Manx traditional musicians David Kilgallon and Tomas Callister have produced an album of popular tunes as they might be heard in a session in the island.

Popular Manx Tunes Db edition features a selection of popular Manx tunes played in the Isle of Man today which were originally collected in the late 19th century.

Rather than perform to the notation of manuscripts, they focused on how each tune speaks to them, reimagining and arranging them with the artistic spirit and flare of the fiddle players of the time.

David told Island Life: ‘The majority of tunes chosen were those you’d expect to hear in a session on the Isle of Man, typically played after celebrations like Hunt The Wren, Tynwald or Illiam Dhone Day.

‘Others have been taken for their beauty and links to Manx songs or Carvals - biblical songs - and a few have been taken straight from the collectors manuscripts.’

The album also features Adam Rhodes and Adam Brown on bouzouki and bodhran.

The artwork was by Isla Callister.

Explaining their interpretation of the music, David said: ‘Tom and I have been constantly refining these tunes for 15-20 years now and find there are definitely ways of presenting them in ways that speak.

‘We wanted to focus on the emotion each tune holds, taking into consideration that historically, fiddle players would have been paid to bring the life and soul to Manx gatherings through music, so I like to think they certainly resonate well with those musicians who would originally have performed them.’

Asked how widely heard the tunes were when they were originally collected, David said: ‘Some Manx tunes and songs have been linked with places all over the British Isles, and certainly when comparing styles of tune, I’ve made comparisons as far as Brittany and Norway.

‘Given the geographical positioning of the Isle of Man as well as historical trade routes, I like to think that our Manx music fell upon ears from travellers afar, perhaps exchanged upon visits with other musicians but certainly migrated along with families to further parts of the whole world.’

The album, with support from Culture Vannin, was released on CD on Monday (June 12) and is available from Bridge Bookshop in Port Erin and Ramsey, Manx National Heritage shops and Mannin Music in Peel.

The full digital album release takes place on July 5.

You can pre-order it now at https://davidkilgallon.bandcamp.com/album
/popular-manx-tunes-d-edition

You get two tracks now, streaming via the free Bandcamp app and also available as a high-quality download.