Band

Johannes Schiefner (uilleann pipes, tin whistle, synthesizer, vocals) - one of Germany's leading uilleann pipers is a well-known and highly regarded musician. He has played with several top German bands including Limerick Junction, Friel's Kitchen, Thomas Loefke's Norland Wind and Lecker Sachen. His melancholic, yet driving style has inspired countless audiences here and abroad. He is also renowned as an arranger and studio musician, as well as being a founder member of the German Uilleann Piping Society DUPG, and a freelance lecturer at the Dutch music school "Stichting Volksmuziek Nederland". Johannes had the honour of being invited to appear as guest piper and teacher at the Tionol of both the Dutch Pipers Club ("Nederlandse Vereniging van Uilleann Pipers") and the Belgian Uilleann Pipes Society.
		Sabrina Palm (fiddle) - captivates her audience with her powerful bowing and cheerful appearance. After playing with Tom Kannmacher for years you can now hear Sabrina performing with the Bonn Céilí Band and Palm & Lempelius when she is not playing with Whisht!. Sabrina spent some time working in Cork, IRL where she was able to take part in workshops and lessons given by acknowledged fiddle masters such as Martin Hayes, Vincent Griffin and Seamus Creagh, amongst others. In summer 2008 she was the first German to pass the TTCT exams in Dublin.
Holger „Holly“ Ries (cajon, bodhran, percussion, vocals) - has been a drummer since a very early age. He gained experience in various musical fields (rock, soul, country) before getting hooked on Irish traditional music. Here his attention was drawn, naturally enough, to the bodhran, the traditional Irish goatskin drum and, interestingly, also to the Peruvian cajon, a wooden drum-box, equally suited to acoustic music. On both instruments his playing is highly acclaimed and his reputation has meanwhile spread as far as Ireland, where fellow musician Con O'Drisceoil recently described him as " a ceili band in a box"... Groove coupled with exceptional sensitivity are his main features as a percussionist, while his vocal abilities captivate the hearts of his female audience.
		Ekhart Topp (Guitar, Vocals) - the much sought-after swing guitarist from Frankfurt am Main has been playing with acclaimed bands such as Tunefish, Trio Topp, Doubletop and The Molly Blooms for years. He rediscovered his foible for Irish traditional music after many years playing American folk, blues and jazz. As a freelance guitar and percussion teacher, his emphasis on rhythm is one his foremost features. His solid groove gives the soloists all the room they need to fly and what is more, he's a great singer. In contrast to the currently widespread use of open tunings for Irish backing, Ekhart favours standard tuning. Nonetheless, he is well able to deliver any open chords you may wish to hear. For this reason, he's in great demand as a teacher for Irish music workshops on the use of standard tuning for guitar.

Johannes' concert-pitch uilleann pipes were built around 1928 by Leo Rowsome - a Dublin pipemaker, who had his heyday in the 1930s. Andreas Rogge (Tübingen) made a copy of the original chanter and rebuilt the regulators for this historical set. Andreas also made Johannes' flat-pitched boxwood "C"-chanter, featuring an extraordinarily mellow, but strong sound.
Whistles by John Sindt, Michael Burke and Chris Abell.
Synthesizers: Oberheim OB12, Korg Wavestation, Kurzweil PC2

Sabrina's plays a violin made by Rudolf Elbin (Bonn) as well as a family heirloom made by Sebastian Kloss (Niederswald). She uses the Fiddle Pro Microphone by Steve Read

Holger plays a bodhran made by Seamus O’Kane, a cajon by Schlagwerk, Paiste cymbals und uses an Alesis D 4 drum-synthesizer.

Ekhart's guitars are made by Otto Dvorak, Deep Ocean Guitars, Altenstadt/Hessen.

Discography

Discography Holger

· UniKonzert Vol. 10, „You make me feel so young“, Bergische Universität, 2009
· Whisht! „Touchdown“, Eigenverlag, 2007
· Coleman Connolly-Kurig-Urton „Blue“, Fox Musik Records FMCO631991, 2007
· Friel's Kitchen “A Place of clear Water“, Jigit! JICD 1021, 2002
· Hummingbird “Meet us the first time“, Eigenverlag, 160994, 1993

Discography Sabrina

· UniKonzert Vol. 10, „You make me feel so young“, Bergische Universität, 2009
· Reel Bach Consort „Quodlibet“, Eigenverlag, 2009
· Sabrina Palm & Michael Lempelius „Palm & Lempelius“, Eigenverlag, 2008
· Whisht! „Touchdown“, Eigenverlag, 2007
· Five Alive'o „Balver Höhle 2006 live“, Eigenverlag 2006
· Schicksalsjahr 1945 - Wendepunkt der deutschen Geschichte.
  Die Deutschen nach der Stunde null, Spiegel Hörbuch, WDR & Der Audio Verlag, 2005
· Spectaculatius „Wir sind die armen Schwartenhäls...“, Emmuty Records, 2003“
· [blu:] „etwas war anders“, Eigenverlag, 2003

Discography Ekhart

· UniKonzert Vol. 10, „You make me feel so young“, Bergische Universität, 2009
· Whisht! „Touchdown“, Eigenverlag, 2007
· Tunefish “...from Texas to Tipperary“, Eigenverlag, 2004
· The Molly Blooms “a taste of...“, Eigenverlag, 2000
· Tarantela “Animación de Danzas“, Eigenverlag, Spain 1992

Discography Johannes

· UniKonzert Vol. 10, „You make me feel so young“, Bergische Universität, 2009
· Whisht! „Touchdown“, Eigenverlag, 2007
· Friel's Kitchen “A Place of clear Water“, Jigit! JICD 1021, 2002
· Xandria "India" Drakkar 082, 2005
· Tänzer's Traum "Castle in the Sky" Windpferd CD 41126, 2005
· Jochen Vogel "Celtic Air" Art of Living AOL CD 619 2, 2002
· Dä Hoot "Songs us'm Hoot" Papagayo/Carlton CD 194-00648, 2005
· with Yulara Mundil on “Rhein gehört“, Niederrhein-Sampler KMI 001, 2003
· Pit Budde “Pickadill and Poppadom“, Ökotopia, 2003
· Kerstin Blodig “Valivann“, Westpark Records 2002
· Limerick Junction “Burren Wind“, Seydenfaden SY 56 50 60
· Limerick Junction “With Friends like that ...“, Fanore Records, LJ 002
· Yulara Mundil “4Ahau 8CUMHU“ 2001
· Hans-Andre Stamm “Celtic Desires“, Jigit! JICD 1020, 2002
· Thomas Loefke & Norland Wind “Atlantic Driftwood“, Slow Motion Records 391362, 2000
· Lecker Sachen “Raus“, Jig it Records, JICD1014
· Friel's Kitchen “First Takes“ (Demo-CD) 1999
· Touchwood “Passion Play“, Armorique Musik, Armor 8430
· Thomas Loefke “New Music for the Celtic Harp“, Slow Motion Records, jpc SMR 3391082
· with Thomas Loefke on “A Celtic Hearbeat Christmas“, Celtic Hearbeat 7567-82929-2
· Toynbee Hall “Sacred Steel Spirit Songs“, Happy Valley Records 661455
· In Search Of A Rose “Fresh Lotus Surprise“, Big Easy/T’Bwana Sound, BIG 31
· Nelson's Wedding “Okkuhila“, Big Easy, BIG 22
· Brendan Gaelic “Celtic Heritage“ Dennis Music ESCD 507
· Tänzer's Traum “Musik aus Phantásien“, medial records 1023
· Tänzer's Traum “Wolkenland“, Wundertüte, TÜT 126