There is something about Irish fiddle player Martin Hayes that I can never quite lay my finger on. There is a calmness about the man, both in his playing and his persona that make him such a fascinating person and performer. If I’d had him as my music teacher in school who knows what I’d be doing now, he inspires as much as he entertains. With all of this in mind the latest documentary from film-maker Myles O’Reilly under the banner of Arbutus Yarns has been delightful viewing as Myles accompanies Martin and Dennis Cahill on their Indian tour.
Martin confesses of his 25 year love affair with Indian classical music at the opening, music in which he can hear ‘the sound of a country’. That passion is shared with Matthew Noone, another Irish musician and composer who joins him and Dennis on tour. Unlike his fellow musicians however, Matthew’s instrument of choice is not Irish but actually the North Indian lute called the sarode and throughout the documentary the fusion of Indian and Irish music is spectacularly uplifting and inspiring. Watch it below: