Catrin Finch & Aoife Ní Bhriain – Woven

9th October 2023 · 2020s, 2023, Music

Here’s a marriage of two marvellous musicians making magic when they meet – Welsh harpist Catrin Finch and Irish violinist Aoife Ní Bhriain.

The former is recognised as one of the world’s great harpists (harpers as they now seem to be known) and has recorded every genre from Bach’s Goldberg Variations to collaborations with Colombian and Malian musicians.

A few years ago I saw her performing at the Union Chapel with Seckou Keita from Senegal who plays the West African harp, the kora. It was spellbinding – a transcendental experience, like meditation for the soul.

Now she’s teamed up again, this time with violinist Aoife Ní Bhriain. Like Catrin, the Dubliner’s repertoire spans classical and traditional Irish folk music.

Literally so in the case of this tune, Woven – an apt description of how they complement each other – which the Irish musician adapted from an old caprice by baroque composer Pietro Locatelli.