Tuning the Radio RTE **** 

It’s as if a treasure trove was excised from aspic. Or a long- lost pair of favourite shoes have been spit-polished and shined so meticulously that they return the same feelings of comfort and familiarity to the wearer. RTÉ’s Harry Bradshaw has ministered to traditional music archives for many years now, and this remarkable collection bears timely testimony to his virtuosity as a restorer. 1949 is the dominant year from which recordings have been taken, although they span some of the golden years of music collecting (1940 to 1955).

Producer Peter Browne has a keen ear for the sublime and the peculiar. Pat "Packie" Russell's crisply clean concertina lines and Leo Rowsome's muscular pipes sit cheek-by-jowl with Pádraig O'Keeffe's earthy Sliabh Luachra fiddle In between there's a quirky sample of Spanish sailors caught in full flight, singing La Mujeron Valentia Island. A magical snapshot, caught in slow time-release.

See claddaghrecords.com