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New album 'Tobar an Cheoil'.
New album 'Tobar an Cheoil'.
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TOBAR AN CHEOIL Review THE IRISH ECHO NY
Album Review by Daniel Neely. Click here to Irish Echo Link
This week I’ve been listening to “Tobar An Cheoil,” an utterly delightful album of flute and harp music from the duo Draíocht. Draíocht is June McCormack (flute) & Michael Rooney (Harp), a pair of truly lovely folks who make music that has the veneer of simplicity, but which is in fact full of depth and nuance. The harp/flute combination is a special one because it lives from a very particular tonal rage that is evocative for many who hear it. If it’s a taste of Ireland you’re looking for, this is the album for you.
“Tobar An Cheoil” is McCormack and Rooney’s third release as Draíocht (the first two being “Land’s End,” 2006 and “Draíocht,” 2004) and while those two releases were critically acclaimed the pair have impressive individual backgrounds. From Ballintogher, Co. Sligo, McCormack, is a member of the Dartry Ceili Band, has two volumes of flute tutors, and was the senior All-Ireland flute champion in 1998, the same year she was named TG4’s “Young Musician of the Year.” Rooney, who is originally from Scotstown, Co. Monaghan (he’s now based in Sligo), is a gifted harp player and a prolific composer. He’s collected several of his tunes into a book, has also published four solo harp suites as well thirteen further suites for harp and ensemble/orchestra. TG4 named him “Composer of the Year” in 2017.
There is a lot to love with this album. The basic affinity between the two instruments is plain to hear, but McCormack and Rooney bring a strong intuitive sense of each other’s music to the table and use that to accentuate the great warmth in their music. For example, take the track “McGivney's Favourite / The Bird's Hornpipe.” It starts with Rooney playing solo. Here, his phrasing, rhythm, and harmonies are so enjoyable to hear, but when McCormack joins, her biting tone and light touch blends with Rooney’s harp wonderfully and brings a different sort of life to the track. This kind of dynamic interplay lights up selections including “The Lark On The Strand / The Boat To Bofin” and “The Boys Of Ballisodare / The Devil’s Chimney” as well.
The two’s shared brilliance also gives great life to Rooney’s compositions, of which 12 are included here. Of these, I particularly like the clan march and reel pairing “Flight of the Earls / The Ulster Reel.” Both come from suites he’s written, and paired here give a great sense of Rooney’s style. Another lovely track of originals is “Eamhain Mhacha / St. Patrick’s Way.” Featuring a slow air & slip jig, we get a somewhat more modern melodic sensibility (with harmony to match) in the slow air, but all of this floats on a subtle and very tastefully done chamber string arrangement (which features Maria Ryan & Lucia Mac Partlin, violins, and Aoife Burke, cello). McCormack doesn’t join until the slip jig, but when she does the track comes into crisp focus. I also quite enjoyed “Planxty Castle Leslie,” a tribute to harpist Turlough O’Carolan that evokes the baroque era and again put the harp forward in a subtle chamber string arrangement. Lovely stuff!
“Tobar An Cheoil” is full of gorgeous music. McCormack and Rooney are top tier players who share a beautiful vision of what the harp and flute can be together and Rooney’s compositions shine, really lifting up an already top tier selection of tunes. Definitely recommended, especially for the harp and flute players out there, but really for anyone who likes their music rich, with an airy touch. “Tobar An Cheoil” was released on June 27 and is currently available through Draíocht’s website,
Tobar an Cheoil Album
NEW ALBUM Press Release
‘Tobar an Cheoil’ is the third collaborative album by Monaghan-born harper Michael Rooney and Sligo-born flutist June McCormack, having previously released ‘Land’s End’ in 2006 and ‘Draíocht’ in 2004. Both players have substantial musical credentials. Together as ‘Draíocht’, they have toured extensively, throughout the States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Their duet playing is outstanding, rich, melodic and subtle, with a unique blend of harp and flute. They have already achieved great things individually, including major awards and two acclaimed recordings.
With over 55 minutes of music, ‘Tobar an Cheoil’ offers a fourteen-track album with a difference, a mixture of traditional tunes and features twelve of Michael’s original compositions. The album has an unusual variety of tunes, incorporating several reel and jig sets, in addition to newly composed hop-jigs, slip jigs, a number of airs and planxties by Michael.
The album features a number of guest musicians, including Jack Warnock on guitar, Maria Ryan and Lucia Mac Partlin on violins, Aoife Burke on cello and Seamie O’Dowd on guitar.
“Irish Times Review
June McCormack and Michael Rooney’s sensitive interpretations...
Finely wrought third album of traditional and new tunes from flute-harp duo
The marriage of harp and flute is a celestial one and in the hands of musicians, Michael Rooney and June McCormack, it’s a life union that results in the most intuitive, subtle and sensitive interpretations of tunes old and new.
This is their third collection, but their first since 2006. The pair draw on a wealth of tunes, including 12 mighty compositions from Rooney, who has forged a reputation as a composer with chops in the intervening years.
June McCormack’s Sligo roots are showing, magnificently, in her fluid, rhythmic and unforced flute style, where she serves the tune first and last, without a hint of ego in the mix. Her reading of the pair of hornpipes, McGivney’s favourite and The bird’s hornpipe are a celebration of her sympathetic approach to the delicacy of both tunes, while her sinuous playing is woven seamlessly through Michael Rooney’s warm and thoughtful harp.
Rooney’s own tune compositions reveal a breadth and depth that inches beyond the tradition, particularly on An cruitire, as timeless a piece as you’ll find in any genre.
With finely tuned accompaniment from Seamie O’Dowd on guitar and Aoife Burke on cello, among others, this is a deliciously slow burner of a collection that reveals its riches tune by tune, layer by delicate layer. A highly polished nugget that will resonate long into the evening and across the seasons.
”
- The Irish Echo New York
Draíocht - (Michael Rooney & June MCCormack)
This husband and wife duo, also known as ‘Draíocht’, have substantial musical credentials. They have already achieved great things individually, including major awards and two acclaimed recordings. They have toured extensively as Draíocht, having performed throughout the States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Together as Draíocht, Michael Rooney and June McCormack have recorded two CDs: ‘Draíocht’ and ‘Land’s End’. They have just finished recording their third studio album ‘Tobar an Cheoil’, June 2022.
June Mc Cormack comes from Ballintogher, Co Sligo and was recipient of the TG4 Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award in 1998. A primary school teacher by profession, June has published two Irish flute tutorials 'Fliuit', 'Fliuit 2' and most recently, ‘The Book of Sligo Tunes’.
Originally from Scotstown, Co. Monaghan and now resident in Sligo, Michael’s output as a composer is impressive and includes four publications of recent suites, as well as thirteen major suites for harp and ensemble or orchestra. Among the highlights of his recent orchestral and ensemble compositions are ‘The Ulster Suite (2022), Clairseoireacht (2022), ‘Constance’ (Feb 2020), The Famine Suite (2019), The De Cuellar Suite (2011), The Reconciliation Suite (2015) and The Macalla Suite (2016).