Tonight there will be a special flute night on TG4.
https://www.facebook.com/events/2093599470858276/permalink/2095289130689310/
Tune in to TG4 on Christmas Day to witness a magic flute session
with Matt Molloy, Michael Flatley, Séamus Tansey & Brian McGrath
It’s actually a Sé Mo Laoch special: Se Mo Laoch Matt Molloy so it’s likely more about the man himself rather than just a big session.
See : here
The description is “The day the ‘Chieftain’ Matt Molloy met ‘The Lord of the Dance’ Michael Flatley and ‘The King of the Concert Flute’ Séamus Tansey.,” so it’s not the usual Se Mo Laoch formula. Just watching it now, and the title card lists all three, so it does seem to be about the session between the three of them.
Downloaded. It’s them playing together in various configurations throughout.
Just watched it, and it really is just like a big session between the three of them and a keyboard player. They split up a couple times, Molloy/Flatley and Molloy/Tansey do duo sets, and besides the playing there’s some banter.
It’s fun to watch, but I wish it was the three of them taking turns playing solo, rather than together! I find you get diminishing returns after more than one of any instrument, but especially the flute, and when all three are going full blast all the ornamentation and variations get muddled up.
it’s not the usual Se Mo Laoch formula
Fair enough, I had only seen the announcements on RTE over the past week, stating it was Se Mo Laoch Matt Molloy and assumed it was one from the usual formula.
I find you get diminishing returns after more than one of any instrument, but especially the flute, and when all three are going full blast all the ornamentation and variations get muddled up.
Yes, very much so, putting a bunch of famous people together does not necessarily mean you will get something rising above ‘a few people playing tunes together’. Mind you, if you get people together whohave a rapport and know eachother’s music, you may well get them knocking sparks off eachother and levitating. But that does require reining in the ego and serving the music. Some people are better at those things than others. FWIW, I have heard groups of fluteplayers do just that, knock sparks off eachother and create something greater than the sum of its parts. Which in not in any way expressing an opinion on anything shown in the programme, I haven’t watched it yet.
I thought it was a great episode; took a while to find it online though. IMO, this was one of those times when the sum was greater than the parts, Molloy and Tansey especially, and Tansey seemed to believe so as well as he talked about it at length. Flately can play, but I would have been fine with just Molloy and Tansey for the whole session
Flute nerd thoughts: What flute is Flatley playing. It looks like an Rudall & Rose with the C# & C keys missing, and a reverse tenon, cracked head joint? Can be seen quite well at 2.10 minutes into the video. I see Tansey seems to be playing a Rudall with missing keys. I guess Molloy is playing an Olwell flute. Anyone know the name of the Paddy Joe Moloney tune Matt plays after “The Battering ram”
Very nice, thanks guys. I have not many oportunities to watch that kind of programs in my country.
I can see Seamus Tansey plays a more standard style when accompained.
Love the man at the keyboards, really good chords.
Love these shows. 
Loved this as well, especially hearing them play Kevin Henry’s version of the Creel of Turf, and Jim Donoghue’s version of The Battering Ram, nice unexpected twists in both; I recorded those sets to learn them later!
There are some other beautiful versions of the Creel of Turf as well, including a three-part one that was recorded by PJ and Martin Hayes on the album they did together.