Flaithrí Neff:

Flaithrí’s command on the Uilleann pipes has always drawn attention. He has an impressive technical range creating a good clear sound from chanter, drones and regulators; playing a full set of Alain Froment pipes. As an accomplished champion of both dance tunes and slow airs his confidence and reliability as a piper has made many opportunities for him. His own compositional ability was credited as early as 1998 when he won first prize in the “Leitrim 1798 competition”.

Flaithrí achieved an Honours Music degree (BMus) at the National University of Ireland, Cork, and a First Class Honours Master of Science degree (Msc) in Music Technology at University of Limerick. Throughout his college years his solo, duet and group performances with his brother, Eoghan, remained impressive. He received the highest First Class Honours mark applicable in his final year music performance.

A multi-award winning piper, he has performed as soloist on uilleann pipes with symphony orchestras in UK, France, Italy, Ireland for works such as Shaun Davey’s “The Brendan Voyage” and Eddie McGuire’s “L’Epopée Celtique”. Flaithrí has also performed with Riverdance as well as other dance shows, and on radio and television, both at home and abroad. His two CD albums "Soundpost & Bridle" and "Ar Scáth a Chéile" have been acclaimed by the critics.

Tim Rishton

Since his acclaimed City of London debut at age 18, Dr Tim Rishton has enjoyed a distinguished international career as concert organist, broadcaster, author and lecturer. He studied with Susi Jeans and at the universities of Reading (winning all organ-playing prizes), Manchester and Wales, where he took a doctorate in 18th-century music and later lectured. He has spent most of the last two decades in Norway, where has been Professor II in music at University College Tromsø. He now devotes his time to performing, recording and writing books.

Although best known for the German Baroque repertoire, his performances have ranged from Poulenc's organ concerto and 18th-century British concertos to Bach's complete organ works, and from Franz Schmidt at the Royal College of Organists to Scandinavian music at the Nordlands Festival. Current schedule includes concerts in Italy, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Norway and all parts of the UK; 2005 includes tours in Brazil, Australia and the US.

He has given lectures and master classes (several of them broadcast) in Norwegian, English and Welsh at many universities. He has made regular radio and television broadcasts, on the Norwegian channel NRK, as well as on HTV, S4C and BBC - most recently BBC1's televised Christmas service.

He has made a number of solo recordings, as well as recordings with Aled Jones, Simon Roberts and others. He is currently recording a CD of Italian Baroque music, a series of CDs of music by Yorkshire composers, a double CD of Bach's Art of Fugue, and preparing a CD of Norwegian organ music, including two major works especially written for the occasion.