A Laois musician, Robert Harvey is one of the best exponents of flute, tin whistle, whistling and lilting in the country. Combining a first-class academic background, wide-ranging teaching experience as well as being a fine live performer, Robert and his brother James are two of the most musical brothers you are likely to find.
This is Robert’s debut solo album, and it showcases a variety of tunes sourced from collections made by O’Neill, Goodman, Fleischmann, Joyce, Petrie and Kerr, in addition to more recent compositions,
The title track ‘Feochán’, is named after a beautiful Tommy Peoples slow air of the same name – The Gentle Breeze. Robert is joined on the album by other first class musicians such as Eilís Lavelle on harp, Conal O’Kane on guitar, Tadhg Ó’Meachair on piano/harmonium and Ciarán Maguire on bodhrán.
Favourite track for this review is the title track – No 7. An Feochán (Air)
Don’t just read the review, buy the CD!
This article is part of a series of articles on selected traditional Irish musicians and CD’s. At Spink Comhaltas, we believe it is critically important to support and promote our musicians, and never more so that at this time as the Covid-19 pandemic has ravaged the music industry.
Having role models and heroes is important in any walk of life, and this is true of musicians too. Some of our strongest musicians who have developed with Spink Comhaltas over the recent years have learned as much of their musidc from listening to these artists – both on CD and live – as they have learned in formal classes. We encourage our current generation of young musicians – and their parents – to consider building up their own collection of music. And while we live in a world of streaming, there is something special about being able to read the sleeve notes on an album that an artist has put a lot of energy and effort into that will always be much more meaningful than listening on a streaming service.
The musicians we have featured here are outstanding performers. Different music styles, instruments, and interpretations will appear – as well a mix of solo and group music. For most of the musicians featured, the CD featured is one of a number of works by that artist.
Spink Comhaltas promotes traditional Irish music across Laois, Carlow, Kilkenny, Kildare and further afield. With excellent teachers and resources, as well as one of the largest music instrument banks in the country, Spink Comhaltas is an excellent place to begin your journey in traditional Irish music.
In addition to teaching and promoting music, Spink Comhaltas also fosters connections – with musicians across different counties and counties, different genres of music, and other artistic and creative groups. Check out our website for more details.