Between the Jigs and the Reels

Martin Hayes is an internationally-renowned, virtuosic, traditional Irish fiddle-player. The Irish Times newspaper said of him that, 'In the decades to come, we’ll surely talk of having seen this man in the way others talk of Miles Davis or Jimi Hendrix or John Coltrane.' In this series of The Essay, in conversation with Olivia O'Leary, one of Ireland's most respected journalists and presenters, he brings us on a deep dive into the world of the traditional Irish fiddle.

In the second episode, we hear about the famous Tulla Céilí Band, founded in 1946 and still going. Martin's father was a founder member, and Martin performed with the band as a teenager. Irish traditional musicians play a wide range of types of tune, but the two core tune types are jigs and reels and Martin demonstrates the differences between them.

Music:

Concertina Reel, from the album The Tulla Céilí Band, A Celebration of 50 Years
Tatter Jack Walsh, from the album The Tulla Céilí Band, A Celebration of 50 Years
The Sailor's Bonnet, from the album The Gloaming, performed by The Gloaming
The Ash Plant, from the album I gCnoc Na Graí, performed by Noel Hill and Tony MacMahon
The Maghera Mountain, performed by Martin Hayes

Presenter: Olivia O'Leary
Producer: Claire Cunningham
Executive Producer: Regan Hutchins
Sound Supervisor: Sean Byrne (Tinpot Productions)

Martin Hayes Turns The Tune is a Rockfinch production for BBC Radio 3.