About This Piece
Le Voyage pour l'Irlande (The Journey to Ireland) is Pierre Bensusan's musical tribute to Celtic music's homeland. The piece draws deeply from Irish traditional music's scales and modes while remaining entirely his own composition.
Recorded live at The Silk Mill Recording Studio, the performance is a journey in itself — building from a quiet, reflective opening to an exhilarating dance-like conclusion.
Technical Overview
This piece sits at the longer end of Bensusan's repertoire and demands stamina as well as technique:
- Celtic scales in DADGAD: The Dorian and Mixolydian modes of Irish music map beautifully onto DADGAD tuning
- Rhythmic drive: The second half of the piece adopts a jig-like pulse that requires clean, even picking at tempo
- Ornamentation: Hammer-ons and pull-offs provide Irish-style grace notes throughout
Learning Path
If you're new to DADGAD, Le Voyage may not be your first Bensusan piece to learn — the pace and length are demanding. Build your DADGAD vocabulary with Wu Wei or The Alchemist first, then return to this one.