Review | Songlines

Úrnua

Rating: ★★★★

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Album and Artist Details

Artist/band:

Carl Hession, Eimear Coughlan, Francis Cunningham

Label:

Úrnua

Jan/Feb/2020

The scion of a well-known Count Galway family of traditional musicians, pianist Carl Hession has established himself as a consummate accompanist, arranger and composer (notably of the international hit Rhythm of the Dance, which has toured constantly since its 1998 premiere). To the fore on Úrnua (Irish for ‘Fresh and New’) are his eloquent abilities as a composer, with 40 new tunes arranged into 18 sets that find Hessian on piano supporting two young Count Clare talents making their debuts on disc.

Having learned the fiddle from her grandfather, Paddy Canny, and harp from Janet Harbison, Eimear Coughlan shows herself wonderfully communicative in pieces cast in the guise of assorted dance forms. She's especially responsive to Hession's classical leanings in the crisply delicate French baroque accents of ‘The Granddaughter's Dream (Waltz)’, the marriage of adagio prettiness and dancing, gigue-like nimbleness of ‘Celtic Storm’ and graceful slow air of ‘Inishbofn’. A pupil of West Limerick concertina virtuoso Tim Collins, Francis Cunningham's contributions are never less than lively and colourful, not least in the reel sets that open and close the album. Hession's piano is always discreet (occasionally to the point of near anonymity), the overall impression one of relaxed, reciprocal music making. The result is altogether pleasing and pleasant.

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