String Playing
🎻 About Me
I’m a freelance violinist based in the Dublin area, specialising in weddings, funerals, musicals and private events. Whether you’re looking for elegant classical melodies or a touch of trad-inspired fiddle, I work closely with clients to create a truly unique atmosphere for your ceremony or celebration, with your choice of guitar or piano accompaniment.
Outside of event work, I maintain a busy schedule performing and recording with a wide range of traditional, roots and bluegrass bands on the Dublin music scene. I’ve shared the stage with artists including the Manic Street Preachers, Mary Coughlan, Don Baker, Bill Whelan, Eleanor McEvoy and Ronan Hardiman (Lord of the Dance).
My TV and radio appearances include The Late Late Show, The Works, The View, The Apprentice, Arena, and TG4’s RoisÃn. I can even fool people into thinking I can play the viola 😊
What style of music do you play?
The great thing is that I don’t have one simple answer to that question! The violin is an incredibly versatile instrument, and my training – a mix of classical, improvisation and folk – gives me a distinctive style that lets me customise pretty well any song, classical work or pop tune. Check out some of my videos for a taste of things I enjoy playing:
Ok, nobody wants to hear Christmas carols in January! But this haunting air, the Wexford Carol, is in my opinion one of the most beautiful carols I know, and I can’t help taking a little reflected pride in the fact that it’s Irish. Playing it in Ballintubber Abbey, one of the island’s oldest places of worship, felt a little bit special too.Â
I love exploring different styles, especially folk fiddle in the Irish, bluegrass & roots traditions. If you’re not too familiar with them, these different styles of playing can sound pretty similar, but when you dive a bit further in you start to hear different ornamentation and harmonic language that gives each one a distinctive sound. Check out this reel and you’ll see what I mean:
As a songwriter, I perform my own original material with various outfits including the Back Room Dispatch house band, and specially assembled ensembles such as the one featured on this recent release, Even When I’m Strong:
Here’s me with in a barn in Co. Wicklow, with a roots outfit called The Whole Hog.
The Whole Hog – Fiddle in the Band
I also play with The Lazy Band, The Enda Reilly Band, Clara Rose, The Sugarmoon Boys, The Cabin Crew (Cabin Sessions house band) and whoever else will hire me. I do a lot of recording with other songwriters as a fiddle player and can create bespoke string arrangements (see below). Happy to do this for almost any song as long as it’s not in G flat 🙂
A recent example, for a very finesongwriter who happens to be my mother, can be heard on this stunning video for her song The Ghost of Kathleen Lynn
Check out my current EP, Letters to Loved Ones, for some other great examples of mystring arrangements.
Do you teach violin? Yes, at Waltons New School of Music, Dublin 2. I also work for the Waltons Irish Music for Visitors Programme and their Outreach project.
What’s somebody with a degree in classical music doing playing country and folk fiddle? I’m a bit of a mongrel stylistically; I have classical training – as well as a degree in Music and an ABRSM Performance Diploma, I was a first violinist with the Dublin Symphony Orchestra for several years – but when I discovered trad, country and bluegrass I felt like I’d found my spiritual home. So I just immersed myself in country music, went to sessions and picked up every scrap of musical vocabulary I could from recordings. The good thing about being a half-breed is that I’m comfortable reading, improvising or playing by ear- which comes in very handy on recording sessions, playing for musicals or jamming along with songwriters I’ve just met! For recording rates please contact cathymcevoymusic@gmail.com
Wallflower Waltz by Clara Rose
Hey Lord by Cathy McEvoy, lead vocal Cian Mekitarian
Ease my Worries – by Cathy McEvoy.
Lead vocal performed by Elga Fox. Recorded at Panchord Studio
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