Church Sessions

MICHAEL MCGOLDRICK

Mike McGoldrick, from Manchester, England, is a multi-instrumentalist and composer. His versatility induces wooden flute, low whistles and uilleann pipes, making him a go-to contributor for many artists including Vicente Amigo, Zac Brown Band, XoséManuel Budiño, Jerry Douglas, Julie Fowlis, Darrell Scott NolwennLeroy, Tim O’Brien, Dirk Powell and Kate Rusby. A co-founder of Flook and Lúnasa, Mike has played with Mark Knopfler since 2009 and with the Transatlantic Sessions since 2007. Steeped in Irish traditional music his true genius lies in his own trailblazing work as a player and composer, brilliantly showcased on his five solo albums to date.

DEZI DONNELLY

Dezi ‘Fiddle on Fire’ Donnelly is a Manchester based Fiddle player. One of the founder members of the legendary Celtic Rock Band ‘Toss the Feathers’. Often seen collaborating with the likes of Sharon Shannon and Mike McGoldrick.

It is a well-known cliche, to describe a fiddle player as “a devil fiddler” but in Dezi Donnelly’s case this is more of an understatement! The sibling of a Manchester fiddler dynasty is both All Britain and All Ireland Champion, a title truly deserved for his brilliant jigs and reels. Having played the fiddle since the age of 7, Dezi was North West and All Britain fiddle champion by the age of 9. Amazingly, by the age of 15, he had won the All Ireland championship an astounding 5 times!

Dezi joined legendary Manchester-Irish band, Toss The Feathers, whilst still in his teens. Between 1988-91 and 1994-95 he appeared on the brilliant “Columbus Eclipse” and “Awakenings” albums. It was during this period that Dezirecorded some tracks with Mancunian flutist Michael McGoldrick. Mike’s flute and Dezi’s fiddle gently spar on most of the tracks, however each take the lead when required and the arrangements allow them to swap leads within sets to great effect. The tracks were later released on the album, “Champions Of The North”, and Dezi also featured on Mike’s amazing “Fused” album.

In 1999, Dezi scooped the “All Ireland Young Traditional Musician Of The Year”. The award pocketed him a recording contract, which saw him release his first record “Familiar Footsteps: already recognised as one of the greatest traditional fiddle albums of all time.

In 2009 Dezi was asked to appear on the BBC’s ‘Transatlantic Sessions’ and performed alongside Jerry Douglas, Ali Bain, Phil Cunningham, Donal Lunny and James Taylor.

JIM MURRAY

Jim Murray is one of Ireland’s leading guitar players. For over two decades, he has toured and recorded both nationally and internationally with many of Ireland’s renowned artists. Known for his exceptional skill and unique contributions to traditional music, Jim has blended a diverse range of musical influences to craft a unique and dynamic guitar accompaniment.

In 1998, Jim began his professional career when he was invited to tour Japan and Australia with accordion legend Seamus Begley. That same year, he also toured America with piano accordion virtuoso Alan Kelly. In 1999, Jim was invited to become the guitarist for world-renowned Irish musician Sharon Shannon. Over the last twenty-six years, he has recorded ten albums with her and toured across five continents. In 2008, Jim and Sharon co-wrote Flying Circus - an original collection of music which was performed live at the Helix with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and later released as a live album. Jim also released two critically acclaimed albums with long-time partner Seamus Begley in 2001 and 2008, both of which garnered prestigious awards, including The Irish Times and Hotpress Traditional Irish Music Album of the Year.

In recent years, Jim has recorded two highly acclaimed albums with Tara Breen (The Chieftains) and Pádraig Rynne(NOTIFY) and continues to tour with them as a trio. He also collaborates with many of Ireland’s leading traditional musicians, including Dermot Byrne, Bríd Harper, Gerry O’Connor, Sean Smyth, Alan Kelly, Jim Higgins, Mike McGoldrick, and Dezi Donnelly.