Brian Hughes & Dave Sheridan - However Long the Day

Renowned whistle player and uilleann piper Brian Hughes and fiddler Dave Sheridan joined forces to create something new and traditional at the same time. However Long the Day is the result of their collaboration, an instrumental album of mostly Irish tunes with some other compositions from around the British Isles, Scandinavia and Galicia.

From the opening set of jigs to the captivating medley of reels Stone of Destiny / The Rainy Day / Paddy Cronin’s that closes the first half of the album, or the dynamic set of polkas The Sparrow / Maurice O’Keefe’s / Jim Corcoran’s to the selection of hornpipes May Bàn / In Good Tenor / The Frisco, However Long The Day flows sinuously through different sources and varied keys and modes, but it is always steady and uplifting.

Other highlights include three tracks, each one centred on only one of the two musicians, namely the solo fiddle reels combination The Quiet House / Jerry McMahon’s / The Lass Among the Etnochs, the solo whistle jig and reel medley The Kerfunken Jig / Hanley’s Tweed, and the haunting uilleann pipes slow air An Carraioch Mallaithe.

The way in which they layer their sound is an absolute pleasure to listen to. Not only are these fourteen tracks all a perfect example of how old compositions can be played today in a fashionable way without compromising their traditional flavour, but the choice of the tunes and the musicality with which they are created and mixed proves to be a storming success.

A well-calibrated dose of ornamentation makes everything more tasteful, demonstrating the duo’s dexterity without exceeding, enhancing the melodic features of the tunes. The warm atmosphere of the recordings, the extremely precise and yet relaxed playing, the synergy between these two experienced and gifted artists all help forge a new milestone in their career.

Hopefully it will be not their only work together as a duo.