More About Paschal

Paschal McDonnell comes from a large family of traditional musicians, growing up with a deep sense of the Celtic tradition. However, from the start his true interest lay more in composing than in performing. To give expression to his music he set about mastering the keyboard, bouzouki, mandolin, banjo and guitar, also giving a good account of himself on the whistle and bodhran. He says that when he got to the fiddle and uilleann pipes he bowed out gracefully, realizing he should quit while still ahead.

His style of music would be termed Traditional/Folk. Whatever labels might be used to describe him, many attributes stand out – some of the most immediate being the strength of his melodies, their originality and freshness, coupled with intricate harmonies and layers of counter melodies. In a genre where various tunes are passed from musician to musician, it is these harmonies and counter-melodies which have evoked such comments as – “he hasn’t made them easy to play.”

Paschal is most of all an originator in terms of melody and rhythm, an example of which is especially evident in his hornpipes. His unique and individual approach left him with a problem when it came to recording – finding musicians to perform the music. He eventually decided that a ‘tubular’ bells route was the way to go; the recording would happen over an extended time, allowing him to explore and develop the sound he was after.