21.07.2025

Thus far on the tour, we’d been transporting a large mysterious instrument on the roof rack, a door sized monochord affectionately nicknamed Dooris Day. I had it on loan as I’d been making compositions and playing the instrument for CKD* live performance series at Liliane’s studio in Temple Bar Gallery + Studios in May. Catching the breeze up on the roof rack, Dooris was contributing an eerily beautiful accompanying hum to tour de force, warbling, droning when we gathered speed. But now it was time for Dooris to return home.

Dooris was made by luthier, composer, musician and artist Brian Leach and this day last year we delivered Dooris to Brian at Outlaw Studios, near the site of the old Ford factory in Cork. Brian’s practice flows fluently between self-expression, dream realm, creative immersion and the everyday pragmatics and practicalities of mediating artistry and venue sound systems. I got to know Brian while we were on tour with singer, musician, poet, friend, national treasure Lisa O’Neill. During the tour, Brian created compositions and responses in collaborative musical conversations, adding colour and texture. But he could also advise on sound engineering, instrument maintenance/repair, technical equipment and varying venue acoustics, if needs be.  

One day after a busking session in Melbourne, we had a conversation about a long spanning research interest of Brian’s; the life and work of the wandering Louth musician Michael O’ Shea. Brian and I had been chatting on the topic of permits and how their necessitation detracts from the spirit of this global tradition. Brian brought up, Michael O’ Shea who had busked London’s underground and travelled around Ireland in the 70s undertaking a wide range of jobs and activities to keep him going. According to O’Shea’s notes he had worked as,

…barman, waiter, soldier, labourer, packer, wireman, hippie, factory worker, salesman, hobo, manager, leather craftsman, odd job man, clerical worker, reconciliation relief worker, social worker, sculptor, designer, collector, joker, transvestite, inventor, psychonaut, actor, catalyst, community worker, musician, traveller, instrument maker...

Travelling with an instrument of his own creation, a hybrid hammered dulcimer called Mo Chara made from a door he found in a skip in Germany, Michael O’Shea brought his music to rural places, off-the-beaten-path. Like O’Shea, Brian plays dulcimers and zither-type instruments of his own making, and as such; he has become the go-to guy for adopting broken, forgotten, neglected, disused instruments…or objects/materials that could become an instrument. For our tour de force pitstop in Co. Cork, we visited Brian to play a large instrument made of many such instruments. Afterwards, Brian guided us around Cork city for a special set on his Dulcimer in the Renault 4; a mobile broadcast for our series, K7 dans la 4L.

Brian played an absolutely beautiful gig by the River Lee, interspersed with tonal, notational explanations, background on the dulcimer’s construction, the history of the dulcimer in general, his education in astrophysics, how this feeds into his music, the influence of Michael O’Shea, philosophical resonance, the concept of oneness, turning the turf, countryside co-incidences, jigs and reels…acceptance of the unpredictability of things. You can watch the episode below.

When we were leaving, Brian modified the 4L with steel strings, making an instrument out of the roof rack. It could be played; bowed and plucked, if we so wished. He also gave us a mix tape of his own compositions which subsequently became a favourite. Reaching towards the boxes of cassettes to select music for journeys, Brian’s tape was the perfect accompaniment for that feeling of slipping into the otherworld, down rural country lanes heading west. We had one particularly magical encounter with a mythological hare, at the break of day…to the music of the dulcimer near the valley of Knockanure…more on this later…

Photo credits: tour de force, Sarah Grimes (cropped)