Bouzouki

Billy McGlynn

Billy Mag Fhloinn, a native of Limerick, has been playing Traditional Irish music on Irish bouzouki and bodhrán since the age of sixteen. He learned traditional accompaniment in the session scenes of Limerick and Dublin and after living for a year in West Kerry, became familiar with its lively musical style. He has performed in several European countries, and recently participated in a series of concerts in western USA as part of traditional Irish singer Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh's solo tour. He recorded on Nic Amhlaoibh's critically acclaimed album 'Daybreak:Fáinne an Lae', and has appeared as a guest artist on several other recordings. He is currently completing a PhD in irish Folklore, regularly gives lectures and workshops on Irish music and related elements of traditional Irish culture.

Irish music for musicians from other genres

Concept:

This class is intended for classical and jazz musicians (amoungst others) playing violin or flute who are competent players who would like to know more about Irish music. You do not need to be an experienced Irish musician to enrol but you do need to have a standard of grade 5 or the equivalent playing experience. Good sight reading skills and good ear will help you get the most out of the tuition.

The class will cover tune types, ornamentation and other playing techniques necessary to create an authentic Irish style of playing. They will also include information on the tradition, regional styles of playing in Ireland, and some introduction into the culture surrounding the music. 

Brendyn Montgomery

Brendyn is based in Nelson, New Zealand. He has an M.A. in traditional Irish music performance (1st class honours) and is one of New Zealand’s leading traditional Irish musicians, playing flute, whistle and fiddle. His solo CD Mountain Air (2003) with Mike Considine (bouzouki) won the ‘Tui’ for best Folk Album of 2003 (NZ music and entertainment awards).

Fiddle

Adrian Barker

Ado has earned a reputation as one of the finest Irish fiddle players Australia has produced. In recent years Ado has made something of a second home in Ennis, Co. Clare, and his time in Ireland has given him the opportunity to soak in the music of some sublime traditional musicians. An accomplished performer, and the winner of the inaugural Chris Wendt award at the National Folk Festival in 1998, he is never more at home than in the thick of a lively session.

He is also an experienced teacher of traditional music, and has taught extended workshops at events such as Ceol Aneas in New Zealand (2005, 2006), the Easter School at the National Folk Festival (2007) and at the Turning Wave Irish festival (2006, 2007). Along with co-conspirator Ben Stephenson, he was joint recipient of the 2006 National Library of Australia Folk Fellowship, the product of which was their award-winning album Undertones: Irish music from Australia.

Beth McCracken

Beth McCracken has been playing Irish traditional music for 12 years, playing and teaching in both Australia and Ireland. A committed teacher and meditative performer, Beth's flute and fiddle styles have been heavily influenced by the gutsy momentum of players such as Harry Bradley, Paul O'Shaunessey and Siobhan Peoples. 

Flute

Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh

Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh hails from Dún Chaoin in the West-Kerry Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area), a beautiful spot overlooking the Blasket Islands. Growing up, she was immersed in the vibrant West-Kerry tradition with its wild dance music, soulful slow airs and vast repertoire of songs. Her father, a fiddler, would bring her to music sessions from a young age. There she began to play music on the flute and tin-whistle and to sing sean-nós (old-style) songs learning from such wonderful local singers as Áine Ní Laoithe, Eilín Ní Chearna and the Begly family. She also attended Siamsa Tíre, the National Folk Theatre of Ireland, for several years.

She received an M.A in Traditional Music from the University of Limerick in 2002. Muireann began touring and performing with various musicians and groups before joining Danú in 2003. Her choice of song reflects her musical interests, varying from traditional Irish to American old-time and contemporary folk.

Duncan Davidson

Duncan comes from North of Wellington in Upper Hutt, New Zealand. Starting on the tin whistle, he has been playing traditional music since he was twelve years old. Fifteen years on he has become both accomplished and respected by fellow musicians for his playing and experience. Duncan loves playing in sessions and has also performed as a soloist and as a part of many line-ups for gigs, concerts, tours, and festivals over the years. He was one of three whistle tutors for Ceol Aneas 2004 and has also taken the free reed class at Ceol Aneas. Duncan's main instruments now are Flute and Button Accordian. Workshops with Duncan will be enjoyable and worthwhile.

Free Reed

Barrie McDonald

Barrie McDonald is well known throughout the celtic music scene in New Zealand as the man ‘on the box’. Based in Waikuku Beach, North Canterbury, Barrie is a master craftsman of musical arrangements and shows both flair and sensitivity whether he is playing solo or as a backing musician. Barrie loves nothing more than to play in a great session and to pass on his knowledge of tunes. Barrie has tutored at previous ceol anneas and is the anchor man for the Ceili.

Guitar

Kate Burke

Kate is an exquisite singer and a powerful and imaginative guitarist, and provides much of the backbone to Trouble’s distinctive sound. In 1998 she won, along with Ruth Hazleton, the Liz Johnston Award for Vocal Excellence at the National Folk Festival, and as a duo Kate and Ruth have since recorded three successful albums. In 2004 they toured Ireland to great acclaim with Irish singer Andy Irvine and UK performers James Fagan and Nancy Kerr. Kate spends a lot of time going to Irish sessions with her fiddle and concertina, and in what little spare time remains she is writing songs – her Song for Reconciliation was nominated for a MusicOz award in 2003.  She remains a strong believer in slow food, wool spinning, and hates McDonald’s

Whistle

Bob Bickerton

Specialising in Celtic music, Bob Bickerton has performed at most major concert venues and folk festivals around New Zealand in the past 20 years. A multi-instrumentalist, he also plays guitar, flute, uilleann (Irish) pipes, harp, mandola and sings.

He was founder and director of the School Of Celtic Music and the founding convener of the New Zealand Uilleann Pipers Association. He is also a founder and current chairman of the Celtic Flute School Of New Zealand which runs the popular Ceol Aneas workshops in Nelson each June. He has given workshops and classes in Irish music and has studied uilleann pipes, fiddle and flute in Ireland.