”Brilliant, innovative harping and guitar-playing of astonishing virtuosity and versatility” * * * * SONGLINES

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“Virtuosic, fascinating, dramatic, original, inspired, gloriously adventurous, dazzling, brilliant, stunning, impassioned, electrifying, bewitching, moving, achingly beautiful, influential, revered, unique...”
- THE TIMES, THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, THE GUARDIAN, THE IRISH TIMES, THE SCOTSMAN, fROOTS
...

“One of the UK’s most extraordinary and influential acoustic guitarists” (fROOTS) in concert with “the doyenne of Irish harpers” (SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY), "an absolute legend" (THE IRISH ECHO) and 2001 recipient of the prestigious Irish Traditional Musician of the Year Award (Gradam Ceoil TG4). Watch Máire's performance with Chris at the Gradam Ceoil TG4 awards ceremony here.

Biography in English. Kurzbiografie auf Deutsch. Biographie courte en français.

“An eclecticism and spirit of adventure that is quite thrilling”
* * * THE TIMES “Dazzling virtuosity” THE DAILY TELEGRAPH “Chris is amazing... one of our greatest musicians” BBC RADIO 2 “In a class of their own” * * * THE GUARDIAN “Music of fire and brilliance from the high-wire act in traditional music” * * * * THE IRISH TIMES "Sublime" SYDNEY MORNING HERALD "Blazing guitar and dancing harp" DIRTY LINEN (USA) "A master class in modern Irish music" FOLKWORLD “This celebrated duo took the place by storm. Stately Carolan tunes, jazzy Django-ish numbers, dazzling Doc Watson style flat picking fliers, driving Irish dance tunes - this pair can nonchalantly do the lot. Guitar players applauded and went sadly home to burn their instruments!” THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH

RE-RELEASE OF ICONIC HARP ALBUM

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"An intensely passionate and intelligent record... a masterpiece of virtuosity... a milestone in Irish harp music" CORK EVENING ECHO (Ireland)
"A classic exercise in music-making"
THE SCOTSMAN
"Exquisite... exhilarating harp virtuosity... an undoubted classic" THE IRISH PRESS"
"Sublime... Máire is an absolute legend" THE IRISH ECHO

The New Strung Harp, Máire's ground-breaking solo album, is of historical significance as the first harp album ever to concentrate on traditional Irish dance music, but also features songs in English and Irish and Scottish Gaelic, and pieces from the 17th- and 18th-century Irish harp tradition.

It was first released in 1985 by Scotland-based Temple Records. Before his death in 2021, Robin Morton, the owner of Temple Records, wound up the company and very kindly gifted Máire the rights to the recording. The New Strung Harp has therefore been digitally remastered, given a new cover and artwork, and re-released by Old Bridge Music as OBMCD25.

Listen to it on Spotify
here.

Further information and purchase links are here.

TG4 TV DOCUMENTARY

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A documentary about Máire and her sister Nollaig (also featuring their sister Mairéad, together with Chris, and Nollaig's late husband Arty McGlynn) was broadcast on TG4 as part of its 'Sé mo Laoch series. (TG4 is Ireland's national Irish-language TV station.) You can watch it on the TG4 Player here.

You don't need to speak Irish to enjoy watching the programme: just remember to enable the subtitles. When you click on the link above, you'll see three buttons at the bottom of the picture on the right hand side. The first is 'Subtitles', the second is 'Picture-in-Picture' and the third is 'Fullscreen'. Just click on the 'Subtitles' button and choose "English".

Links to further TV and video clips of Chris and Máire.

'BREAKING BACH' ALBUM FROM CHRIS

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* * * * THE SCOTSMAN * * * * * FOLK WALES
* * * * RnR MAGAZINE * * * * SPIRAL EARTH
* * * * 5PLANÈTES
Album of the Week, RTÉ Lyric FM
Breaking Bach, Chris's solo album of his arrangements for steel-strung flatpicked guitar of sonatas and partitas written by JS Bach for solo instruments is quite ground-breaking - a recording of this music on steel-strung flatpicked guitar has not previously been attempted.

Buy it
on
our Old Bridge Music website or on iTunes,

"A magnificent tour-de-force... a toweringly impressive achievement" THE LIVING TRADITION

Further information and reviews here.

Read Interviews & articles re Breaking Bach

Watch interviews re
Breaking Bach


L
isten to extracts on this sampler - or on iTunes.

CONCERT SCHEDULE FEB - MAY 2024

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Chris & Máire's concert schedule for February - May 2024 is above. Full details are here.

They had an amazing 2023, touring in the USA (four trips), UK, Kenya and Ireland and are looking forward to 2024 performances.

Before that though, they'll be heading to Ireland in January to record a major project - info to follow!

All their news is here.

MAGAZINE COVER FEATURE

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Chris and Máire on the front cover of The Living Tradition magazine.

The magazine features an interview with them too. Click here to read it.

Further interviews with Máire and Chris.

NEW ED. OF 'THE IRISH HARPER' VOL. 2

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The Irish Harper Volume Two: 24 Pieces by Turlough O’Carolan Arranged for the Irish Harp by Máire Ní Chathasaigh was first published by Old Bridge Music in 2001. It has been amended, updated and given a new cover for the Second Edition. More information and purchase links here.

The book contains original arrangements of 24 of Carolan's beautiful tunes (with suggested fingering), a brief biography of Carolan, historical notes on the pieces and performance guidance. Suitable for intermediate to advanced players.

LISTEN

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Listen to them play 'Reel for a Water Diviner' (composed by Máire) from their CD FireWire:

Listen to them play 'A Sore Point' (composed by Chris) from their live CD Live in the Highlands:

Listen to them play 'Stroll On' (composed by Chris) from their live CD Live in the Highlands:

Listen to them play Maurice O'Connor, George Brabazon & The Crooked Road live on KALW (California) Radio's Folk Music & Beyond:

WATCH

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Duo performances

- at Máire's Gradam Ceoil TG4 TV award ceremony, Cork Opera House, Ireland

- at Southwell Folk Festival

- at Port Fairy Folk Festival

More video & TV clips
here

Solo YouTube videos from Chris

YouTube videos of Chris flatpicking three parts of J.S. Bach's Partita No 3 (which don't feature on Breaking Bach!):
Chris playing
Preludio, Partita 3
Chris playing Gigue, Partita 3
Chris playing Bourée, Partita 3

Chris duetting with other guitarists

Chris performing with Dan Crary, Maryville, TN, USA

Chris performing with Mark Cosgrove, Maryville, TN, USA

ALBUMS & DISCOGRAPHY

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Chris and Máire have made

- seven duo albums

- six solo albums

- two quartet albums with Nollaig Casey & Arty McGlynn as the Heartstring Quartet)

- one trio album (Máire with her sisters Nollaig and Mairéad as The Casey Sisters).

Full information and links here.

READ & WATCH INTERVIEWS

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Recent interviews with Máire

An interview with Máire in the Observer-Dispatch, Utica, NY, USA, 23 March, 2023.

An interview with Máire in The Irish News, Belfast's daily newspaper, 22 July, 2022.

An interview with Máire in The Echo, Cork's daily newspaper, on 14 September, 2022.

Read recent interviews with Chris

An article about Chris and Breaking Bach in Akustik Gitarre (Germany), September 2022.

An interview with Chris in RnR, Jan/Feb 2022.

Watch YouTube interviews with Chris

- by Italian guitarist Roberto Dalla Vecchia, September 22, 2022

- by English mandolin ace Simon Mayor

- by Green Ginger

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CHRIS' YOUTUBE CHANNEL

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