The West Ocean String Quartet - A brief history

Formed in 1999, the West Ocean String Quartet’s vision, eclectic repertoire and style have won them global praise. Their music, most of it written and arranged by Neil Martin, lies somewhere in between the worlds of classical and traditional music. Disregarding rules and boundaries, they have found for themselves a unique voice, and have collaborated with many leading artists, both on stage and in the studio, including Christy Moore, Mary Black, Matt Molloy, Brain Kennedy, Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill and Liam O’Flynn.

The quartet's debut CD, Unwrapping Dreams (2004), was released to very considerable acclaim both in Ireland and around the globe. It won the award for Best Newcomers Album in Chicago’s American Live Ireland Awards that year and a BBC television documentary on the quartet followed. Universal praise continued with their second cd, The Guiding Moon (2006) featuring The Chieftains' flute player Matt Molloy. Their third cd, Ae Fond Kiss (2009), with special guest Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill, similarly garnered applause worldwide. They are about to record their 4th album, due for release in spring, 2012.

The quartet has performed widely, including sell-out performances in Dublin's National Concert Hall, Belfast's Waterfront Hall, and Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall. Their music has taken them to USA and France and plans are underway to tour Japan and Europe. And their appeal is truly universal - all three of the quartet’s cds were played aboard the International Space Station during the first half of 2011.

The West Ocean String Quartet came about after Seamus McGuire phoned Neil Martin and floated the idea of putting together a string quartet that would straddle the worlds of traditional and classical. Seamus and Neil had previously worked together on Seamus solo album The Wishing Tree and found that there was an understanding between them that they both agreed would merit further exploration. Both had come from classical and traditional backgrounds and knew something of the potential of the world that lay in between.

So, after a few meetings, a number of dinners, several bottles of hearty claret and many phone calls, they approached Niamh Crowley, a violinist from Rosses Point in Sligo, and Ken Rice, a violinist from Kerry who also plays viola. The quartet was birthed and then spent a lengthy period finding each others' spaces and developing their unique repertoire, rehearsing in places like the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig and Ardnamona House in Donegal. Walking before running seemed to suit, but once they were up off all fours, they were at a canter.