo and Siobhán Long responds in the Irish Times: “The pair’s marriage of fiddle and banjo sits perfectly in their chosen musical landscape, where the raw bar glistens in all its free-spirited, unadorned glory,” awarding the independent release four out of five stars.
With critical acclaim reaching from “an ear-whispering collection,“ over “a showcase for innovation and virtuoso playing” to “I Can Hear You Calling raises the hairs on my neck at times, that primal edge on the fiddle particularly,” Anna Falkenau and Lena Ullman have made quite the impact with their new collection of traditional and original tunes!
(Quotes from reviews in Lonesome Highway, Folkworld and from Pete Mullineaux, Poet)

Great playing at the County Fleadh; Congrats!

Big Congrats to my students for playing a treat at the Galway Fleadh last weekend: Ruairi Kennedy (1st Place Slow Airs, U12), Shauna McCarthy (2nd Place Slow Airs, 12-15), Aimee McCarthy (2nd Place Slow Airs, 15-18), Sinead Duggan (1st Place Misc. Instruments, 3rd Place Slow Airs,12-15), Mary Duggan (3rd Place recommended Slow Airs and 3rd Place recommended in Misc. on Viola, 15-18) and to Chloe Winston and Orna McCormack!imag3413 imag3393

Nashville Airplay

Coming up today’s Down the Back Lane presented by Bill Verdier (every Sunday on WXNA, Nashville from 4-6 PM US Central at 101.5 FM and streaming/archived for 50 shows at www.wxnafm.org), music from Lena Ullman & Anna FalkenauWillie Kelly & Mike Rafferty, Moloney, Keane & O’Connell, The Tannahill Weavers, Andy M. Stewart, Caroline Keane & Tom Delany, Floriane Blancke, , Brian Conway, Dylan Foley, Tony Demarco, Siobhan O Donnell, Catherine Jordan, Nathan Gourley & Joey Abarta, Harry Bradley, James Kelly and Zan McLeod and loads more.