The Rolling Wave radio programme on RTÉ is presented and produced by fiddle player, Aoife Nic Cormaic. During the initial lockdown of 2020 the programme, in association with ITMA, commissioned 10 composers to write new tunes in a project called Faoiseamh. Initially the composers recorded the tunes on whatever devices they had in their homes, and these, along with interviews were broadcast in June and July of 2020.

• Rolling Wave Broadcast, 28 June 2020 [opens in a new tab]
• Rolling Wave Broadcast, 12 July 2020 [opens in a new tab]

As restrictions eased the artists were invited once again to make studio-quality recordings of those tunes, and these were re-broadcast on the Rolling Wave on 8 November 2020. This re-broadcast coincided with the publication of the tunes on the ITMA website as interactive scores. Each tune also has recordings, some played slowly by the artists to aid the learning process, and PDF downloads of the staff notation. The full suite of learning resources can be found at the links below, click on an artist's name to go directly to their compositions.

Our thanks to RTÉ, the performers and The Rolling Wave for permission to publish the recordings.

PLAYLIST featuring all ten composers playing their tunes, courtesy RTÉ

INTERACTIVE SCORES of all 16 tunes in the Faoiseamh project

TUNE BOOK with transcriptions of all 16 tunes, available for download

• An grianstad, slow air ; The halting sun, reel /composed by Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh
• An páistín Fiach, waltz / composed by Johnny Óg Connolly
• Into a brighter day, hornpipe / composed by Josephine Marsh
• Tearmann, air and jog / composed by Eoin Dillon
• The glint in her eye, jig ; An solas sa dorchadas, jig / composed by Edel Fox
• The lockdown slip jig ; Coming out of lockdown, reel / composed by Charlie Lennon
• An smólach, slow air / composed by Emer Mayock
• I'll meet you on a day that never ends, waltz ; The Ballinahulla butterfly, polka ; Tranquility in Tureencahill, polka / composed by Bryan O'Leary
• Mouse and shrew, planxty ; The flute-friendly reel / composed by Liz Carroll
• Give her the rest she's earned, hornpipe / composed by Tommy Fitzharris

Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh

An grianstad, slow air [comp. Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh] ; The halting sun, reel [comp. Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh]

I was in lockdown at home in Carrickfinn , Co Donegal during the Covid 19 Pandemic.

I went for my daily walk by my home, to Tráigh an Bháid and An Trá Bán and so many things went through my mind on these walks, initially afraid of what could happen but gradually through listening to the nature that surrounded me ; the crash of the Atlantic on the shore, the gentle wind brushing my face and the joyous bird song, my spirit lifted and I would return to my home filled with joy and hope.

Through this daily ritual I was inspired to play music and even compose pieces.

Video of Mairéad playing the tunes slowly [opens in a new tab]

An grianstad, slow air [comp. Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh]
Interactive Score
Tune Transcription

The halting sun, reel [comp. Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh]
Interactive Score
Tune Transcription

Johnny Óg Connolly

An páistín Fiach, waltz [comp. Johnny Óg Connolly]

An páistín Fiach, waltz [comp. Johnny Óg Connolly]

Interactive Score
Tune Transcription

Josephine Marsh

Into a brighter day, hornpipe [comp. Josephine Marsh]

‘Into a brighter day’ was written at the beginning of the ‘Lockdown’ 2020.

The title came about from reading a verse in a memoriam card I found of the late Tom Carey the concertina player from Leitrim in Cree, Co Clare. Tom and I played a lot together when I moved to West Clare in 2003, and we went on to become great friends as well as musical companions.

Note: This tune was written in G minor, and this is the key of the learning resources below. The track recorded for broadcast on RTÉ was played in a different key so that Josephine could record it with her son, Andrew.

Into a brighter day, hornpipe [comp. Josephine Marsh]
Video of Josephine playing the tune slowly
Interactive Score
Tune Transcription

Eoin Dillon

Tearmann, air and jig [comp. Eoin Dillon]

I had being thinking of the life during the covid pandemic. No gigs, no going out to town. Plenty of walks in the park and waking some mornings, asking what will I do today. When I was asked to write a tune for the Faoiseamh project, twas good. Something positive to mark this time and a challenge to myself. I had thought of writing an ugly tune . When I hummed it's irritating melody and rhythm, I left it on the road I was walking.

The first two slower parts I had in my blue book for a while, so as not to forget them. I didn't forget them and thought this was a good opportunity to put them to use. After playing the second slow part it suggested following with another more enthusiastic piece, hence the jig. The last part came as I wanted something to finish and also so RTÉ would think I put in the extra effort.

Tearmann, air and jig [comp. Eoin Dillon]
Interactive Score
Tune Transcription

Edel Fox

The glint in her eye, jig [comp. Edel Fox] ; An solas sa dorchadas, jig [comp. Edel Fox]

The glint in her eye, jig [comp. Edel Fox]
Interactive Score
Tune Transcription

An solas sa dorchadas, jig [comp. Edel Fox]
Interactive Score
Tune Transcription

Charlie Lennon

The lockdown slip jig [comp. Charlie Lennon] ; Coming out of lockdown, reel [comp. Charlie Lennon]

I find that the 9/8 time, the slip jig, is a lovely way of creating. There’s a lovely beat to it. It welcomes you in and helps you come up with notes. I wanted to get a mood that was not down that way but lowered, and expressive of something that was happening around us.

The reel then is to give us joy and to bring life into ourselves, to wake up and go and get out there and dance and meet and celebrate because we haven’t done that yet as a nation.

The lockdown slip jig [comp. Charlie Lennon]
Interactive Score
Tune transcription
Charlie Lennon's arrangement of the tune

Coming out of lockdown, reel [comp. Charlie Lennon]
Interactive Score
Tune transcription
Charlie Lennon's arrangement of the tune

RTÉ Rolling Wave Podcast, an extended interview with Charlie Lennon that was recorded Summer 2020 for the initial Faoiseamh broadcast.

Emer Mayock

An smólach, slow air [comp. Emer Mayock]

An smólach, slow air [comp. Emer Mayock]
Video of Emer playing An Smólach
Interactive Score
PDF Download

Bryan O'Leary

I'll meet you on a day that never ends, waltz [comp. Bryan O'Leary] ; The Ballinahulla butterfly, polka [comp. Bryan O'Leary] ; Tranquility in Tureencahill, polka [comp. Bryan O'Leary]

I'll meet you on a day that never ends, waltz [comp. Bryan O'Leary]
Interactive Score
Tune Transcription

While out for a walk in my local area, I stopped at Ballinahulla bridge. I was just gazing down into the flowing stream when a butterfly caught my attention! It's colours were green, white and orange! The colours of our National tricolour!

The Ballinahulla butterfly, polka [comp. Bryan O'Leary]
Interactive Score
Tune Transcription

Tureencahill is my own native townland. It is situated roughly halfway between the villages of Gneeveguilla and Ballydesmond, in the heart of Sliabh Luachra, in the Kingdom of Kerry.

I have found great peace and tranquility here the past 26 years. There are only two Kingdoms; The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Kerry and I'm lucky enough to live in the best townland in one of those Kingdoms! haha!

Tranquility in Tureencahill, polka [comp. Bryan O'Leary]
Interactive Score
Tune Transcription

Liz Carroll

Mouse and shrew, planxty [comp. Liz Carroll] ; The flute-friendly reel [comp. Liz Carroll]

I wrote a fairly serious dirge in the early days of the pandemic, so I felt like I got that off my chest and wanted to think positive. This is the tune that came out! My husband's father used to make up stories for my husband and his siblings when they were young, all starring a mouse and a shrew. When our own children were little, my husband also made up stories for them which followed the exploits of Mouse and Shrew.

Mouse and shrew, planxty [comp. Liz Carroll]
Interactive Score
Tune Transcription

The flute-friendly reel [comp. Liz Carroll]
Interactive Score
Tune Transcription

Tommy Fitzharris

Give her the rest she's earned, hornpipe [comp. Tommy Fitzharris]

This hornpipe was composed during the national lockdown of our country as a result of Covid-19. The tune title came to me as I reflected on the impact this pandemic was having on the music of Ireland and it's musicians.

Give her the rest she's earned, hornpipe [comp. Tommy Fitzharris]
Interactive Score
Tune Transcription

"Tommy originally wrote this on flute, but when it came to bringing him into studio to record RTÉ weren't allowed bring in any flute players so he switched to concertina"

Aoife Nic Cormaic

Following the re-broadcast of the compositions on the 8^th of November 2020 a number of podcasts were created. Only a short extract from each interview was included in the broadcast due to time constraints, so the podcasts were created to allow longer extracts from the interviews to be heard. Due to rights issues these podcasts only contain snippets of music.

Tunemakers 1 – Charlie Lennon

Tunemakers 2 - Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Tommy Fitzharris, Emer Mayock and Bryan O'Leary

Tunemakers 3 - Johnny Óg Connolly, Josephine Marsh, Eoin Dillon, Edel Fox and Liz Carroll

Faoiseamh is the Irish word for relief or respite.

The final project was called 'Faoiseamh' because it describes the solace which music has given to so many people over the past few months

Aoife Nic Cormaic

Presented by Treasa Harkin, November 2020, with thanks to Aoife Nic Cormaic, RTÉ the Rolling Wave, Aoife Ní Bhriain and all the composers.