CONTENTS :
# 1. (Teaghlach) :- Ríl Uí Ruairc, (O’Rourke’s), An Leaba Uisce, (The Waterbed), An Chapóg Ghruaigeach, (The Hairy Dogleaf)
# 2. (NeffBros) :- Séamus Ó Broin, (James Burns), Crosaire Uí Chlumháin, (Coleman’s Cross), Port Chathail Mhic Dhomhnaill, (Cathal McConnell’s)
# 3. (NeffBros) :- Non Te Namores Meniña, An Peidhleacán, (The Butterfly)
# 4. (Flaithrí) :- Cornphíopa Dhonnacha Uí Bhriain, (Dinny O’Brien’s), Rogha an Ardcheannfairt Ó Néill, (Chief O’ Neill’s Favourite)
# 5. (Teaghlach) :- An tSíor-Ghaoith, (The Eternal Wind) Flaithrí, Radharc an Iolair, (The Eagle’s View) Eoghan, An Choill Dharach Chiúin, (The Oak Wood Silent) Eoghan
# 6. (NeffBros) :- Máirseáil, (March), “Laridée”
# 7. (NeffBros) :- Páidí Spóirtiúl, (Sporting Paddy), Ríl Mháirtín Uí Ghaoithin, (Martin Wynn’s), Slán le hÉirinn, (Farewell to Erin)
# 8. (Eoghan) :- Caoineadh Uí Néill, (A Keening for O’Neill)
# 9. (NeffBros) :- Port Uí Riain, (Ryan’s Jig), Port Siney, (Siney’s jig), Seán Ó Duibhir, (John O’Dwyer)
# 10. (NeffBros) :- Fiach na Bóinne, (The Boyne Hunt), Scaip na Cleití, (Toss the Feathers), Tigh an tSealgaire, (The Hunter’s House), Leac na Cuimhne, (The Flagstone of Memories)
# 11. (Flaithrí) :- An Seans Deireanach, (The Last Chance)
# 12. (Eoghan) :- Caiseal Sterling, (Castle Sterling), Mairéad Camshrón, (Maggie Cameron), Cosán Gairbhéalach, (The Gravel Walk), Sicíní Shinéid, (Jennie’s Chickens)
# 13. (Teaghlach) :- Amuigh ar an bhFarraige, (Over the Ocean), Gan Ainm, (unknown), An Chailleach ag an gCuinneog, (The Hag at the Churn)

RELEASE :
The album ‘Soundpost and Bridle’ was released in 2000, just in time for their visit to New England College, USA. The album was to satisfy audiences demands for a sample of their music. Audience encouragement paved the way and young musicians accepted the challenge as Mic Moroney put it in Muse “... they say we all tend to end up doing something which earned us praise as children, and this very fine debut album ...” sees the truth in that. Critics far and wide are united.

Paul Dromey in his Folk File column reported “... "Soundpost and Bridle", Flaithrí and Eoghan Neff's debut album is an absolute revelation, a sparkling collection of beautifully-chosen dance tunes and airs played with an assuredness and maturity well beyond their years. The empathic tightness and sheer heart in their renditions of timeless dance tunes is an absolute joy. But, for my money, their playing of slow airs is the highlight of this exceptionally fine album. It is often said that slow airs cannot be played properly by the young but Flaithrí and Eoghan give the lie to that notion. Eoghan's "Caoineadh Uí Neill" and Flaithrí's Breton air "An Seans Deireanach" incorporate all the pathos and soulful loneliness one could wish for ...” Evening Echo.

As Flaithrí and Eoghan explained their tradition in Soundpost and Bridle : “Musicians of traditional Irish music are bearers of a living heritage which passes temporarily into their guardianship. Each generation in turn influences this heritage, without them our music would not have survived. While listening, let us appreciate past generations’ gift to us.”

COMPOSITION :
Track 5 of their début album is composed by Flaithrí & Eoghan. The title of Flaithrí’s piece in this set is An tSíor-Ghaoith, (The Eternal Wind). The titles of Eoghan’s two pieces in the set are Radharc an Iolair, (The Eagle's View) and  An Choill Dharach Chiúin, (The Oak Wood Silent).

This set is dedicated to the Choctaw Nation and the victims of Ireland’s “Great Famine”. In 1831 the Choctaw Indians were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands in Mississippi to Oklahoma, this sad journey is known as “The Trail of Tears”. They suffered many thousands of deaths, but yet only 16 years after their removal, these noble-minded Choctaws raised money from their meagre resources to help the starving of a far away land during their Great Famine.

“... for me, of particular interest, track 5 featuring three jigs penned by Flaithrí and Eoghan which are dedicated to the Choctaw People of North America ...” The Scottish & Irish Traditional Celtic Music Store, Scotland, Ronnie Simpson.

“... two tunes composed by Eoghan Neff, whose theme and instrumentals evoke the ancient religion of both Native American and Celt ...” Celtic Beat, Art Ketchen, USA. “... this itself is a precious original composition and worth the purchase ...” Hornpipe Magazine, USA, Thomas Miner.

Points of interest :
Title : Soundpost and Bridle
Own label : Teaghlach (T001)
Artists:
(Flaithrí) . solo pipes (Eoghan) . solo fiddle (NeffBros) . duet of pipes and fiddle (Teaghlach) . group of Flaithrí (uilleann pipes, whistles, keyboard), Eoghan (fiddle, keyboard), Muireann (bodhrán, various percussion), Éibhear (mandola)
The Neff Brothers
Playing time: 48’.02”
Artwork and graphics by Éibhear Neff
Guest musicians : Éibhear Neff, Muireann Neff.

Talented Neff brothers champ at the musical bit in Soundpost and Bridle ... their excellent and exuberant debut album ... magical music on the pipes and fiddle ...

The soundpost is a small wooden brace which separates the front and back faces of the fiddle; the bridle is a thin ribbon of copper which wraps around the reed of the chanter on the pipes. Each is vitally important in shaping the sound of its respective instrument, mirroring the care taken by the Neffs in their music.

In a sense, there are four distinct parts to this album: solo fiddle from Eoghan, solo pipes from Flaithrí, pipes and fiddle duets (under the vaguely boy band sub-title of Neff Bros); and a full family band with father Éibhear on mandola and mother Muireann on bodhrán and percussion, under the sub-title Teaghlach.

A swelling synth chord introduces Flaithrí's pipes which takes O'Rourke's Reel at a fair lick, Eoghan's syncopated fiddle champing at the bit. Second time round, the fiddle joins the melody and mandola fills the background. The change into The Waterbed, a swaggering reel by the Cork piper Diarmaid Moynihan, is accompanied by some clever fiddle trickery. The Hairy Dogleaf, by the Limerick flute player Francis O'Connor, rounds off the set nicely. The pace hasn't slowed by the following track, a set of jigs and slip-jigs, but the sound is purer, just pipes and fiddle, with the drones and regulators providing the accompaniment. It's here that the real talent of the Neffs shows itself in fine accurate, often exhilarating, playing.

At times, they are like two parts of the same instrument— tight, together, yet distinct. At others, they accompany each other, throwing humorous tricks forwards and back. The Neff repertoire is not restricted to the Irish side of the house. Cantiga da Caniza is a Galician tune which sits comfortably alongside the slip jig The Butterfly (shades of The Bothy Band here, and elsewhere), where the pipes provide a harmony line to the fiddle. Sonerezh Breizh is a pair of Breton tunes with the pipes playing the part of the binou and the fiddle taking the role of the bombarde.

The Eternal wind/The Eagle's View/ The Oak Wood Silent is a set of jigs, double and slip, which opens with a clear Native American feel and, indeed, is dedicated to the Choctaw People. Flaithrí shows his individual skills on a deft setting of Dinny O'Brien's/Chief O'Neill's Favourite while Eoghan gives full rein to his imagination on a set of strathspeys and reels ending with The Gravel Walks and Jenny's Chickens. His rendition of Caoineadh Uí Neill shows great maturity.

... an excellent debut with the promise of great things to come.

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“... an absolute revelation, a sparkling collection of beautifully-chosen dance tunes and airs played with an assuredness and maturity well beyond their years. The empathic tightness and sheer heart in their renditions of timeless dance tunes is an absolute joy... their playing of slow airs is the highlight of this exceptionally fine album... Eoghan’s “Caoineadh Uí Neill” and Flaithrí’s Breton air “An Seans Deireanach” incorporate all the pathos and soulful loneliness one could wish for... Consummate musicianship, expressive playing, music with taste, colour, flavour - what more could you possibly want on one CD?”

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“... the rhythmic shades of Planxty and the Bothy Band....and is also vibrant and exciting at first exposition. The combination of travelling style piping and fiddle playing that walks on the wild side of all things traditional alludes to a distinctive and personalised form of music. ...”

Irish Music Magazine, February 2001, John O’Regan

“ ... The unified tracks have a solid ensemble sound with each piece interlocking like a jigsaw to create a complex yet accessible web of sound. ... sound that is exciting, energetic and above all different. ... There are three qualities these brothers have in abundance, an immersion in the tradition, a penchant for experimentation and boundless energy. The result is powerfully dynamic music. If this is anything to go by The Neff Brothers are bound for big things.”

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“A soundpost is part of a fiddle and a bridle is part of an uilleann pipes. An apt title then for the debut album ... The playing is stunningly accomplished, exuberant and dynamic and the two brothers play together with the empathy and instrumental equivalent of the glorious sibling vocals of the Everlys or the McGarrigles. There are slow airs and they are beautifully executed but it’s the high energy jigs and reels that dazzle. Flaithrí’s piping is amazing but the real killer punch is Eoghan’s fiddle playing. He plays with a syncopated attack and his phrasing and bending of notes, like rock/blues guitar, add incredible drive and power to the dance tunes. This is a mightily impressive debut album...”

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“The Neff brothers jump out of their skin on their début, fiddle and pipes ricocheting off one another ... Flaithrí and Eoghan wear their instruments with an inviable lightness. Old and new tunes alike sparkle atop Flaithrí’s highly articulate piping and Eoghan’s ferocious fiddle. ... married with sweeping melody and intricate counterpoint on pipes. More than a mere calling card, this is virtuoso playing from start to finish.”

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“They say we all tend to end up doing something which earned us praise as children, and this very fine debut album by 22-year-old uileann piper Flaithrí Neff sees him delivering on his promise as a kid who played solo pipes in front of a full orchestra in Lorient, to say nothing of bagging ten All Ireland Fleadh Cheoil titles between the ages of fourteen and eighteen. Joined here by his equally auspicious twenty year-old fiddler-brüdder, Eoghan, there’s something unassailable in the pair’s rock-hard unison, with some of that heads-down, hard-knuckles Paddy Glackin/Paddy Keenan chemistry of the early Bothy Band ... The boys play solo too: Eoghan’s singy, breathing, melancholic rendition of the “Caoineadh Uí Néill”; or Flaithrí’s rangy hornpipes (“Dinny O’Brien’s and Chief O’Neill’s Favourite”), pitch-bending the drones and regulators as he prosecutes the tune hard and straight-ahead, eschewing the current vogue of jazzification for the earthier philosophy of “hang her out and let her rip”.

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“ ... La musique des Neff Bros n’est pas sans évoquer par moments celle de feu Planxty ou Bothy Band. Excusez du peu ! Sur l’album une bonne part d’airs traditionnels, mais également beaucoup de compositions et d’arrangements personnels, servis par une technique irréprochable. Les solos de uilleann pipe ou de fiddle y alternent avec les duos des deux frères, ou la prestation du groupe familial au complet.

Tendez bien l’oreille et vous reconnaîtrez au passage des airs galiciens ou bretons, glanés lors d’un de leurs passages au festival interceltique de Lorient. Beaucoup de chaleur et de virtuosité caractérisent un album en tous points exceptionnel. Après un tel album, nul doute que les frères Neff soient promis à un bel avenir.”

Le Peuple Breton, February 2004, Pilippe Cousin, France

“ … Tout comme sur Soundpost and Bridle, les frères Neff ne se cantonnent pas aux traditionnels irlandais, puisque quelques compositions trouvent aussi leur place ainsi qu’une suite enjouée des Asturies et pas moins de cinq airs bretons (gavottes et suite de Loudéac) …. Nous avons même la surprise d’entendre un morceau aux colorations indiennes.

Pour autant l’lrlande n’est pas oubliée et Flaithrí et Eoghan donnent à entendre ici ou la une multitude de reels, polkas ou jigs toutes plus plaisantes les unes que les autres.

Seul bémol à cet admirable album, la pochette qui fait figure de parent pauvre. Sa tristesse ne reflète absolument pas la gaieté se dégageant à l’écoute du disque.”

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“... a duo which reminds me from the off of the casual but drumtight interplay between Paddy Keenan and Tommy Peoples in the early lineup of The Bothy Band. ... The brothers’ trademark as players is a wildness that infuses even the slowest, most measured tunes with passion, but it never threatens to get out of control; there is at all times a soul-deep mastery of instruments and conduct in evidence. This is not music that has been thrown together without a care - lifts, key and tempo changes all have their place in one of the best albums I have heard in years... Be mesmerised.”

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“...Where there’s youth there’s drive and these guys have it, but not to the disruption of their traditional musical past. They pay their respects, listen to the old players, learn and move on. It’s obvious they know their stuff; it oozes from every track...

This is an album in which the musicians generate the maximum degrees of energy and intensity and sensitivity without having to resort to the resources of anything other than their traditional acoustic instruments and their skill and musicianship...”

“Flaithrí and Eoghan Neff are two young players of traditional Irish music you should take note of.

……. They are both winners of the All-Ireland Championships for fiddle and uilleann pipes and that guarantees a high standard of playing – but it’s their drive and enthusiasm, backed up with the accuracy of their playing that grabs you and makes you want to listen (at least) or dance (more likely)……. Very well worth your support.”

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“...Unison pipes and fiddle are the core to these old, new, Galician and Breton tunes in perfect metre and synchronicity. Fiddle strathspey has great control, reels tend to be break-neck but skill rescues them by astonishment. Clever, momentary harmonies alter moods, the chanter work is relaxed and in perfect pitch, like fiddle with breathtaking syncopation, all in such a visibly tight control as to be a goldfish-bowl of technique and artistry. Solidly traditional ... píobracht-style ... impressive fiddle ...”

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“... The uillean pipe is the instrument of Irish music (or the voice) and ones ability to accent with drones and regulators defines a musicians prowess; as does Flaithrí. Eoghan is complimenting with his bow work and the two together, well, if everyone is not shoulder to shoulder then they lack any feeling for life. Look here and see the future. It will be a lifetime of insatiable listening pleasure.”

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“... a marvelous job! ... on this disc are traditional Irish tunes, and it is delightful to not only hear them, but to hear them performed so well. These two young men are marvels of their craft ... filled with precision and energy.

“Dhonnacha Ui Bhriain, Ardcheannfoirt O Neill” is a solo set played by Flaithri on the Uilleann pipes. These two pieces showcase his incredible mastery of this instrument. ...

“Caoineadh Ui Neill” ... . Eoghan performs this piece solo, and his fiddling is exquisite to say the least. Each note carries a hint of pain and sadness within it, and one is put into a solemn and reflective mood.”

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"... This CD was a pleasure to listen to from the very start. The first cut “Ril Ui Ruarc”/”Leaba Uisce”/”An Chapog Ghruaigeach” is energetic, exciting. ... Individually their artistry shows through, as it does for Flaithri on the pipes in “Seamus O’Broin”/ ”Crosaire Ui Chlumhain”/”Gan Ainm.” Another example of superb piping is ”An Seans Deireanach” which is truly powerful. ... Native American musical legacy in flute is also combined with Irish capably here in “An tSior Ghaoith”/”Radharc an Iolair”/” An Choill Dharach Chiuin.” The first tune, composed by Flaithri Neff, is a tribute to the Choctaw nation who sent food to the Irish nation during the great Famine. This is followed by two tunes composed by Eoghan Neff, whose theme and instrumentals evoke the ancient religion of both Native American and Celt. ... tour de force of an album.

Soundpost And Bridle is where traditional skill and high art meet."

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