Tom McElvogue

Born in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, to English parents of Irish ancestry , flute player Tom McElvogue was introduced to Irish music through his sisters’ passion for Irish dancing. Whilst they were practicing their dancing to records, Tom would learn the music by ear and play it back on the recorder. His parents enrolled him for lessons with the local branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, where he progressed from recorder to tin whistle and then flute, on which he won the Senior All Ireland title in Sligo in 1990.

He has lived in Dublin for many years (where he plays with Michelle O’Brien, fiddle player from the band Providence) and is a lynchpin of the session scene. Tom has been composing tunes for more than a quarter of a century and some of the best-known names in traditional and folk music have recorded his music, including Michael McGoldrick, Kevin Crawford, Karen Tweed and Kathryn Tickell. He is the only composer of Irish traditional music whose work is taught in the UK as part of the mainstream Advanced GCSE in Music. Quite an achievement for a man born and bred on Tyneside.

Tom is launching his debut CD, The Long Hard Road, which is dedicated to the memory of his father. Today he is joined by renowned musicians: fiddle player Des Hurley and piano accordionist Chris O’Malley from Leeds.