Spend an evening with four world-class traditional instrumentalists exploring the raw, intricate beauty of Irish and Scottish melody. Shared Melodies is a deep dive into ancient repertoire, celebrating shared cultural resonances and distinctions between players. This concert is all about close listening and gradation, subtle musical dialects and breathing around the tunes.

Aidan O’Rourke grew up in an Irish family in Argyll and learned fiddle in the West Highland style. He pushes the boundaries of Scottish fiddle idioms while remaining true to traditions. Brìghde Chaimbeul, who grew up in a Gaelic Hebridean cultural dynasty, has become the leading player of Scottish small pipes and a musician renowned for her lyrical intensity. Together, O’Rourke and Chaimbeul have a musical partnership that delves into the primal hypnotic qualities of ancient Highland music, as showcased in their acclaimed 2019 album The Reeling.

Cormac Begley is an Irish concertina player from a famed West Kerry musical family. He makes the instrument come to life, whether playing bass, baritone, treble or piccolo concertina. His visceral and holistic way of playing is hailed as a cultural reset for the Irish tradition.

Fiddler Aoife Ní Bhriain grew up in a Dublin family of musicians and plays with refined versatility and a knack for immersing herself in a tune, taking flight into radiant improvisations. She is a member of the exploratory string quintet Wooden Elephant and plays with the Goodman Trio alongside her father Mick O’Brien on uillean pipes, investigating manuscripts collected around Ireland in the 1800s.

Presented in association with the National Concert Hall of Ireland and The Soundhouse Organisation

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