One of Tradfest’s highlights was the premiere of Neil Martin and the West Ocean String Quartet’s new album, An Indigo Sky, in St Werbugh’s Church.
Cellist Martin, as West Ocean’s primary composer and arranger, infused the new material with a rich melancholia (albeit with a glint in the eye) , and hinted at the foursome’s capacity to straddle the centuries from Dowland to O’Carolan, Ó Riada, and now, Martin. Fiddler Seamus McGuire’s supple tone was a delight, particularly on Martin’s searing song suite, Oileán na Marbh (with sublime guest vocalist, Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill) , his instrument tracing shapes every bit as distinctive as anything John Coltrane, Ben Webster or Martin Hayes have created.