For the Record
Laoise O’Brien has spent the past twenty-five years championing an instrument often unfairly perceived as an instrument of torture, the recorder. The particular sonority of a mass of small plastic recorders has left an unfortunate legacy on an instrument once known as the ‘sweet flute’. Join Laoise as she embarks on a journey to tell the story of the recorder and its development during the ages, featuring recordings of popular pieces from the repertoire including Greensleeves, J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 and Three Blinde Mice as it was originally composed. Part historical account, part personal voyage, Laoise will introduce us to the various sizes and styles of recorder, the vast amount of repertoire spanning a millennium, and the many different uses for which the instrument was employed: from dances on the village green, to music composed by kings.
Presented and produced by Laoise O’Brien
Producer for RTÉ lyric fm: Eoin O Kelly
(First broadcast 17th December 2023)
RTÉ lyric fm, Sunday 28th April, 6pm-7pm
