Sonda - A Voiced Sound

Released 2017 

Sonda is the debut album from multi All-Ireland Champion musician Richard Neylon.

The album features 12 tracks of both traditional Irish music and newly composed music. Richard is showcased playing the uilleann pipes, flute, whistles, saxophone, percussion and is backed by Dublin musician Conal Early on guitar, bouzouki and keyboards. They are joined by guest musicians; Stephen Doherty, Fiachra Hayes and James Frawley.

Richard brings a wealth of musical experience to his first solo album. His intricate piping style forged in the West of Ireland is combined with modern accompaniment. 

Richard is a previous winner of the All-Ireland Senior Uilleann pipes fast and slow airs, as well as flute and saxophone. He has toured the world with a number of Irish music shows and has performed with Irish bands such as Freewheel, Fullset and Aldoc.

Sonda is the Irish/Gaelic word for sonorous; meaning a voiced sound. Richard’s uilleann pipes, made by Cillian O’Briain and Andreas Rogge sing beautifully on this recording. The astounding rendition of the slow air ‘An Speic Seoigheach’ is a fine example of this, and it shows Richard’s masterful use of the full set - chanter, drones and regulators all played together seamlessly.

Also featured is the beautiful ‘Cumha Mhíchíl Bhreathnaigh’, a lament for the eminent Gaelic revivalist Mícheál Breathnach written by a friend before his death. This never before recorded air captures a part of Ireland’s musical history in the lead up to the 1916 Rising.