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Having stood up to the task, the leading classical-traditional maestros have now carved their name in the stone of Irish music, setting the standard to which others must follow. The West Ocean String Quartet, an ensemble of considerable talent hailing from all arts and parts of Ireland, has certainly struck a chord with connoisseurs of both classical and traditional music alike. And boy what a difference a year makes.
2006 was a milestone for the quartet with major recognition from many quarters. A series of festivals in Europe and North America, TV & Radio appearances and collaboration with some of Irelands most respected artists, culminating with the release of their second album The Guiding Moon with none other than ex-Bothy Band and Chieftains flautist Matt Molloy. Already gaining recognition as one of the best crossover albums in recent history, The Guiding Moon is a beautiful homage to strings and bows and will be appreciated by those of you who understand the complexities and subtle nuances of a string ensemble.
The quartet was formed in 1999 and set about rehearsals in places like the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig and Ardnamona House in Donegal. This lead to performances across Ireland, including sell-out dates at Dublin's National Concert Hall at both the Beo and Ceol Festivals and in Belfast's Waterfront Hall, where they head-lined the National Holocaust Memorial Day. They have since appeared at many festivals including Celtic Connections in Glasgow and have worked with Mary Black, Brian Kennedy and Dervish to name but a few. The quartet boasts a formidable line-up of individuals with each artist commanding their own impeccable resumé de musique.
Sligo man Seamus McGuire grew up in a family with diverse musical interests from Fritz Kreisler and Yehudi Menuhin to Michael Coleman and James Morrison. Now recognized as one of Ireland's most versatile fiddle players Seamus boasts a CV of considerable experience. At the age of fifteen he won the prestigious Fiddler of Dooney competition, and a few years later the Oireachtas senior fiddle title. This was followed by a period of classical playing with the Dublin Symphony Orchestra and in 1983, Seamus and his brother Manus joined Jackie Daly and Garry O'Briain to form Buttons and Bows, one of the most influential groups in Irish music in that period. Along with flute-player John Lee and guitarist Arty McGlynn, Seamus recorded The Missing Reel, a unique album of forgotten fiddle and flute music from County Leitrim, now regarded as an essential part of any collection of Irish music recordings. In The Wishing Tree, released in 1995, Seamus explores his interest in classical music and music from other world traditions. And amongst the guest musicians on the album was the cellist and composer Neil Martin. This meeting led to a musical partnership that would lead to the founding of The West Ocean String Quartet.
Belfast-born Martin, also a talented Uilleann piper, was encouraged to play both traditional and classical music from an early age. Among his teachers were piper Liam O Flynn and cellist Richard Markson, the latter a pupil of Tortellier and Fournier. A Music and Celtic Studies graduate of Queen's University, Belfast, Neil was commissioned to write a major work for Uilleann pipes, whistle and symphony orchestra for the Belfast Festival at Queen's in 2004, featuring Liam O'Flynn as soloist, with the Ulster Orchestra in the Waterfront Hall and again at the National Concert Hall in Dublin in March 2005 with the RTE Concert Orchestra. He has recently been commissioned to write a major work to mark the 400th anniversary of The Flight of the Earls and will be premiered in the Waterfront Hall, Belfast, in September 2007. Neil's writing of this piece will be the subject of a BBC television documentary that will be screened around the same time. Other recent commissions include Soundings, a chamber trio for Lyric FM; an operatic collaboration with Pauline McLynn for Opera Theatre Company; Oilean na Marbh, a song cycle for Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill and the West Ocean String Quartet, for Templebar Cultural Trust in Dublin.
Niamh Crowley began her musical training at the age of four and attended the Royal Irish Academy of Music for eleven years. The native of Rosses Point continued her studies at the Royal College of Music, London with the celebrated Israeli violinist Professor Itzhak Rashkovsky, graduating with a first class honours degree and subsequently a postgraduate in performance as a Senior Exhibitioner and holder of the Beckwith Music Scholarship. She was awarded the centenary Tagore Gold Medal for the most outstanding student at the College and performed for Prince Charles who presented her with the award. Niamh tours regularly with Barry Douglas and Camerata Ireland including tours in South America, America, China and throughout Europe. She also works with the National Symphony Orchestra, RTE Orchestra and the National Sinfonia. She is an experienced recitalist and has performed concertos with many orchestras including Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with the RTE Concert Orchestra and Saint-Saens' Violin Concerto in the National Concert Hall, Dublin. She has toured extensively with the European Union Youth Orchestra and has worked with the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In September 2000 Niamh founded the Sligo Academy of Music to create opportunities for instrumental tuition in the classical genre in the Northwest. Now with 12 teachers and catering for over 300 students emphasis is placed on developing musical skills in an enjoyable way where the musical talents of each child can develop naturally according to their potential. Niamh is the recipient of many prizes and awards including The Royal College of Music Orchestral Leadership Award, Cobett and Hurlstone Award and the Sullivan and Farrar Award for performance, the Peadar Cillin Medal for the Highest mark in Leaving Certificate Music and the Mossman Prize for the highest mark in Great Britain and Ireland for Piano Associated Board Exams.
Regarded as Ireland's most versatile violinist, Kenneth Rice performs with a wide range of musicians in a wide range of styles. As a member of the Irish chamber orchestra he has performed and toured the classical, and baroque repertoire with artists such as Ann Sophie Mutter, Maxim Vengerov and Nigel Kennedy. His Nuevo Tango-Quartet explores the tango inspired music of Astor Piazzolla, his show Good Evening Mr. Kreisler' pays tribute to the life and music of the great violinist Fritz Kreisler. He also works extensively as a composer and arranger for television, radio, film and a host of contemporary bands.
With such a formidable ensemble you would expect fireworks, and one sample of the quartet's debut CD, Unwrapping Dreams (2004) will not leave the listener disappointed. It won the award for Best Newcomers Album in the American Live Ireland Awards. And the follow up project The Guiding Moon was eagerly anticipated to be a real coup for the trad-classical melange. And it is. The album is worth every cent for its nine wonderful tracks (A Space for Dreaming, The Guiding Moon - parts one, two & three, Silent O Moyle, Sliabh Luachra Polkas, The Lark in The Clear Air, The Happy Camper and Some Vague Utopia). Matt Molloy provides the perfect lead for such an enterprising work. The opening track A Space For Dreaming, is a ponderous sentiment. Beautiful, patient and dream-like, the type of which I’m sure Steven Spielberg would love to get his hands on for accompaniment to one of his blockbusting epics. And it’s the title track The Guiding Moon which really gives the quartet it’s mojo. Molloy’s deft gradations and tones are remarkably poignant across three musical pieces awash with every turn and tide of indulgence presented by the master ensemble. Evident also are the heights to which McGuire, Martin, Crowley and Rice have reached with the plateau of comfort they have obviously found with each other. You can hear all the pieces fall in to place with all of the tunes. Their rendition of Lark In The Clear Air is a piece that meanders through the musical cultures of Europe and wouldn’t be out of place in either Dublin, Prague or Vienna. Bravo. The quartet is truly conquering the echelons of the finer arts.
The Guiding Moon is currently available in all good record stores and also online at www.wosq.com where you can check out everything West Ocean String Quartet, including latest news and tour dates.
Eddie Creaney
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