One man’s adventure with a tin whistle.

Michael Walsh is a tin whistler, fluter, singer and teacher from Stockport. He is a doctoral researcher and tutor at the University of Sheffield specialising flute playing and nationalism in the contemporary Asturian folk scene of northern Spain.

In this interview with Phil Brown, Michael will take us on a musical journey from learning the tin whistle in the Irish community in Manchester during the 1970’s through to his current research on Asturian folk music.

Michael learnt his music from Marian Egan and Tony Ryan at St Wilfrid’s Comhaltas in Hulme and plays with the Leeds Céilí Band. He also messed around a lot at the back of the class and played folk music in school with the great banjoist Angela Usher and Catherine Hayes from the Hayes Sisters. His new album QuareHawk, produced by Michael McGoldrick, is due for release shortly.  The album features songs, tunes and poetry with guests including Rioghnach Connolly, Mike Garry,  Kepa Junkera, Simon Bradley, Liz Hanks and the cream of the crop of the Asturian folk scene.