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Bridget Cruise

by David Murphy

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From the forthcoming album 'Cuimhne Ghlinn: Explorations in Irish Music for Pedal Steel Guitar', released on 19th April 2024 on Rollercoaster Records.

In this expressive take on the well-known 17th century traditional Irish harp tune “Bridget Cruise”, the pedal steel guitar weaves its way through the spell-binding melody, joined by an ensemble of cello, violin, harp, double bass, rhythmic piano and electronics to conjure up the vivid sentiments of this age-old composition from the Gaelic tradition.

Tulough O'Carolan composed four airs in honour of his childhood friend and first love, Bridget Cruise. Throughout his life, O'Carolan recalled Bridget with great affection. The story has it that years later when O'Carolan was blind, the pair met again by chance at Lough Derg - when Bridget reached out to help the blind man, Carolan instantly recognised her by the touch of her hand.

Irish fiddle maestro Steve Wickham (The Waterboys / U2 / Sinead O'Connor) joins Murphy in the poignant telling of a connection between friends, spinning and intertwining violin tones in unison with the glissando, swells and harmonics of the pedal steel guitar. Laura McFadden's moving cello and Graham Heaney's grounding double bass propel the tune forward on a bed of rhythmic felt-piano and electronics, while Aisling Urwin's elegant and graceful harp alludes to love in an ancient Ireland, from whence this composition first came.

David explains the inspiration for the new arrangement of this traditional tune:
“Stories of friendship and unrequited longing are eternal themes. O'Carolan's ability to inspire beyond the 400-year divide is a testament to the strength and beauty of his compositions. In this arrangement - one of two O'Carolan tunes on the album - I wanted to present it in a contemporary setting, demonstrating how a 17th century piece still has a power to flow ever-forward, to evolve and transform into something new, yet can convey the same sentiments of melancholy and lost love that the writer had intended, way back through the mists of time”.

credits

released March 27, 2024
David Murphy :: Pedal Steel, Piano, Baritone Guitar, Electronics, Synths, Production
Laura McFadden :: Cello
Steve Wickham :: Violin
Aisling Urwin :: Harp
Graham Heaney :: Double Bass

Produced by David Murphy
Engineered in St Luke's, Cork, Ireland
Additional engineering in Donegal, Sligo, Dublin and Kerry

Mixed by David Murphy and Brian Casey at Wavefield Recording, Clonakilty
Mastered by Brian Casey and Sarah O'Mahony at Wavefield Recording

Photography :: Celeste Burdon

With support from Cork City Council Arts Office

© Copyright David Murphy 2024.
Rollercoaster Records RCR0017 © 2024
All rights reserved.

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David Murphy Cork, Ireland

David Murphy is a multi-instrumentalist based in Cork, Ireland known best for his work with the evocative and ever-mysterious pedal steel guitar

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