Lúnasa with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra
| Lúnasa with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||
| Live album by Lúnasa with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra | ||||
| Released | 16 April 2013 | |||
| Recorded | 2012 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 51:36 | |||
| Label | Lúnasa Records | |||
| Lúnasa chronology | ||||
|
||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| Bass Player | (favourable) |
| Bright Young Folk | (favourable) |
| Fatea | (favourable) |
| FolkWorld | (favourable) |
| Irish America | (favourable) |
| PopMatters | 6/10 |
| Songlines | (favourable) |
| Zone Music Reporter | |
Lúnasa with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra is a collaboration album between Irish traditional Celtic music band Lúnasa and the Irish RTÉ Concert Orchestra, recorded in 2012 and released in April 2013 by Lúnasa Records. The collaboration came about after RTÉ contacted contemporary Irish composer Niall Vallely, requesting he composed music for a traditional group, and Vallely in turn requested Lúnasa for a collaboration, bringing the two ensembles together for a fusion between traditional and classical music. After the two groups performed at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, in April 2012, they recorded the album later in the year.
The music on the album is Vallely's rearrangement of various suites and tunes, both traditional and modern, that Lúnasa had performed in the past. Music critics have noted the dynamic of the album, where neither the orchestral and traditional elements of the recording outweigh each other. Lúnasa member Trevor Hutchinson is said to pivot the two genres together with his double bass playing. The album was well received by music critics, with journalists complimenting the spirit and fusion of the music. The collaboration allowed Lúnasa to reuse music that they had tired years before the recording of the album. In promotion of the album, Lúnasa toured in the United States and United Kingdom, as well as undergoing a major venue tour.
The genesis for the collaboration between Lúnasa and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra came when contemporary Irish composer Niall Vallely was asked by Irish service broadcaster RTÉ to curate arrangements for usage in a traditional band. According to one biography, Vallely was "the perfect fit for this adventurous undertaking" due to having composed both traditional and classical compositions. Vallely suggested Celtic folk group Lúnasa, which features his brother Cillian Vallely on pipes, for the project, and the project subsequently evolved into Lúnasa playing with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, conducted by David Brophy, creating an unusual fusion between traditional and classical music. One biography noted that the collaboration allowed Niall to expand Lúnasa's "innovative use of harmony and rhythm," taking advantage of the harmonic and rhythmic potential of "the full orchestral sound. The result is truly a new sound in Irish music."
...
Wikipedia