4. The May Morning Dew
The fourth performance – ‘The May Morning Dew’.
Composer Michael Holohan was presented with a challenge to perform a musical piece for the ‘Overtone Live Acoustic’ concert which would particularly emphasize the overtone qualities of two bass Bronze Age trumpets. He chose to compose a remarkable arrangement for the Irish tune, ‘The May Morning Dew’.
The piece begins with the church organ. The distinctive melody is played by Bréifne Holohan on acoustic metal stringed guitar. Two bass trumpets are introduced in stages. The effect is of an air being magnified and exalted until the music almost seems ethereal. The church is filled with a multi-dimensional soundscape that defies explanation. Here is the real manifestation of instrumental overtone sound. The musical achievement is made all the more remarkable in that no electronics or effects of any kind are employed either during the performance or subsequently in the music mix.
Bréifne Holohan – acoustic metal stringed guitar.
Michael Holohan – church organ and composes arrangement for tune.
John Meskell – dord íseal (bass Bronze Age trumpet).
Simon O’Dwyer – dord íseal (bass Bronze Age trumpet).
John Meskell is a multi-instrumentalist both melody and percussion. He leads the way in Bronze Age trumpet playing technique by being one of the few musicians who beautifully brings out the overtones in these instruments.
Bréifne Holohan is a musician, composer and producer from Drogheda, County Louth. He is a multi-instrumentalist with guitar and piano being his primary sources for music making. A graduate from Dundalk IT (B.A. in Applied Music, 2010). Bréifne has won a number of awards and was one of the first composers to write a piece using the Ancient Music Ireland Sound Library – PALEOSONIC It is called ‘Guth na Gaoithe’ Breifne Holohan
Michael Holohan is a renowned Irish pianist and composer. He has composed for solo instrument, ensemble, orchestra, stage, choir and voice, and has collaborated with poets including Seamus Heaney, Tomas Tranströmer, Ivan Lalic and Paul Durcan. His music has been performed and broadcast in Ireland and internationally. Michael is a member of Aosdána. Michael Holohan Facebook
Simon O’Dwyer – Simon is Co-Founder of Ancient Music Ireland has dedicated his life’s work to the study and the reconstruction of prehistoric musical instruments. Simon has composed and registered many pieces for Bronze Age horns and trumpets, Iron Age trumpets, Early Medieval horns and bodhrán. Simon plays with the band ‘Reconciliation’ and has recorded several albums. He is a poet and songwriter. Ancient Music Ireland
Recorded by Rod Callan – Sound Engineer – Rod has recorded both original and reproduction ancient horns and trumpets with Ancient Music Ireland since the research first began over thirty years ago. In this instance he travelled from Penylan Studios in Wales to record the ‘Overtone Live Acoustic’ concert in Galway. His brilliant expertise and experience with the instruments perfectly captured the complexity and multi-colours of the sound.
