This transcript is from a radio interview where Kevin Burke phoned in and answered questions. Here he talks a little bit about fiddle styles ...

WNWR: and how has it been received? (the CD Kevin Burke Live 
1999)


KB: Very well it’s very encouraging..
R: Good, good


KB: I was a little but unsure how people would take to solo 
fiddle music…unaccompanied you know..because it’s the 
custom these days to hear this kind of music played in a 
group..format you know

WNWR: yes, yes certainly

KB: …I thought a lot of people might  have forgotten that it 
used to be played in one’s and two’s at one time y’know?

WNWR: right..and of course, you being a Sligo man, ah, you play a 
lot of the Sligo style of fiddle playing?

KB: well, that’s kinda what I was reared on, y’know..I used to 
listen to all the recordings of the great players you know; 
Michale Coleman and Killoran and Tom(?) Morrison and all 
those lads.

WNWR: Right

KB: and of course, both my parents being from Sligo I knew 
lots of people who played music who were also influenced by 
those guys…

WNWR: Right, right..could you tell us something about the Sligo 
Style, Kevin? How it’s different, say,  from the Donegal style or 
the Kerry Style? 

KB: well, um, let’s see now.. in the North of Ireland, the music 
tends to be a lttle bit brisker...um, not quite as ornamented, 
um, shorter bowing strokes for the fiddle players…and then as 
you move south, it tends to get a bit more..um, it tends to slow 
down in pace a wee bit..and by the time you get to Clare you 
notice the fiddle players usually use big long full bows, and 
they play fairly slowly, with lots of ornamentation and swoops 
and glides..a kind of a picturesque way of playing..not quite as 
driving and aggressive as up in the North, y’know?

WNWR: Like your friend, Martin Hayes

KB: exactly, yeah.

WNWR: yeah

KB: and then Sligo is geographically about halfway between 
the two so it’s a..y’know, if you’re a fan of that kind of music 
you can say it has the best of both worlds..

WNWRR: (laughing) right!

KB: and if you don’t like it you can say it falls between the two

WNWR: (Laughing) right! Well said Kevin.

KB: (Laughing)


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