“I don’t know of any other tin whistle album by a German musician which has made it into both the pages of the world renowned IRISH MUSIC MAGAZINE and the IRISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC ARCHIVE in Dublin. This is a very special accolade and one of which I’m really proud”, says Olaf Sickmann. His latest album New Irish Tin Whistle Tunes 2 is another MUST for every ambitious / aspiring tin whistler or lover of Irish tin whistle music. As is the case with his previous album, this is not just about listening pleasure, but about inspiring the purchaser to creative action! In addition to Sickmann’s full versions of the tunes, the CD * also contains the original guitar accompaniments as mp3 files (the tin whistle is muted), plus a PDF file containing chord charts, notation and background information to all ten pieces. “That’s the way to sell CDs in the age of streams! Congratulations!”, writes a satisfied Amazon customer. The IRISH MUSIC MAGAZINE was equally impressed: “A whistle player from Germany, and an album of new tunes, not so unusual but the combination is intriguing, especially as Sickmann presents this as a learning tool and tunebook as much as a listening album ... the promise of play-along MP3s and a PDF tunebook should make this worth a look for any aspiring whistler.“
Following “Original Tin Whistle Session Tunes” (2012), “Whistle Man” (2014) and “New Irish Tin Whistle Tunes” (2020), New Irish Tin Whistle Tunes 2 is Olaf Sickmann’s fourth tin whistle album and his 13th solo album altogether. With this release, he continues to pursue and develop his personal vision of contemporary Irish tin whistle music, using only a single tin whistle in D major, plus acoustic guitar accompaniment. His enthusiasm and devotion to the instrument can be felt in every note, in each composition, as can his intensive study of Irish instrumental music, especially the session repertoire, and its myriad exponents, both famous and unknown. On New Irish Tin Whistle Tunes 2, Sickmann combines georgeous melodies and great technique with nonchalant authenticity. Subtle variations and relaxed embellishments never disturb the flow of the melody, his playing has the quality of birdsong.
In the course of the last 20 years, the German composer, guitarist and tin whistle player Olaf Sickmann has carved out his own niche with timelessly beautiful instrumental music. His compositions are played regularly on radio and TV (amongst others in WDR, NDR, MDR, SWR, SR, BR & HR) and are also popular as teaching material. Increasingly they are also used by businesses for promotional purposes. For the cultural journal WILD MAGAZIN he is “now one of today’s leading tin whistle players”.
