Rock Pools
Máire Breatnach & Thomas Loefke more CDs
ROCK POOLS Cuilithe
Laika records 3510349.2
Release: October 2016.
The album ROCK POOLS combines exciting new music from this year with some of our favourites from 20 years of playing music together.
1. Teamhair / Gráinne 3.10 (Máire Breatnach)
2. Tory Wishing Stone 3.57 (Thomas Loefke) youtube
3. Branohm 3.08 (Máire Breatnach)
4. Éist 4.23 (Máire Breatnach)
5. Her Dancing Feet do Gently Kiss the Ground 2.39 (Thomas Loefke)
6. Rock Pools 4.05 (Máire Breatnach)
7. Conor’s & Deirdre’s Reels 3.21 (Máire Breatnach)
8. Moira’s Song 3.17 (Thomas Loefke)
9. Mykines Waltz 2.48 (Máire Breatnach)
10. Droimín Donn Dilís 2.11 (trad.)
11. Diarmuid 5.03 (Máire Breatnach)
12. McPhisto’s Jig 2.55 (Ian Melrose)
13. Atlantic Driftwood 2.48 (Thomas Loefke)
14. The Gobán / Halloween Jig 4.38 (Máire Breatnach)
15. Bean Dubh A‘ Ghleanna 4.23 (trad.)
16. The Snowy Birch Trees 3.31 (Thomas Loefke) youtube
1. Teamhair / Gráinne (Máire Breatnach)
Two slipjigs. Teamhair or Tara is regarded as the capital of ancient Ireland. From here Gráinne, daughter of High king Cormac Mac Art, eloped with Diarmuid Ua Duibhne to avoid a promised marriage with the ageing Fionn Mac Cumhaill. Máire & Thomas with Niall Ó Callanáin bouzouki; Conor Byrne flute; Máirtín O’Connor accordion; Tommy Hayes perc.
2. Tory Wishing Stone (Thomas Loefke, arr. Breatnach / Melrose)
“Throw three pebbles onto the wishing stone, should they stay on top, your next wish will come true…“
For Annemiek
Feat. Ian Melrose low whistle, g, programming.
3. Branohm (Máire Breatnach)
These two reels provide a contrast of colour and energy, alternating between a slightly subdued A Minor and a lyrical A Major. “Branohm“ is a phonetic spelling of an Irish language phrase, the meaning of it is “letters observe“.
Máire & Thomas with Norland Wind feat. Kerstin Blodig g; Ian Melrose low whistle; Noel Duggan g;
Pádraig Duggan perc.; Matthias Kießling keys.
4. Éist (Máire Breatnach)
“Listen“- Midir and Éain, lovers from the Otherworld, dwell among the Gods, but dream of spending an Earth lifetime together. They know they will recognize each other by the sound of their voices in the wind.
Máire & Thomas with Norland Wind feat. Kerstin Blodig voc, g; Ian Melrose voc, whistle; Noel Duggan voc; Pádraig Duggan harmonica; Matthias Kießling voc, keys.
5. Her Dancing Feet Do Gently Kiss the Ground (Thomas Loefke, arr. Melrose / Blodig)
A little waltz
feat. Ian Melrose g, low whistle, synth; Kerstin Blodig bouzouki.
6. Rock Pools (Máire Breatnach)
This melody came to Máire while on tour, and it seemed to wrap itself around in spiral forms. It reminded her of the circular movements of water in rock pools, ever extending outwards when new drops of water touch the surface. There is a ‘call and response’ feel to the phrases as they answer each other, much like a musical ‘cause and effect’.
Feat. Finnur Hansen keys.
7. Conor’s & Deirdre’s Reels (Máire Breatnach)
These lively reels were written by Máire for two of her young cousins some years back, both of whom were just beginning their own musical journeys!
Feat. Ian Melrose g.
8. Moira’s Song (Thomas Loefke)
“Moira“ is the main character in the wonderful novel “Away“ by Canadian author Jane Urquhart set on Rathlin Island and on the shores of Lake Ontario. Just in case a film score will be ever needed…
Feat. Finnur Hansen keys.
9. Mykines Waltz (Máire Breatnach)
Mykines is the most Westerly of the Faroe Islands, a bird paradise halfway between Scotland and Iceland. Faroese fiddle player Angelika Nielsen joins for an Irish / Faroese fiddle duet – with strong guitar support from Scotland by Ian.
Feat. Angelika Nielsen fiddle; Ian Melrose g.
10. Droimín Donn Dilís (trad.)
The poet vows to avenge all the wrongs done to his beloved “droimín“ or fair damsel in distress - a thinly veiled allegory, the “damsel“ in question representing Ireland.
11. Diarmuid (Máire Breatnach)
Lullaby for Gráinne and her lover Diarmuid Ua Duibhne.
Máire & Thomas with Norland Wind feat. Kerstin Blodig bouzouki; Ian Melrose low whistle; Noel Duggan g; Matthias Kießling keys.
12. McPhisto’s Jig (Ian Melrose)
Written by Ian about a friend’s sheepdog. The “little devil“ (whistle) runs rings around his master and mistress (harp and fiddle) who eventually give up trying to calm him down and just join in.
Feat. Ian Melrose low whistle; Kerstin Blodig g.
13. Atlantic Driftwood (Thomas Loefke)
One of Pádraig Duggan’s favourites in the Norland Wind program. He died this summer in Dublin. We lost a great friend and fellow-musician.
Máire & Thomas with Norland Wind feat. Pádraig Duggan mandolin; Ian Melrose g; Noel Duggan g;
Ciarán Brennan keys.
14. The Gobán / Halloween Jig (Máire Breatnach)
The Gobán Saor was the master builder in Irish lore.
Máire & Thomas with Conor Byrne flute; Niall Ó Callanáin bouzouki; Máirtín O’Connor accordion;
Liam Ó Maonlai bodhrán.
15. Bean Dubh A’ Ghleanna (trad.)
In this sean-nós song the poet believes he is admired by women from every province in Ireland but dreams only of the “Dark Haired Beauty of the Glen“ which, alas, he cannot win…
16. The Snowy Birch Trees (Thomas Loefke)
Nine birch trees hiding under their icy load, green life being only a few weeks away…
produced by Máire Breatnach & Thomas Loefke
mixed, edited and mastered by Jörg Surrey
recordings: Donogh Hennessy, Studio Mhic an Daill, Dingle, Ireland
additional recordings: Finnur Hansen, Ian Melrose
photography: Thomas Loefke, Tim Jarvis (portrait), Christiane Stanko (live)
artwork by Thomas Loefke
Thomas` harp made by Jan Muyllaert
tracks 2, 8, 16 published by Laika records and publishing
special thanks to: Ian Melrose, Finnur Hansen, Angelika Nielsen, Kerstin Blodig, Noel Duggan, Pádraig Duggan, Matthias Kießling, Conor Byrne, Niall Ó Callanáin, Máirtín O’Connor, Liam Ó Maonlai, Tommy Hayes,
Jörg Surrey, Donogh Hennessy, Christiane Stanko, Tim Jarvis, Manfred Pollert, Peter Cronemeier
tracks 6, 7, 8, 16: recorded September 2016 by Donogh Hennessy
track 1: original version on Máire’s album “Celtic Lovers“ (MBCala)
track 2: from Thomas`album “Northern Isles“ (Laika records)
tracks 3, 4, 11: from Norland Wind’s album “From Shore to Shore“ (Laika)
tracks 5, 12, 13: from Norland Wind’s album “Atlantic Driftwood“ (Laika)
track 9: original version on: Angelika Nielsen & Thomas Loefke - “Norðan“ (Laika/Tutl)
tracks 10, 15: from Máire’s album “Aislingí Ceol“ (MBCala)
track 14: original version on Máire’s album “Angel’s Candels“ (MBCala)
Laika records Schlachte 41, D-28195 Bremen
www.mairebreatnach.com www.thomasloefke.eu www.laika-records.com
