The beauty of traditional Irish music has and continues to capture the hearts and imaginations of people around the globe, including those of Ian, Kate, and Eileen. The sixteen airs included in this collection struck an emotional chord in particular.
Ian recorded Kate Cuddy (piano) and Eileen Bird (flute) in his own home and transcribed the improvisations to bring us this unique edition. These airs and the improvisations on them tug on the heartstrings – often they are songs of unrequited or missed love. They are steeped in a rich and deep beauty that is bound to fill your soul with the calm and beauty of Ireland.
“The idea for this project surfaced during a visit from Eileen Bird and Kate Cuddy. Even as we shared food, drinks, stories, and music, we often played and improvised music together, which expanded our creativity and led us to consider a collection of improvisations on Irish airs for piano and flute. With our love for Ireland, we instantly agreed this would be a fun project.
These airs tug at the heartstrings; often they are songs of unrequited or missed love. We hope you, too, will find them charming as you play or listen. While the recordings feature piano and flute, any C or Bb instrument may be used. Guitar accompaniment can also be very effective.”
~ Ian Callanan
