Midden Find

Apr 17

The Hardanger D'Amore in power, rhythm, & resonance

Composer Dan Trueman and legendary Irish fiddler Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh (known best for his work in the band The Gloaming) have collaboratively created a new work for Ó Raghallaigh to perform as soloist with Contemporaneous. This landmark new work brings Irish traditional music into dialogue with new orchestral composition, offering a profoundly fertile exploration of folk music in new contexts, and providing an opportunity for both of these remarkable artists to explore new ways of creating music.

Midden Find (previously entitled after the Gaelic proverb “Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann an daoine” or “it’s in the shelter of each other’s shadow’s that we live”) began from Aonar – the last track on Caoimhín ó Raghallaigh and Dan Trueman'‘s 2014 collaborative album Laghdú (which received a rare, 5-star review in The Irish Times). The “stunning, barren, yet evocative land-scape” as described by Donnacha Dennehy dwelled on the edge of detailed silence, erupting suddenly and forcefully into expressive sonic summits.

This work explores the idea of “detailed silence” in depth, while also engaging in power and rhythm commonly found in the tunes of traditional Irish folk music. With Ó Raghallaigh as the lone soloist, the notion of being alone is embedded within the fabric of the performance – sometimes overshadowed by the whole of Contemporaneous and other times reaching out to engage directly with individual members of the ensemble, utilizing the virtuosity of its members and instruments.

Ó Raghallaigh’s work stretches deep into traditional Irish music, both old (his recordings of traditional tunes have consistently been recognized as landmarks) and new (his band, The Gloaming, plays for audiences in the finest halls around the world), while he also ventures fearlessly into contemporary and improvisatory music. Trueman’s work ranges from traditional Norwegian fiddling through contemporary chamber and orchestral composition to cutting-edge electronic music. While they have collaborated before as a duo, composing for their custom-made Hardanger d’Amore fiddles, this new work presents an opportunity for them to stretch, exploring the range, power, colors, and size of Contemporaneous as a kind of multifaceted duo partner.

In Short

Music by Dan Trueman and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh
Duration: ~28 minutes
Instrumentation: solo Hardanger d'Amore fiddle and medium ensemble (fl, cl, tpt, tbn, 2 perc, get, pno, vln, vla, vcl, db)
Performance History:

Workshop performance first shown on April 17, 2019 at Princeton University (more information)
Completed work was performed with Dan Trueman on Hardanger d'Amore and Contemporaneous on June 14, 2024 at National Sawdust (more information)

Booking: For booking inquiries, contact Contemporaneous Executive and Co-Artistic Director Dylan Mattingly at dylan@contemporaneous.org or (510) 333.2543.

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