Celtic Music: Lúnasa

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Ranked #5,432 in Music, #144,638 overall

Lúnasa - an immediate hit with Irish traditional music fans

Lúnasa takes its name from the ancient Irish harvest festival of Lughnasadh. The first album from this dynamic quintet became an instant best-seller in Ireland and was nominated one of the top ten best albums in the USA by the Irish Echo.

Great Musicians = Great Sound = Happy Fans 

Lúnasa was formed by bassist Trevor Hutchinson, who had played with the Waterboys and, along with Donogh Hennessy, was a member of the Sharon Shannon band. Sean Smyth is an All-Ireland champion who played with Donal Lunny's band Coolfin. Kevin Crawford was a member of Moving Cloud, and Cillian Vallely comes from a family of well-known and accomplished pipers. Former member Michael McGoldrick has performed with many of Ireland's top bands and artists. Lúnasa tours extensively in Ireland and abroad, performing 140 shows in 2006 alone.

Current members
* Seán Smyth - fiddle, whistles
* Kevin Crawford - flute, whistles
* Trevor Hutchinson - bass
* Cillian Vallely - Uilleann pipes, whistles
* Paul Meehan - guitar
Former members
* Donogh Hennessy - guitar
* Michael McGoldrick - Uilleann pipes, flute, whistle
* John McSherry - Uilleann pipes

Lúnasa 

Compass Records, 2001

Track listing:

1. Eanair
2. Feabhra
3. Marta
4. Aibreann
5. Bealtaine
6. Meitheamh
7. Iuil
8. Mean Fomhair
9. Mi Na Samhna
10. Mi Na Nollag
11. Jacky Molard's/The Hunter's Purse


Otherworld 

Green Linnet, 1999

Track listing:

1. Goodbye Miss Goodavich
2. Rosie's Reel
3. Floating Crowbar
4. McGlinchey's
5. Almost Reel
6. Butlers Of Glen Avenue
7. Sliabh Russell
8. Cathal McConnell's
9. January Snows
10. Laura Lynn Cunningham
11. Miller Of Drohan
12. Dr Gilbert
13. Devil's Of Dublin
14. Black Pat's
15. Autumn Child
16. Heaton Chapel
17. Stolen Apples
18. Taylor Bar 4am
19. Ceol Na Mara
20. Lafferty's


The Merry Sisters of Fate 

Green Linnet, 2001

Track listing:

1. Aoibhneas 4:22
2. Donogh And Mike's
3. Killarney Boys Of Pleasure
4. The Merry Sisters Of Fate
5. Inion Ni Scannlain
6. Casu
7. Paistin Fionn
8. The Minor Bee
9. Scully's
10. Return From Fingal
11. Morning Nightcap


Redwood 

Green Linnet, 2003

Track listing:

1. Cregg's Pipes
2. Welcome Home
3. Harp and Shamrock
4. Fest Noz
5. Spoil the Dance
6. A Stor Mo Croi
7. Dublin to Dingle
8. Lady Ellen
9. Cotati Nights
10. Two-Fifty to Vigo
11. Temple Hill


The Kinnitty Sessions 

Compass Records, 2004

Track listing:

1. Stolen Purse
2. Ballyogan
3. Punch
4. Dimmers
5. Island Paddy
6. Sean In The Fog
7. Bulgarian Rock
8. Wounded Hussar
9. Walrus
10. Maids In The Kitchen
11. Tie The Bonnet


Sé 

Compass Records, 2006

Track listing:

1. Cullyback Hop
2. Leckan Mor
3. Absent Friends
4. Loophead
5. Midnight In Aviles
6. Dingle Berries
7. Black River
8. Road To Barga
9. Two Of A Kind
10. Glentrasna
11. Boy In The Boat


The Story So Far... 

Compass Records, 2008

Track listing:

1. Morning Nightcap [New Version]
2. Eanáir
3. Miller of Drohan
4. Leckan Mór
5. Killarney Boys of Pleasure
6. Floating Crowbar
7. Black River
8. Fest Noz
9. Feabhra
10. Punch
11. Casu
12. Last Pint [New Version of Aibreann]
13. Cregg's Pipes
14. Dimmers
15. Dingle Berries
16. O'Carolan's Welcome/Rolling in the Barrel


On Common Ground 

Cillian Vallely and Kevin Crawford

CILLIAN VALLELY & KEVIN CRAWFORD: On Common GroundBallyO Records, 2009

Cillian Vallely on flutes and Kevin Crawford on uillean pipes produce a masterful sound together.

"What has happened is that Vallely and Crawford are wonderful musicians---with a massive difference. All this time together on the road with Lunasa, the literally thousands of tunes played together over the years have taught each all there is to know musically about the other. This is no album thrown together by musicians who admire each other's work and decide to sit down and record an album. This is an album that features two guys at the top of their game offering up a stunner, slowly aged to perfection after years together." — Bill Margeson, Margeson on the Music, LiveIreland.com

Track listing:

1. The Millhouse
2. Dominic's Farewell
3. Man From Moyasta
4. The Periwig
5. The Leading Role
6. Visit to Ireland
7. The Birds
8. Legend of Lisalway
9. Urchill A'chreagain
10. The Ivory Bowl
11. Nuala's Bonnet
12. Helvic Head

Buy the CD from CD Baby

Callan Bridge 

Niall and Cillian Vallely

NIALL & CILLIAN VALLELY: Callan BridgeCompass Records, 2002

Niall and Cillian Vallely deliver an album of brilliant duets on uilleann pipes and concertina, accompanied by John Doyle, Donal Clancy and Paul Meehan from Lunasa. Recorded on two continents over several months, the album shines despite limited practice time due to their hectic touring schedules.

"Hardly the likeliest prospective matching of sounds, you might think, and yet their first joint recording is of such joyous quality it'll bring tears of gratitude from traditional music fans this Christmas. The brothers' telepathically close attunement goes beyond making their playing sound as one: it frequently makes it sound as though three or four musicians are at work" — The Sunday Herald Glasgow, Scotland

Track listing:

1. Rio
2. Muireann's Jig
3. Humours Of Tullycrine
4. Sunnyside
5. An Buachaill Caol Dubh
6. Malfunction Junction
7. Brid Harper's
8. Once In A Blue Moose
9. Allistrum's March
10. Singing Stream
11. An Buachaillin Ban
12. Old Tipperary
13. Miss McDonald's

Buy the CD from CD Baby

Videos: Lúnasa - Ceol Na Mara 

Lafferty's / Crock of Gold / Lady Birr / Abbey Reel - Lúnasa

Ceol Na Mara - Lúnasa One of my favourite songs by Lúnasa, a fantastic Irish group! Check out http://www.myspace.com/clairebouedo

Runtime: 291
54941 views
Comments:

curated content from YouTube

Lúnasa Links 

Official Website for Lúnasa
Lúnasa's website has information on the band, their CDs, touring, and more.
Lúnasa's MySpace page
This has an extensive history of the band's origins and current doings, plus four tunes that can be listened to and downloaded.
http://www.squidoo.com/CelticMusic-Lenses
A lens to help you find similar lenses I've made.

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by MobyD

I'm very interested in Celtic music and have created a series of lenses about performers. See Celtic Music: Lenses (named Lens of the Day on March 16,... (more)

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