MALACHY Bourke and Toner Quinn opened this fiddlers' compendium strongly with traditional tunes, establishing an engaging command for the stage with fine, relaxed playing the Cafe Orchestra's Pat Collins, with Croatian guitarist Draj, changing scenery with a muted jazz absorption.
Focus of the all male night were the Glackin brothers, Paddy and Kevin, bristling hoops to each other in great complementary playing.
Tom Ward's Downfall and, The Reel Of Mullinavat led to a productive interplay of variation and technique - delicate bassing, tantalising drones, measured gallop - which in its exhilarating precision begged the question "why do more solo players not work with their own instrument as accompaniment?"
Paul Kelly wore traditional Irish and swing hats with Orient Express guitarist John Whelan - a somewhat twee Phil Cunningham air apologised for by a full blooded Dean Brig Of Edinburgh, an embracing Swedish rhapsody challenged by an open end reel set.
To Dermot McLaughlin, solo, it was left to demonstrate by comparison the irony of the strength of solo playing, his backstitched highlands and precisely picked, parallel time Donegal/Scots ornament leaping out for being so persistently different.
The finale was a terrific escalating set of reels from the seven fiddles: The Sligo Maid generously permitted incorporation of Collins's soaring treble wrap arounds; The Shaskeen incited guitars to Willie Johnston off beat; The Tarbolton set, Ships Are Sailing and Boys Of Ballysodare evoked a 1960s feel; the closed structure Bucks provided the emphatic, nothing in ore need be said last word.
