Wildwood
Bass clarinet and percussion, with Deirdre O'Leary.
Wildwood is my duo with the bass clarinettist Deirdre O'Leary. We played together for many years in Crash Ensemble and other groups, and as a duo we make programmes of funky rhythms and wildly beautiful sounds, full of eccentricity and wit.
We play the music of living Irish and international composers, with a few surprises from Bach to Brubeck, and we want to bring it to audiences all over Ireland in energetic, up-close performances, having a lot of fun ourselves along the way.
Between us we play B♭, E♭ and bass clarinets, marimba, vibraphone, timpani and a big set-up of drums, gongs and bell plates.
Written for us
Heaving Moss – Barry O'Halpin
Our first project as a duo was to commission Barry O'Halpin, whom we know well from years of working together in Crash Ensemble. Barry is a composer and guitarist, but during the Covid lockdowns he found himself playing more and more bass clarinet while holed up in the west of Ireland.
Heaving Moss, for bass clarinet, percussion and electronics, was inspired by the breathtaking landscape of the Burren as it changes from moment to moment with the light and weather. It's a substantial, jazz-inspired piece of about 15 minutes, with a big rig of gongs, bell plates and bass drum, and samples that I trigger live.
We gave the premiere at The Dock in Carrick-on-Shannon in April 2023. It was commissioned with funding from the Arts Council.
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…a very dynamic performance of a truly unique duo, full of energy & passion. They created some superb magical & mystical soundscapes.
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What a wonderful concert! Extraordinary that just two musicians could cover such a wealth of human experience.
From our programmes
Duos
- Barry O'Halpin, Heaving MossBass clarinet, percussion and electronics. Written for us.
- Susan Kander, And Then NotClarinets, percussion and timpani
- Dave Brubeck, Unsquare DanceOur arrangement for bass clarinet, vibraphone and marimba
- Ross Edwards, Enyato IVBass clarinet and percussion
- Adam Scott Neal, RipplesBass clarinet and marimba
- Kevin Free, LimitsBass clarinet, vibraphone and cymbal
- David Lang, Stuttered ChantArranged for bass clarinet and percussion
Solos
- Unsuk Chin, Advice from a CaterpillarBass clarinet, with projections
- J.S. Bach, Cello Suites (movements)On bass clarinet
- Ella Macens, Falling EmbersVibraphone
Concerts
An evening concert of about 90 minutes with an interval, or a one-hour lunchtime programme.
Concerts so far
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2025
- 7 March, Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge
- 28 February, Birr Theatre and Arts Centre
- 25 February, Civic Theatre, Tallaght: lunchtime concert
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2023
- 7 May, Sundays at Noon, Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin
- 4 May, The Source Arts Centre, Thurles
- 29 April, The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon: our first concert, with the premiere of Heaving Moss
Deirdre O'Leary
Deirdre is best known for her energy on stage and her sensitivity as a chamber and orchestral musician. She was a member of Crash Ensemble from 2003 to 2022, touring internationally and recording, was a founding member of Prey Trio and co-founded Cassiopeia Wind Quintet in 2010. She has toured and recorded with the Berlin-based s t a r g a z e and recorded two albums with the medieval jazz group Anakronos, and plays regularly with the National Symphony Orchestra and the Irish National Opera orchestra.
Alex Petcu
Percussionist and composer, core member of Crash Ensemble and founder of Bangers and Crash Percussion. More about me.
Bring Wildwood to your venue or festival
Duos and solos for clarinets and percussion, from Bach and Brubeck to music written for us.