Aidan O'Rourke: Fiddle
Claire Mann: Flute, Fiddle, Vocals and Whistles
Aidan and Claire got together in late 1994 and specialise in traditional and original Scottish and Irish Music. They recorded two albums.
Aidan is from the Isle of Seil which lies off the coast south of Oban in the West Highlands of Scotland. His fiddle style has a unique blend of Scottish and Irish influences with his family roots in Donegal.He started playing at the age of nine and competed throughout Scotland with great success. At 14 he had won two national titles and was a finalist in the Glenfiddich fiddle championships, the most prestigious open fiddle competition in Scotland. This was followed up by a BBC mini documentary. By the age of 15 Aidan had toured America and Canada with the Caledonia Ramblers. He has also toured extensively in Europe and the British Isles with Tannas and Deaf Shepherd and was included in a performance with Capercaillie. Aidan's distinctive interpretations of tunes and songs has established him as a leading fiddle player in Scotland. Aidan now performs with the hugely successful Blazin' Fiddles, Kevin MacKenzie's Vital Signs, the Unusual Suspects, exciting folk fusion band Sunhoney and with Kris Drever and Martin Green in the band Lau. He is much sought after as a teacher, composer and session musician having performed on over 50 albums, ranging from Runrig to Michael McGoldrick.
Claire, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the northeast of England and currently residing in Edinburgh, started playing the fiddle at school at the age of eight and the flute at 12. Despite taking up the flute at a later date, she excels on this instrument having won the All-Ireland flute championships in the consecutive years of 1993 and 1994. She has also won All-Irelands on the whistle and been a finalist on fiddle. In six years won over eighty medals in Fleadh Cheolis and was a finalist in the prestigious BBC Radio 2's Young Tradition Award.
Claire formed a duo with cittern/guitarist/vocalist Aaron Jones and the pair have developed a fantastic concert show which has seen them in increasing demand at festivals throughout the country.
Claire continues to diversify, playing with theatre companies in her native Newcastle and in Edinburgh. She has also performed for the renowned British Flute Society who described her as, "astonishing"
Claire has also worked with Newcastle based theatre company, Northern Stage, and toured throughout the British Isles and Europe with Edinburgh Bands the Findlays and Aruin, and with Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann. She has also performed for the renowned British Flute Society. Waves of Rush, produced by Donald Shaw, is a mixture of traditional and original material, penned this time round by Aidan. The addition of keyboards, percussion and double bass give the album a more contemporary feel.
Claire and Aidan were joined later by guitarist Ross Martin now of Cliar and Daimh.
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