Donall Donnelly is a talisman on the fiddle. Growing up in the rich fiddle tradition of Co. Tyrone, Donall quickly developed a reputation for his highly technical virtuosity and style. Following his success in the All-Ireland Fleadh Comhaltas fiddle competition and his winning of the coveted ‘Fiddler of Dooney’ competition in Sligo, he was invited to take part in a Comhaltas Tour of Ireland and since then his fiddle career has flourished. Dónall has toured worldwide and supported bands like Capercaille and the Michael McGoldrick band, playing in front of thousands at festivals ranging from Womad, Cambridge Folk Festival to L’orient. He has also performed as a guest musician at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow. Dónall recorded a CD entitled ‘Driven’, which was a collaborative venture with guest artists including Larry Nugent and Niall Vallely. In 2007, Dónall was given the immense honour of playing in the “Concertgebouw” in Amsterdam- Holland’s world-famous National Concert Hall with the legendary Dutch musician and composer Carel Krayenhof. This remarkable showcase of Irish music and Dutch composition featured the much-loved Irish balladeer Niamh Parsons and was hailed as a remarkable fusion of international musical cultures. Donall has appeared on BBC radio and television programmes including ‘An Stuif Ceart’ alongside musicians like Juliet Turner and Liam O’Maonlai and performed in a music video on RTE 1’s the ‘Reel Deal’- a programme featuring the top traditional musical talent of Ireland. Most recently, Dónall recorded a solo album- Tremolo- that received rave reviews. With the ability to explode like a firework, Donall’s playing retains a sweetness and subtlety that oozes personality, energy and warmth. “One of Irelands greatest young fiddle players- Donall Donnelly…….. an excellent debut featuring driving tunes of the highest order.” The Irish Times Donall has delighted and entertained audiences all over the UK, Ireland and France with his finesse and originality. Hes set for great things to come BBC Radio London Tradconnect REVIEW tradconnect/profiles/blogs/album-review-donall-donnelly-tremolo-irish-traditional-music The Fiddler of Dooney champion Donall Donnelly has moved on, found his musical inspiration and has delivered a debut album of stunning proportions. Comprised of mostly self compositions Tremolo is an album that was so creatively inspiring that it became the genesis of the band Tremolo, who are now recording their own debut album. Donall grew up in the rich fiddle tradition of Co.Tyrone and has developed a reputation for his technical virtuosity and style. He then went on to tour with bands like Capercaille, Michael McGoldrick and others. To accompany him on his debut he brought on board some old friends in the shape of Donncha Moynihan on guitar, banjo and keyboards, Karl Nesbitt on bouzouki, bodhrán and flute and Stijn van Beek on uilleann pipes and low whistle. This is without doubt a potent and musically inventive and inspiring group of musicians. The music that Donall has created is at times mesmerising and his 14 self compositions are outstanding. These compositions are a multifaceted musical exploration of our tradition interspersed with external influences that are musically invigorating. He creates memorable rhythms and new perspectives within the simplest of structures. His slow reels in structure are common but the nuances that he introduces change the music into something far more appealing. He makes you stop and wonder, and the listening experience challenges you. The opening set Sundays Well is typically addictive. It opens with a glorious slow reel of sorts that is infectious. The second set Groove Reels opens with pulsating guitar and as the name suggests gets you into an immediate groove with three self compositions named Sylvies Groove / Truffles / The Broken Doll. Van Beeks uilleann pipes kick in to great effect as the set progresses. You cant help but want to dance. He alternates this with a slow reel set called The Hermit comprising tunes called The Hermit and LA Lass. When Donall composes something simple he makes it magically simple and that is what The Hermit is. A slow reel that twists and turns around a minimal scale and then with the use of didgeridoo slowly changes into the second tune in the set. Just when you are getting comfortable he surprises again with a Mexican folk song, Mi Sueno, sung by Dublin soprano Elva MacGowan. Its like the prison scene from the Shawshank Redemption where Andy Dufresne ( Tim Robbins ) plays Sullaria... che soave zeffiretto from The Marriage of Figaro through loudspeakers into the prison yard. Red ( Morgan Freeman ) doesnt know what the woman is singing about , nor does he want to know. Somethings he says are better left unspoken. The same applies here. I dont know what Elva is singing about, nor do I want to know. Its simply gorgeous. This is followed by the traditional slow reel The Old Schoolmaster, again remarkable for its elegant and sensitive ensemble playing. Nothing added or taken away that is not needed. This marks the half way point of the album. The second half continues apace with the highlight being a slow air called Farewell to Terenure. Tremolo is imaginatively stunning traditional music with a twist and Donall Donnelly on the strength of it will remain a creative force for some time to come. It is as exciting, creative and free spirited as it is well composed and played. It marks Donall Donnelly as one to watch for the future and makes the arrival of the band of the same name as something to anticipate. Lets see where they take us because if it is anything like the album Tremolo, then we are in for a treat. JOURNAL OF MUSIC journalofmusic/radar/first-album-donall-donnelly Tremolo is a new album, the first, from Co Tyrone fiddle player Donall Donnelly. Across twenty-six pieces, played in twelve tracks, mostly sets of three tunes, it features fourteen of his own compositions. Other pieces featured are the traditional tunes ‘the Old Schoolmaster’ and ‘Frank’s Favourite’, Tommy Peoples’ ‘Little Jennifer’, and a Mexican folk song, called ‘Mi Sueño’, sung by Elva McGowan. With Donnelly, the main musicians on the album include Donncha Moynihan on guitar, five-string banjo, keyboards and ebow; Karl Nesbitt on bouzouki, bodhrán, flute and didgeridoo; and Stijn van Been on uilleann pipes and low whistle. Together they have since formed a group under the Tremolo name. Donnelly explains his influences: ‘I would have to say my dad Danny Donnelly who played fiddle first and foremost; Johnny Loughran, a blind fiddler from Pomeroy, Co. Tyrone; Brid Harper who lives very close to where I grew up in Galbally, Co. Tyrone; and of course Cathal Hayden who also lives close to me to as well there. ‘I was very lucky to have so many great fiddle-players around me growing up in Tyrone and remember going to a local pub in Pomeroy, Dalys as a young boy and having Brian Conway, first in the All-Ireland Fiddle Fleadh Competition a few days previous; second, Brid Harper; and third, Cathal Hayden all playing in the same session. ‘I like bands who I perceive as being innovative such as Flook, Grada, Lúnasa and Solas in the trad scene. It was recently a great honour for me to be able to support Lúnasa at the Cork Folk Festival. I love jazz, world music, and the Smiths are probably my all-time favourite band, though I also love Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and the Stone Roses.’ In relation to his musical development, Donnelly continues: ‘I come from a classical background originally and grew up playing classical music which I think is really useful for technique. I was part of the Ulster Youth Orchestra as well.’ Since winning the ‘Fiddler of Dooney’ competition, Donnelly has toured extensively, supporting bands like Capercaille, the Michael McGoldrck band and playing festivals including Womad and Celtic Connections. In 2007, Donnelly was invited to play with Dutch bandoneonist Carel Krayenhof in Holland’s national concert hall, Het Concertgebouw. IRISH AMERICA REVIEW irishamerica/2012/07/music-reviews-12/ TRADITIONAL: Donall Donnelly • TremoloThis solo project, Tremolo, masterminded by Tyrone fiddler Donall Donnelly, is a fantastic album packed with personality and energy. Fortunately, the album has led to the formation of a band of the same name, consisting of four master players. The album itself is a wonderful combination of experienced finesse and youthful energy. “Julia’s Jigs” is a prime example of Donnelly’s musical personality: rambunctious and playful. To shake up the traditional collection, Donnelly includes “Mi Sueño,” a Mexican folk song that blends well into the album as a whole, while injecting a welcome variety to the sound. Throughout Tremolo, Donnelly’s arrangements take few risks, but what he accomplishes within the standard trad format is exhilarating. Already receiving buzz around the new band, Donnelly proves he not only has the ear of a polished player, but also the personality to create a distinct and memorable sound. Tremolo will definitely be a band to watch as Donnelly channels his talent into the future of the ensemble.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Jul 2014 00:09:58 +0000
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