Elsafty, Armstrong and Browne

The scintillating voice of one of Ireland’s finest singers, Róisín Elsafty, is here accompanied by Ireland’s foremost historical harpist, Siobhán Armstrong, woven together with the diverse colours of Ronan Browne’s flutes, whistles and 170-year-old Union pipes.

Róisín performs mesmerizing, unaccompanied songs in the florid Connamara style, and – together with Siobhán and Ronan – evocative songs of the old Irish harpers. Siobhán plays in the ancient way, with fingernails striking wire strings, producing a melting sound that transfixes the listener. And Ronan’s flat pitch Union pipes, dating from the 1840s, have that rich tone that makes you want to curl up and snuggle deep into their rumbling purr.

An event of Scoil na gClairseach - Festival of Early Irish Harp, August 14-20, 2019