Cormac Byrne is a bodhran player and percussionist and works mainly within the folk, traditional, roots, acoustic, classical and jazz genres as well as several crossover and experimental projects.
"Cormac's quite simply the most extraordinary of the many enterprising and musicianly bodhránists on the scene today”
………………..NetRhythms.co.uk.
“Throughout the album (Uiscedwr – Circle) Cormac Byrne’s bodhran astonishes. How he manages to coax such melodic as well as rhythmic range from a wooden hoop and a patch of goat-skin remains a mystery. His percussion piece, ‘Tree’, will convert the most ardent despiser of the drum solo.”
……………..Songlines.
Playing since the age of four, Cormac soon got involved with several bands and orchestras. At the age of 12 he joined the Sproai Drummers and its leader, Tommy Hayes, first put a bodhran in his hands. Cormac studied in Dublin with Richard O'Donnell of the National Symphony Orchestra before going on to study percussion at the Royal Northern College of Music with Ian Wright, Dave Hassell, Liz Gilliver and Paul Patrick, and is now studying Indian Tabla with Mr. Inder Goldfinger, and Cuban Percussion with Ravin 'Raz' Jayasuriya. While in Manchester he was exposed to the great Irish music scene there, and began playing regular Irish music gigs with fiddle player Andy Dinan as well as Barry James, Grace Kelly and Sean Regan all from the Irish supergroup Toss the Feathers. Shortly after this, Cormac met the amazing fiddle player and singer Anna Esslemont and formed Uiscedwr, a trio specialising in comtemporary cutting edge folk and traditionally inspired music. They were winners of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award in 2004, and were nominated for the Horizon ‘best newcomer’ Award at the BBC Folk Awards in 2004 following the release of their first album ‘Everywhere’. They then hooked up with guitarist extraordinaire Kevin Dempsey (who has worked with Whippersnapper, Dave Swarbrick band, Mary Black and Percy Sledge to name but a few) and their second album ‘Circle’ was released to widespread critical acclaim. Uiscedwr are now appearing as a quartet: Cormac and Anna are joined by the amazing talents of Karen Tweed on Accordion and James Hickmen on Guitar.
Cormac has received many awards for his work including The John Wray Percussion Prize at the Royal Northern College of Music and most recently was winner of the BBC Fame Academy Education Bursary in 2006. He was featured in Rhythm Magazine in November 2006.
Cormac has appeared at numerous festivals around the world. Primarily playing with Uiscedwr, he also works with Backbeat Percussion Quartet and works as a session bodhran player and percussionist with several bands and musicians including Mercury Music Award nominated Seth Lakeman, Michael McGoldrick, Neil Yates, 5 Countries Trio, Declan Bennett, Damien O’Cane, Shona Kipling, Andy Dinan Trio, Kristian Bugge, Baltic Crossing and the RTE Concert Orchestra to name but a few.
The new Uiscedwr album FISH CAT DOOR is out now! Released on 18th May, fRoots descirbed it as "an album of joy, defiance, solidity and triumph". It is available to buy at www.uiscedwr.com and from all good record shops. You can also download it from itunes, amazon, hmv and all the usual places. The Uiscedwr BIG BAND (6-piece Uiscedwr) have also recorded a LIVE album 'Naked and Dangerous'. It was recorded at Banbury Folk Festival on 10th October 2008 and is available to buy exclusively at www.uiscedwr.com
Cormac has been bodhran tutor at the Newcastle University Folk Music Degree course, Farncombe Estate Adult Education Centre, and has given Bodhran and Percussion workshops at many festivals including Picking Up Sticks Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival and for several organisations including Folkus and The Music Room.
Please visit www.uiscedwr.com to find out more about his trio Uiscedwr and to purchase CDs.
Hi Cormac :o) Just wanted to say again that you guys were fantastic at Black Horse Festival - I hope I get to see you again soon!! Thanks also for the pic, it was lovely to meet you again and I'm so pleased you remembered me!!
After you've finished here, you may like to hear this poem sung on myspace...
Poem 2 of 230, WalkaboutsVerse (please see my blog): WALKABOUT WITH MY PEN
Once drove an old sedan, up north, From a place in Sydney to Cairns; Then to Kuranda I went forth, By train, to look without set plans.
I browsed through the trendy market, With fresh fruits of tropical kind; Walked to the creek through lush thicket - Nature’s hand giving peace of mind.
I dined in a scenic cafe; Then, outside, as I wrote for yen, Some passing Kooris called-out: “Hey, You go walkabout with your pen.”
Request or question, I don’t know - Assured voices, elderly men. That’s now several years ago, And I’ve seen the world - with my pen.
Grrrrreat Stuff, I..m playing bodhran, too, and like you I like to hear the whole drumset in one bodhran! Great, Gonna catch you in Osnabrück next week!! Greez Sven
Thank you for joining us at the Official Skully Street Team to celebrate Skully’s newly released IRISH MAKEOVER CD! Here on the OSST page you can find a sampling of Skully’s music, the links to purchase his down loads and CD, and all sorts of fun information!
Be sure to check out each of Skully’s 4 project profiles and make friends on each while your there!
Hi Cormac cheers for the add and good to hear from you. Life's not bad. Just trying to balance the final year of the course with trying to do what I want to do after it! Playing plenty though which is cool. Hope to see you soon are you coming this way at all?
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