вЂњI found that the yearning style and long phrasing of Paddy FaheyвЂ™s compositions worked well, as did tunes in the gently flowing styles of Clare and south Sligo. That word вЂyearningвЂ™ comes into mind when it comes to playing and hearing the viola

I found myself in a certain reflective state of mind, thinking about what was important. His expansive liner notes offer some valuable insights into the creative process as it evolved. This album reaches well beyond what might have been expected from the viola in terms of its clear suitability to songs and slow airs. He has a masterfully elegant touch on the viola, an instrument that can often sound melancholy, but SГ©amus has a transcendent way of playing which gives a quality of airy lightness without losing the rich viola tone.вЂќДЇinding the right tunes with a rich mix of mood and of pacing was central to this project, and McGuire made some unexpected discoveries in his quest for appropriate tunes. вЂњI hadnвЂ™t played with him for many years, since subbing for Garry OвЂ™Briain in Buttons & Bows, fadГі fadГі.

вЂњI was delighted to have the chance to record with SГ©amus,вЂќ Cooney offers. This netherworld is one that Steve Cooney happily embraced too, and the pair have clearly enjoyed collaborating on this intriguing album. A musician colleague recently commented that thereвЂ™s something in the physics of the lower range of the viola that allows the slower vibration of the strings to hug the listener and performer in a different way.

вЂњI think one of the reasons for this is the way the viola resonates so closely with the sound of the human voice. вЂњAlthough the fiddle is my first instrument, IвЂ™ve been drawn for a long time to the viola with its deeper, warmer tones,вЂќ he admits. In recent years, heвЂ™s retired from a career as a paediatrician in Donegal, and heвЂ™s clearly harnessed the luxury of time to dramatic effect on An Irish Viola/VГola Gaelach. McGuire is a highly accomplished musician, with a fine back catalogue from his time with Buttons & Bows and more recently with the West Ocean String Quartet. Obviously it suits lower music very well, but I wanted to avoid a load of slow airs and songs, because that would have been such a predictable way to go.вЂќ Paediatrician вЂњI wanted to show the instrument as one not confined to slower pieces. вЂњI wanted to avoid the temptation of doing an album of slow airs and songs,вЂќ he says. McGuire invited Steve Cooney to accompany him, and itвЂ™s a heady combination of deep-rooted, reflective tunes cross-cut with deliciously delicate arrangements that amplify the beauty of McGuireвЂ™s tune choices. One of the reasonsВ is the way the viola resonates so closely with the sound of the human voice IвЂ™ve been drawn for a long time to the viola with its deeper, warmer tones. The combination of viola and guitar works very well too.вЂќ вЂњSo that gave me a different kind of confidence, in that it hasnвЂ™t been done before. I loved her playing, but I couldnвЂ™t find any album of viola in Irish music, which really surprised me, because I think it really does work well. IвЂ™m thinking particularly of MГЎire Breatnach who has recorded some beautiful tunes on the viola, but they were part of albums or used as accompaniment. вЂњThere have been lots of excellent musicians who have played viola. вЂњI donвЂ™t think that anyone has recorded an album with the viola as the lead instrument in traditional music before,вЂќ McGuire offers, reflecting on the sense of adventure that characterised this labour of love that emerged during lockdown. This is the first album of Irish music anchored by the viola, and bears all the hallmarks of a lengthy gestation in its thoughtful tune choices and pristine arrangements. A celebration of light and of shade, it offers an alluring space where the tunes of OвЂ™Carolan and those of the Goodman and other collections of the 18th and 19th century intertwine with the achingly beautiful tunes of Paddy Fahey, as well as those of contemporary composers including cellist and piper Neil Martin and McGuire himself. Sligo fiddle player SГ©amus McGuire has taken the viola out from the shadows and placed it centre stage, so that its rich, mellow tones can find purchase in the deepest crevices of our tradition.ДЄn Irish Viola/VГola Gaelach is a thing of beauty. As the year draws to a close, a new album has cast a fresh and unexpected light on our traditional music.

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