Dave Flynn
Dublin, Leinster, Ireland | INDIE
Music
Press
"Draíocht is one of the most surprising debuts to hit my ears in ages. Dave Flynn sings and plays stringed instruments like guitar, mandola, mandolin, and bouzouki and pens original jigs and reels that sound like traditional tunes yet incorporate outside elements from African and Eastern styles.
Vocally he sounds like Robert Plant on occasion and the floating quality of The Mad Magicians Daughter recalls the pastoral shades of Led Zeppelin’s acoustic moments. Guests like Manus Lunny, Liz Coleman and others join the fray betimes creating a band sound with a rustic Celtic vibe emerging. This is not folk-rock, yet its not Comhaltas fare either-rather it straddles a rootsy hinterland between the tradition and the contemporary singer/ songwriter world. An interesting and intriguing collection from a tunesmith, instrumentalist and composer, Dave Flynn is a name to conjure with and Draíocht is very definitely worth an open-minded listen."
John Ó'Regan - Irish Music Magazine, December 2007 - Irish Music Magazine
What struck me about Flynn was his self-confidence and sure-footedness. He had something to say in his music and was damned well going to say it. The audience loved it and so did the players—the Smith Quartet’
– Barbara Slaughter, (WSWS Arts Review) - WSWS Arts Review
More positive to relate were two efforts from a younger breed of composer, unveiled by the Smith Quartet. David Flynn’s ‘The Cranning’ incorporated traditional Irish music without Hollywood pastiche…..’
– Neil Fisher, (The Times) - The Times Newspaper (UK)
Discography
'Draíocht' (2006) Debut Album, Frisbee Records FR001
Featured Artist on 2008 Compilation 'Contemporary Music from Ireland, Vol. 8' to be released by CMC in 2008.
'Contemporary Traditional Irish Guitar' Frisbee Records FRCD002 (Celtic Guitar Album)
Photos
Bio
Dave Flynn is an award-winning composer and musician from Dublin, Ireland who works across many musical genres. Traditional Irish music is a major focus of Dave’s work and the influence of traditional Irish music is clearly present in many of Dave’s original compositions including ‘The Cranning’ the piece for which Dave received the 2004 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival Award.
In 2006 Dave was commissioned by West Cork Music to compose a unique new work which united traditional musicians Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill with the classical violinist Ioana Petcu-Colan. This piece was premiered in August 2006 at the Masters of Tradition Festival, Bantry to an enthusiastic sell out audience.
Dave’s recent compositions include a Fiddle Concerto for Martin Hayes and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra to be premiered in 2008, a piece for the traditional group Liadán commissioned by Lyric FM for the 2007 EBU Folk Music Festival, a piece for guitar trio commissioned for the 2007 Waltons Guitar Festival of Ireland and a string quartet commissioned by Music for Galway for the Contempo Quartet.
Aside from his concert compositions, Dave has composed many songs and tunes based on the Irish music tradition, some of which are to be found on his debut CD ‘Draíocht’. Dave launched ‘Draíocht’ with a performance at the 2006 Return to Camden Festival in London.
As a performer Dave is a sensitive and dynamic accompanist and soloist on guitar and octave mandolin. This has led to performances with some of the finest young traditional musicians in Ireland including Liz Coleman, Dominic MacGiolla Bhríde and Mairtín Tourish. In 2005 the acclaimed singer Helen Roche asked Dave to accompany her for a number of concerts in the UK and this resulted in some prestigious support slots to the likes of Arty McGlynn and Nollaig Casey, Téada and The Begley family, with whom they shared the bill during the 2005 Return to Camden Festival.
Dave is represented as a composer by the Contemporary Music Centre (CMC), as a songwriter by the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and he instigated the foundation of the Young Composers Collective (YCC).
Dave’s website www.daveflynn.com details the many facets of his career.
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