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The Chronicle Review Corner

After a run of classical albums that needed a bit of effort comes this beauty from Musici Ireland, which, led by violist Beth McNinch, has “established itself as a pioneering force in Irish chamber music” since its formation in 2012, according to the label.

The work is all new works by Irish composers but while it sounds fresh, there’s not a moment that doesn’t seem at least 100 years old. No jarring modernity here. Admittedly Deirdre Gribbin’s opener “Before the Moon Shattered and Shone Again” starts off like it might be modern. It is set against the Celtic belief that time was circular rather than linear and I think it’s meant to evoke the moon — a bit dark, bright at times and slightly mysterious, and it is a thoughtful start to the album. It later becomes enervating while remaining mysterious, a creepy ghost story on an otherwise more cheerful album.

Liam Bates’ “Earthrise” is warmer, lively and more joyful, somewhere between “Lark Ascending” and (to me) the repetition Mike Oldfield used on “Incantations” (or John Cage) as it describes the bustling explosion of life on earth.

“Her Charms Invited String Quartet No 12” by Ian Wilson is more tranquil, with a strong folk feel — it is based upon various types of musical ornamentation used in traditional Irish singing.

“Fiol” (Linda Buckley) is so tranquil as to be almost ambient electronica. The composer writes: “Four of the strings are strung and played like a violin, and the remaining strings, called ‘sympathetic strings’, resonate ‘in sympathy’ with the other four. Here I was interested in treating the trio as a single 12-stringed ‘meta-instrument’ rather than as three separate voices.”

Closing piece “Mr Shah” (Deirdre McKay) thinks about the almost perfect vacuum in space via Mr Shah, a Welsh astrophotographer who spends his evenings exploring space through a telescope in his garden shed. His images apparently rival those taken from the £2.5 billion Hubble telescope: “Night after night, in solitude, staring into vast, soundless space,” McKay writes.

The music reflects the excitement of exploration rather than the stillness of sitting in a shed in the dark.

This is an excellent album, modern and edgy enough for people who want something new but traditional enough for those who like what they know.

Out now on Métier, MEX 77133.