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REVIEW FROM www.livingtradition.co.uk

 


 

 

 
PHILIPPE BARNES - Irish Music On The Silver Flute 

PHILIPPE BARNES - Irish Music On The Silver Flute 
Private Label 

Philippe Barnes is a busy chap. Not content with solo/duo flute performances and recordings, he also plays guitar with CrossHarbour and new trio The Wilderness Yet (with Rosie Hodgson and Rowan Piggott – debut album out now). He’s been in other bands such as All Jigged Up and the David Munnelly Band and played with everyone from Shakira to Bryn Terfel. Yet amazingly he has found time to produce not one, but two books! And very good they are too.

Irish Music On The Silver Flute has a wealth of information for silver flute players who wish their instrument to sound more like a traditional wooden flute. There are fingering hints, ideas on breath pressure – this has been deeply thought through and gives really useful practical advice. Indeed, the advice he gives is pertinent to anyone playing this music, not just silver flautists, especially when he goes into detail about playing ornaments, information which could be read with benefit by players of any instrument who wish to get further into this style of playing. It really is an impressive book – as a non-flute player I have found it both entertaining and really useful.

The second book does what it says on the tin. 42 tunes in a variety of styles suitable for all instruments including gaita (yes, he plays them as well). Some of these are included in the silver flute book, but there are lots of really enjoyable compositions here, such that the large type proclaiming Volume One is cause for keen anticipation. Based on these publications, I should think his online lessons are well worth investigating.

www.philippebarnes.com

Paul Burgess

 

This review appeared in Issue 135 of The Living Tradition magazine