The Rolling Wave

Earlier this year we commissioned ten musicians to write a new tune for the programme. In this episode Johnny Óg Connolly, Josephine Marsh, Eoin Dillon, Edel Fox and Liz Carroll talk about life during lockdown and the inspiration for the new compositions. All ten new tunes were broadcast on November 8th 2020.

Earlier in 2020 ten musicians were commissioned by the programme to write a new tune. In this episode Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Tommy Fitzharris, Emer Mayock and Bryan O'Leary explain the background to their compositions. The tunes were first broadcast on November 8th 2020.

Last Spring The Rolling Wav and The Irish Traditional Music Archive commissioned ten musicians to write a new composition. This episode is the first in a series looking at the stories behind those tunes. The full collection of new music will be broadcast on the show on Sunday 8th November.

In this episode musician Aoife Granville talks about the history of women flute players in traditional music and we ask why, for so long, there weren't more of them? This programme was first broadcast on 4th October 2020.

My guest in this episode is the wonderful flute player Catherine McEvoy. This programme was first broadcast on the 10th of February 2019.

In this episode we're marking the 50th anniversary of the death of the influential piper, teacher and pipe maker Leo Rowsome. This programme was first broadcast on September 20th 2020

This episode marks the publication of a great new book 'A Living Voice-The Frank Harte Song Collection' edited by my guest Terry Moylan. This programme was first broadcast on September 13th 2020.

Harpist Laoise Kelly was named Ceoltóir na Bliana/Musician of the Year at TG4 Music Awards, Gradam Ceoil TG4 2020. Aoife spoke to her at the time about her music, about the role of the harp in Irish life and about the joy of living on the west coast of Ireland. This programme was first broadcast on 16 February 2020

Matt Molloy is one of the finest and most influential Irish traditional flute players. Since the 1960s he has been a central figure in many brilliant Irish music bands including The Bothy Band, Planxty and The Chieftains. This programme was first broadcast on December 16 2018.

The first time Frank Tate heard a mandolin being played was in a Dublin session years ago and as he says himself, he was smitten. Since then music and instrument making have become his life and he has made more than 160 instruments which are played by many great musicians including Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Lisa O'Neill, Glen Hansard and Donal Lunny.