An Buachaill Dreoite

This is a fine set of recordings from Seamus 0 Rochain. They show his musical skills, in particular those practised and valued by uilleann pipers, and also his very good understanding of what traditional music is about; how to play it with feeling and respect and get the best out of it.
We know that Seamus' native county of Clare has a rich and diverse musical tradition and from times past we can find written accounts and folklore which tell of pipers and pipemakers playing and living there long ago. In more recent times, Miltown Malbay, where he grew up, was the home place of pipers Willie Clancy and Martin Talty. They listened to and learned from musicians living locally, as well as famous visitors the Doran brothers, and they also benefited from hearing music that had been handed down through Willie's father, Gilbert Clancy, from the celebrated blind piper from Inagh, Garrett Barry.
All of this tradition has been available to Seamus and he has absorbed it well. Being a musician of today, he also has taken influences and tunes from a wide selection of sources and they all blend in well on this disc. He is joined on a couple of tracks by a good friend and an excellent tin whistle player and teacher who is a relation of Willie Clancy, Brid O'Donoghue.
Seamus' use of a flat or low toned set of pipes also helps to bring out the gentle nature of the music and the entire collection has warmth and a beauty which makes it well worth hearing and it will bring lasting enjoyment to the listener.
- Peter Browne, piper and RTE producer