At First Light

A band which combines the talents of five outstanding musicians, At First Light has been described as ‘a dream team line-up’!

John McSherry (uilleann pipes and low whistles) from Belfast is hailed as one of the finest exponents of the art of Uilleann piping. A founding member of top trad band Lúnasa, his unique style means he is always in demand and he has recorded and performed with major artists including Clannad, Nancy Griffiths, Sinead O’Connor, Shaun Davey, Dónal Lunny, Ornette Coleman and Dan ar Braz.

Dónal O’Connor (fiddle and keyboards) has inherited a great musical legacy of at least five generations of fiddle playing. He is regarded as one of the outstanding players of his generation and recent collaborations have included work with Mike McGoldrick, Karen Casey, legendary Sligo flute player Séamus Tansey and Brian Kennedy and Máire Brennan of Clannad.

Born into the legendary McPeake family in Belfast, Francis McIlduff (bodhrán, uilleann pipes and low whistles) is widely recognised as one of the finest pipers in Ireland. He has performed with some of the foremost traditional and contemporary artists in music, including the seminal Irish folk rock outfit Alias, Ron Kavana, Sin E, Afterhours and Hungary-based traditional outfit Fianne.

Alan Burke (guitar and vocals) fronted the Irish band Afterhours with whom he released three albums and toured extensively. His inexhaustible repertoire of traditional, Gaelic, self-penned and contemporary songs has kept him busy as a solo performer and collaborator with a wide variety of other musicians including Cathal Hayden, Maurice Lennon, Jim McGrath, Gerry O’Donnell and Bríd Ní Mhaoileoin.

Rubén Bada (bouzouki, guitar and fiddle) was born in Avilés where the Asturian language and culture are still healthy and alive. He started his recording career with the band Xéliba and worked and toured with many top Asturian musicians. In 2004 Rubén moved to Belfast and soon became part of the local music scene. He plays with the band DRD and was ‘Best Instrumentalist’ in the 2006 Asturian Music Awards.