Cillian Vallely and David Doocey - The Yew & the Orchard

 The Yew & The Orchard is the brand new release from acclaimed uilleann piper Cillian Vallely and award winning fiddler David Doocey. Through a classic instrumental pairing, the album reflects Vallely’s musical experience growing up in Co. Armagh (“The Orchard”) and Doocey’s in Co. Mayo (“The Yew”) in old traditional tunes as well as several new ones composed for this collaboration. The result is a crisp, forward-thinking collection that will charm and invigorate lovers of traditional music.

Cillian Vallely has established his name over the last two decades through his work with the award-winning Irish supergroup Lúnasa. The product of an important and groundbreaking musical family steeped in the tradition, Vallely’s mastery of chanter, drones and regulators has earned him the reputation of being one of Irish music’s great pipers. He has appeared on over 60 recordings, performed with acts as diverse as Bruce Springsteen, Natalie Merchant, Mary Chapin-Carpenter, Tim O’Brien, & Declan O’Rourke, and has performed at venues the world over, including The Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, Paris Bercy, and The Royal Albert Hall in London, among many, many others.

David Doocey stands at the forefront of a younger generation of Irish musicians. Having won several awards for his outstanding fiddle playing (including numerous All-Ireland titles on both fiddle andconcertina, the first ever World Fleadh fiddle championship in 2005, and the much coveted Féile Oriel competition in 2009), he released Changing Time, his debut solo album, in 2013 to critical acclaim. He’s been a member of several noted groups, including Gráda, Blás, and NxNW, recorded with Grammy award winners Tim O’Brien and Allison Brown, and has performed extensively with musicians such as Sean & Dolores Keane, Finbar Furey, Michael McGoldrick, Martin Hayes, and Sharon Shannon.

The album also features accompaniment by Patrick Doocey (guitar), Caoimhin Vallely (piano), and Séan Óg Graham (guitar) of the band Beoga, whose performance and songwriting credits include Ed Sheeran’s chart topping hit “Galway Girl.”