Support: Willie Stewart (Woven Skull/Nyahh Records) Solo Percussion

Stage TImes

7.30pm Doors

8pm Willie Stewart percussion set

8.45 Natalia & Eimear

'...Another fine argument for the existence of ESP in musicians.' - Pádraic Grant, The Thin Air

'Cellist Reidy and experimental all-rounder Beylis conjure the otherworldly wonder of the forest' – Eoin Murray, The Quietus

Orignally released in 2023 on Nyahh Records, ‘She Came Through the Window to Stand by the Door’ was written and performed by cellist Eimear Reidy and keys player Natalia Beylis and recorded at St Georges Church, Carrick On Shannon, Leitrim in a cold early January with a William Telford Organ. Built in 1846, it is reputed to be the second oldest organ in Ireland. Eimear & Natalia are marking a 2026 repress of the album with a special duo performance in the magnificent surroundings of the Dublin Unitarian Church on Stephen's Green.

The album features two long tracks.

TRACK 1/SIDE A: 'Pour Upon The Sky' is a story told by the two voices of cello and organ. Influenced by the rhetorical style of 18th century vocal music, the inspiration for this piece came naturally to Eimear who has a background in early music and has performed alongside the organ in a variety of settings from chamber works to Bach's larger orchestral works such as St Matthew Passion. In 18th century music, the cello & organ perform a role as continuo players. Traditionally the cello and organ are both intertwined and interdependent, playing the bass line and harmonies together and providing a foundation for the rest of the ensemble while soloists come in and out.

In 'Pour Upon The Sky', Eimear and Natalia play within and without of this traditional form. Freed from the need to hold the solid ground for an ensemble, the cello and organ playfully explore the space as they pass the role of solo and continuo back and forth.

TRACK 2/SIDE B: 'The Whistling Dust' is a slow steady study of the microscopic flutters of the organs and the organ. The heart of the Telford rattles and breathes as the cello dances in and out. When Natalia & Eimear began working on these pieces in the cold January, the Telford, which seemed like it had been sitting quietly for quite some time, shook and trembled as its insides were awoken. 'The Whistling Dust' speaks to the moment when the instrument moved alive, every opened stop knob of the pipes bringing the feel of the microsounds of the machine closer and closer as the cello offers utterances of encouragement.

The cover for the album is taken from Breda Lynch's mysterious 'Blue Dyke' series and speaks to the enigmatic atmosphere of the music.

Listen On Bandcamp

Willie Stewart

Willie Stewart is a percussionist, filmmaker and record label owner based in Co Leitrim, Ireland. He has played in numerous bands since the early 90’s. Through never ending exposure to music, creative people and the great planet earth, he has adopted a free improvisational and circular rhythmic style of drumming. Wlilie continually works to create more with less by utilising a very minimal kit setup of standard drums alongside unconventional found objects in a bid to push sonic limits and explore percussive rhythms from the landscapes of his imagination. He has been known to sit and talk to a photograph of Milford Graves with his morning coffee.