Breaking Bach

Album of the Week, RTÉ Lyric FM

"Dazzling... utterly breathtaking...
a triumph."
* * * * * FOLK WALES

"Groundbreaking - a magnificent tour-de-force... a toweringly impressive achievement"
THE LIVING TRADITION

"Life-affirming... [Newman’s] achievement is colossal... Elegant, stylish and unmistakeably
from the heart."
* * * * RnR MAGAZINE

This audacious and eminently enjoyable hijacking sees Chris Newman, who has played with the likes of SteŽphane Grappelli, the Boys of the Lough and, of course, in his outstanding duo with Irish harpist Máire Ní Chathasaigh, lend a distinctively ringing but also regardful character to
this hallowed canon."
* * * * THE SCOTSMAN

"Unplugged splendour... Chris Newman is in a class of his own."
* * * * SPIRAL EARTH

"Un album fort original et novateur"
* * * * 5PLANÈTES

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Still Getting Away with It

“Dazzling... A genuinely uplifting album of some of the most remarkable - yet accessible - guitar playing you're going to hear all year."
* * * * * ROCK N REEL

“Astonishing - a joy-filled romp through blues, back-porch pickin', Quebec reels, Django swing jazz chordings, bluegrass, African high- life, ragtime, latin, Irish jigs and beyond, and a must-buy for any guitar player”
* * * * SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY

"Beauty and virtuosity from a master craftsman at the peak of his abilities... I couldn’t recommend an album more highly"
* * * * MAVERICK

“A triumph... I'm fully conscious that I'm in the presence of greatness here... one of the top guitarists of his ilk anywhere”
THE LIVING TRADITION

“Precision-engineered, lovingly crafted tunes... Playful and incredibly dextrous”
* * *THE IRISH TIMES

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Fretwork

"A stunning and stylistically-varied album, heaving with good tunes, from one of the UK’s most staggering and influential
acoustic guitarists”
FOLK ROOTS

"Dazzling"
ACOUSTIC GUITAR

"Nothing short of brilliant”
DIRTY LINEN (USA) 

"The John Williams of folk guitar…takes the breath away. Newman wears his virtuosity lightly and his music has immense vitality and charm”
THE INVERNESS COURIER

“A veritable feast of immaculate guitar playing - a marvellous achievement… A testament to Newman’s ability to make the guitar grab your attention and never let you go. A great album from a respected and revered folk guitarist” TAPLAS

“Guitar players don’t come any better than Chris Newman.. I’d blithely cross snow-capped mountains and ford raging rivers to see him play”
THE LIVING TRADITION

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Chris Newman Two

Chris Newman wrote in 2005:

“Back in the early 80s I made a couple of solo albums. The first, the imaginatively titled Chris Newman, came out in 1981. 

A couple of years later I recorded Chris Newman Two (titles never were my strong point), an LP that featured many friends and collaborators from that era. They included ace mandolin player Simon Mayor and Britain’s foremost exponent of the triangle, Fred Wedlock. A few months ago I uncovered the original stereo masters and was surprised to find them in excellent condition. I’m very grateful to Andy Allan, the original recording engineer, who’s done a fine job decoding the 1983 vintage Dolby ‘A’ recordings and creating the files needed to put the audio into the digital domain.

The album hasn’t been altered in any way – what you have here is the original 1983 recording full of terrific tunes played on various guitars, mandolins, banjo, flute, piano, bass and drums. And triangle. We had a lot of fun when we made this record – I hope you enjoy it.”

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The Irish Harper Volume One

This book contains the first arrangements of Irish traditional dance tunes ornamented in an authentic style ever to be published (though also included are two songs, plus three pieces by Turlough O’Carolan), and sold out its first print run of 1,000 copies within weeks of publication in 1991.

The fruit of many years’ experience of performing and teaching Irish traditional music to harpers by the pioneer in the field, it represented the first attempt in print to analyse and explain the aesthetic principles which inform the stylistically correct performance of this music on the harp.

Suitable for intermediate to advanced players.

Available as a printed book or as a download.

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The Irish Harper Volume  Two

‘The Irish Harper Volume Two: 24 Pieces by Turlough O’Carolan Arranged for the Irish Harp’ by Máire Ní Chathasaigh was first published by Old Bridge Music in 2001. It has been amended, updated and given a new cover for the Second Edition, published in 2023.

The book contains original arrangements of 24 of Carolan's beautiful tunes (with suggested fingering), a brief biography of Carolan, historical notes on the pieces and performance guidance.

Two of the pieces are included in the new (as of January 2025) ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) pedal and lever harp exam syllabus: "Lord Inchiquin" (Grade IV) and "Mr O'Connor" (Grade V). A number of them have been included in the Royal Irish Academy of Music harp examination syllabus over the years.

The arrangements originally appeared on Máire’s 1994 CD with Chris Newman, The Carolan Albums. “Restores the harp toits true voice." THE IRISH TIMES

Suitable for intermediate to advanced players.

Available as a printed book or as a download.

More Information

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