Ireland is full of great musicians but only a few set standards." -PJ Curtis, Notes From the Heart

Noel Hill is one of those standard-setting voices in Irish music today. Few musicians in any field or in any generation achieve a position where both audiences and experts agree on their preeminence and mastery of an instrument; Noel Hill's virtuosity has firmly established him as the defining Irish concertina player of our time

Noel Hill comes from County Clare on the west coast of Ireland, where the concertina tradition is so strong the instruments was nicknamed "the Clareman's Trumpet" and legend has it there was once a concertina in every other household. It was into one of these households that Noel Hill was born, and as a young child Noel was forbidden to touch his older brother's concertina. But he couldn't keep his hands off the instrument and was always stealing away with it. One day when his brother was laboring through a hornpipe Noel gave himself away by taking the concertina and playing the tune with ease. That got everyone's attention, and he's had it ever since.

Noel Hill has taken the humble concertina from the house dances of County Clare on the west coast of Ireland to stages throughout the world. The concertina, like Irish music itself, is currently enjoying a tremendous increase in popularity, and Noel Hill is at the forefront of this movement, not only as an awe-inspiring performer but as teacher and a well respected authority on Ireland's music.

In his hands the concertina is a new instrument, yet resounds with the integrity of generations, for Noel Hill makes the music new not through experimentation in other genres, but through consummate exploration and illumination from within traditional Irish music.

Website: www.noelhill.com

Brian Mc Grath comes from Brookeborough, Co Fermanagh, in Northern Ireland - an area steeped in traditional music. Although his parents did not play music, they owned a pub that featured local and visiting players on a regular basis. This is where he first heard the music. He started playing piano at age five and later progressed to the accordian and then banjo.As Brian got older, he started going to fleadhs and won many All-Ireland titles on both instruments.

Brian's first work in the professional field was with the group Dervish. He then joined Four Men And A Dog and played on the award winning album Barking Mad.

He then moved his career on with some accompaniment work with Noel Hill, Paul Brock, Frankie Gavin, to name but a few, before joining the Sean Keane Band as pianist. After seven successfull years with Sean, Brian joined the super group De Dannan where he stayed till the band eventually broke up in 2003. Brian now plays with the Band At The Racket, and is a very much sought after session musician on piano, banjo and mandolin.

Brian Mc Grath has toured extensively the world over, and has played with all the biggest names in the traditional Irish music industry including - Frankie Gavin, Noel Hill, John Carty, Matt Molloy, Paul Brock, Charlie Lennon, Joe Burke, Sean Maguire, Brian Rooney, Cathal Hayden, Joe Derrane, Arty Mc Glynn, Alec Finn, Alan Kelly, Dolores Keane, Maura O Connell, Tommy Flemming, Steve Cooney, Eleanor Shanley, to name but a few, as well as doing extensive TV and Media work and has played on over 120 albums to date.

Webiste: www.attheracket.com

His playing is strongly influenced by the great players of the region, including Peter Horan, Matt Molloy, Seamus Tansey, Pakie Duignan, Josie McDermott, Catherine McEvoy and Tommy Guihen, among others. John has won All-Ireland titles at various grades on flute and whistle.

He performs and teaches at many festivals, workshops and Summer schools, including the prestigious Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy, Milltown Malbay, Co.Clare, and The Joe Mooney Summer school, Drumshanbo, Co.leitrim, annually.

John released a critically acclaimed solo CD in 2000, titled ”With Every Breath”. Well known musical writer and critic, Earle Hitchner, placed the album in his top 20 album releases for the year 2001. John was a founding member of the group,“Providence”. He released the albums”Providence” and “A Fig For A kiss”, and toured extensively, with the group. Following his departure from Providence and his move back to Roscommon in 2001, he continued to be involved in various musical projects. He helped set up the popular weekend festival, Feile Frank Mc Gann , which takes place in Strokestown, Co. Roscommon. The festival is now firmly established on the musical calendar, with John to the forefront in organising, with his title of musical director.

In 2004, John was involved in organising the recording of a CD featuring local flute players, called “The Flute players of Roscommon”. John played on, and produced the recording. The Roscommon flute players society has been set up, and plans are in place for more recordings of Roscommon flute players to be made, and to include an archive section, featuring deceased players from the county. John has been actively involved recently, in The Roscommon Trad Arts Forum. He has also performed and recorded with “Sionnan”, a local group who perform a traditional show, whose theme reflects the folklore of the counties surrounding the upper river Shannon.

Having a huge interest in regional flute/fiddle music, John is very enthusiastic about his latest project, the soon to be released “Pride Of the West” album, featuring John in duet with fiddler John McEvoy, with guests, Arty McGlynn(guitars), and Paddy McEvoy(piano)

Website: www.prideofthewest.net

John McEvoy has established himself as an outstanding exponent of the north Connaught style of fiddle playing. Although brought up in Birmingham both his parents came from north Roscommon and hailed from families steeped in traditional music and the GAA. John’s early musical influences included fiddle players such as Kevin and Jack Cullen and Paddy Ryan all of whom hailed from Roscommon.

Through his association with Paddy Ryan John had access to recordings of the Sligo fiddle masters and the McDonagh brothers who left a lasting impression on him. As a result, he developed a deep love of the music associated with the North West of Ireland. During this time John also got to know whistle player Tom McHale and All Ireland champion Brendan McGlinchey who lived in Birmingham for a short time.

In 1973/74 John lived and worked around Carrick-on-Shannon. He was ‘looked after’ by Roscommon flute-player Patsy Hanly who introduced him to the local music scene. John was privileged to play with ‘Flynn’s Men’ and got to know Josie McDermott. After further study in the UK John settled in Dublin in the late 1970’s and quickly became involved in the thriving Dublin music scene. He was invited to teach at the ‘Willie Clancy Summer School’ in the early 1980’s. Later he became a member of a number of groups including, Kelp’ (Mick Gavin, Mick Hand, John Kelly Jnr. And Daithi Sproule) and ‘Bakerswell’ (John Kelly Jnr., Kevin Glackin, John McEvoy (fiddles) Mick Hand on flute, and whistle-player Seán Potts, and his son Seán Óg on uilleann pipes with Nóirín Ó Donoghue). During this time John played regularly with Joe Ryan and John Kelly Snr. and in conjunction with John Kelly Jnr. ran a very successful traditional club on a Thursday night in the ‘Four Seasons’ pub in Dublin. The club played host to a number of notable traditional musicians and was regularly frequented by Tommy Potts and Tom Glackin among others.

John has toured Europe and North America and has been a guest musician with the band ‘Providence’. He can be heard on a number of albums including his solo release in 1998 with his wife Jacinta, a fine accompanist and concertina player and also on the much acclaimed CD ‘The Kilmore Fancy’ with his sister renowned flute-player Catherine McEvoy. Well known in Irish traditional music circles as a stylish fiddle player, for this latest collaboration John McEvoy teams up with Roscommon flute-player John Wynne, Arty McGlynn (Guitar) and his son Patrick McEvoy (Piano) to create a lively and intoxicating blend that does full credit to the north west flute and fiddle tradition.

Website: www.prideofthewest.net

In 1991 Frankie Gavin asked Derek to join him for regular sessions in his then leased hotel in Kinvara, Co. Galway. One year later, at just eighteen years of age Derek joined Arcady, Johnny ‘Ringo’ McDonagh’s band. Frances Black, Brendan Larrisey and Patsy Broderick were also members of the band at that time and many other household names have played in the line-up including Sharon Shannon, Cathal Hayden and Gerry O’Connor.

In 1995 Derek joined the legendary De Dannan. The De Dannan sound has always been based around the interaction between Frankie Gavin’s virtuoso fiddle and the box. Other great box players in De Dannan’s colourful history have included Jackie Daly, Mairtin O’Connor and Aidan Coffey. His pairing with Gavin proved to be one of the best box and fiddle duets ever. He toured with De Dannan until they disbanded in 2003.

Derek’s long-overdue first solo album is set for release very shortly. Accompanying him are Arty McGlynn on guitar, Alec Finn on bouzouki and Brian McGrath on piano. His highly unique and fluid style of playing have earned him the reputation as one of the finest accordionists ever to play the instrument.

Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh (pronounced MWI-ren Nick OWL-eve) was born in 1978. She spent the first nine years of her life on the islands of Inisheer and Cape Clear where her father managed the island co-ops. The family settled in Dún Chaoin in the West-Kerry Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area), a beautiful spot overlooking the Blasket Islands.

Muireann was surrounded by music all her life. Growing up, she was immersed in the vibrant West-Kerry tradition with its wild dance music, soulful slow airs and vast repertoire of songs. Her father, a fiddler, would bring her to music sessions from a young age. There she began to play music on the flute and tin-whistle and to sing sean-nós (old-style) songs, learning from such wonderful local singers as Áine Ní Laoithe, Eilín Ní Chearna and the Begley family. She also attended Siamsa Tíre, the National Folk Theatre of Ireland, for several years.

Muireann attended art college in Dublin, earning a Diploma in Fine Art. She subsequently returned to music and was awarded an M.A in Traditional Music from the University of Limerick in 2002.

Muireann toured and performed with various musicians and groups before joining the group Danú in 2003. In 2004 they won the BBC 2 Folk Award for "Best Group". At the same awards, the song "The County Down" by Tommy Sands that Danú had recently recorded, won "Best Song". Muireann herself won "Best Singer" at the liveireland.com Awards in 2005. Now a regular contributor to television and radio programmes at home and abroad, she featured prominently in the recent "Highland Sessions" BBC television series, celebrating the best of Irish and Scottish traditional music and song.

Muireann's choice of song reflects her musical interests, varying from traditional Irish to American old-time and contemporary folk.

Website: www.muireann.ie