Brian Finnegan

From Armagh, Northern Ireland, Brian Finnegan is one of the best known and most innovative tin whistle and flute players on today’s folk scene. He has enjoyed huge success over the past twelve years with Anglo-Irish trad stars ‘Flook’, founded the band ‘Upstairs in a Tent’, and released a solo album called When the Party’s Over.

He is a frequent tutor for Folkworks and in 2009 is touring in California and Ireland with guitarist William Coulter. His latest project, The Singing Tree, is a brand new performance in words, music and dance celebrating the rich musical traditions of the north of Ireland and featuring a thirteen-strong line-up of top talent from the region.

Brian will be joined for tonight’s performance by a stellar cast of top musicians: BBC Radio 2 Young Folk award winner Jarlath Henderson on pipes, Ian Stephenson on guitar and Jim Goodwin on drums. “..a thrilling talent, marvellous technical dexterity, bold musical imagination and urgent tone combining in playing of breathtaking suppleness and delicacy” Scotland on Sunday “He stands out, in a nation of wonderful flute players, as much more than a technical virtuoso, his playing having the freewheeling lightness of touch and inspired musical understanding that flows into improvisation in real time, at reel speed.” Norman Chalmers, The List

www.myspace.com/briantfinnegan