Musical Style and Influence
The Liffey Light Orchestra’s musical style is heavily influenced by Mike Oldfield’s works, particularly his early album Tubular Bells and Ommadawn. [14] [15] [10]
Liffey Light Orchestra | |
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| Origin | Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland |
| Genres | |
| Years active |
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| Labels | Legal Records |
| Members |
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| Past members | Tommy Keyes |
| Website | liffeylight |
The Liffey Light Orchestra is a musical group based in Dublin, Ireland, known originally for its performances of the music of English composer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield, [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] including the first live performance of his Ommadawn in 1977. [6] [7] More recently it is known for showcasing the playing of certain leading Irish musicians. [8] From 1976 into the 1980s it regularly performed Oldfield’s Tubular Bells and other pieces. [1] The Liffey Light Orchestra is now primarily a recording group, performing music composed by its founder Paul Egan, which blends progressive rock and folk influences along with Irish traditional music. [9] Egan’s music has been compared to that of fellow Irish composers Bill Whelan and Shaun Davey. [10]
The Liffey Light Orchestra was founded in Dublin, Ireland, in 1974 as a pit band for shows at Dublin University Players, the drama society at Trinity College Dublin (TCD). [2] [9] In 1976 it expanded to perform Tubular Bells for the first time outside the United Kingdom in a week-long sell-out run of concerts at TCD. [1] In 1977 it expanded its repertoire to include Ommadawn, which it performed for the first time on 1 May 1977. [6] [7] It subsequently added the music of Jean-Michel Jarre, [11] performing his Oxygène as part of the 1978 Dublin Theatre Festival. [12] It continued playing live into the 1980s. It resumed playing in the 2000s as a studio group, releasing a series of albums: Filaments (2011), [9] Le French Album (2017), [8] Lekeila (2020), and Jigs and Other Stories (2025). [13]
The Liffey Light Orchestra does and has featured several notable musicians, who have played crucial roles in shaping the group’s sound: Anto Drennan, guitar, a founding member of the group and performer on all the group’s albums Mick O'Brien, uilleann pipes and whistles Robbie Harris, bodhrán and other percussion Brian Dunning, flute, piccolo, and David Agnew, oboe and recorder.
The Liffey Light Orchestra’s musical style is heavily influenced by Mike Oldfield’s works, particularly his early album Tubular Bells and Ommadawn. [14] [15] [10]
Filaments
Le French Album
Lekeila
Jigs and Other Stories
"O Together" from the album Filaments
"Lekeila (vocal track)" from the album Lekeila
"Lekeila 2" from the album Lekeila
