At First Light are set to literally light the way for authentic Irish Traditional music this decade with their debut album, ‘Idir’. Masterful musicianship from John McSherry, Dónal O’Connor, Francis McIlduff and their guests, the finest in the Celtic world, explores fresh perspectives on the living tradition. Each member of the group has influenced Celtic folk music, from featuring on Grammy-award winning recordings to collaborating live with the world’s greatest folk and contemporary artists. Their album is aptly titled ‘Idir’ – Gaelic for between and among, and reflects their growing status as leading luminaries on the international stage.

In 2001, Lúnasa alumni John McSherry and Michael McGoldrick put their creative energies to good use in what would become a critically acclaimed collaborative recording. The album, ‘At First Light’, became and instant top-seller worldwide and was voted by Irish American News readers as 2001′s ‘Best Traditional Album of the Year’.

The duo were awarded with huge touring demand and called upon the services of good friends and fiddle player Dónal O’Connor and guitarist Paul McSherry. Suffice to say, a hefty touring schedule ensued for the quartet.

Michael left the band to pursue his solo career a short while later, and the uilleann piping and bodhrán skills of Francis McIlduff (of the famous McPeake clan) were brought into the mix. Duelling pipes became a feature of the band at live gigs, bringing new dimension to the group.

In 2006, the critically acclaimed album ‘Tripswitch’ was released. Described as ‘Acoustic Perfection’ by Living Tradition magazine, the album featured the talents of two newcomers; Dublin’s Tony Byrne on guitar and Ruben Bada of the Asturies on Bouzouki.

Throughout the band’s life, various guitar and bouzouki players have passed through the ranks, including Tony and Ruben and Paul McSherry, Alan Burke and, of recent, Michael McCague. While the band has always remained constant with John, Dónal and Francis at its core, these fine string players have, in a way, become associate members, performing and recording with the trio when opportunity arises.

2010 saw At First Light collaborate with another great guitar player, the world renowned Bob Brozman, to produce the critically lauded album ‘Six Days in Down’. Influential BBC broadcaster DJ Ritu described the album as ‘one of the most impressive cds to fly through my letter-box this year’, whilst Irish Times journalist Siobhan Long gave the album a four-star rating, heralding it as a ‘Strapping collection of tunes’.

That same year, At First Light introduced guest singer Ciara McCrickard to enthusiastic audiences at concerts throughout Ireland and Europe. Her crystalline tone and intricate turns, combined with her vocal honesty, bring to audiences, a voice that only comes along once in a generation.

Mixing traditional songs with the power and delicacy of duelling pipes, fiddle, whistles, guitar, bouzouki and bodhrán, At First Light create a sonic landscape that takes the audience on a journey of discovery from the roots to the future of the Irish tradition.
The pedigree of each individual musician is outstanding, their experience and sheer mastery of the music evident for all to see, but it is when their considerable talents are combined that you can expect the unexpected. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.