In case you come across this flute on the market …
Back in August Eamonn de Barra of Slide had his flute stolen from a pub in Temple Bar, and unfortunately there is still no sign of it. If you come across it for sale anywhere, please make contact with Eamonn or with the gardaí.
It’s a Seery flute in Mopane wood, now dark brown in colour; and unusually for a wooden flute it has a raised mouthpiece. It came in a black rectangular case, with big metal latches, and black velvet lining.
Some programming deconstruction required, perhaps
Big fan of the John Kelly Ensemble, the National Concert Hall, and the Kaleidoscope series that I am, I am disappointed in all three at the shortage of traditional music in their programming at the moment.
Kelly mixes jazz, atmospheric rock/pop, some folk, and lots of other stuff with classical new and old, but the number of traditional tunes he plays is so low as to be undetectable in the playlists at the moment. I accept that with its fast dance rhythms a lot of traditional music isn’t right for the show, but there is plenty of slower-paced, smoother playing out there to choose from (he played the Gloaming NCH outtake for instance), not to mention the entire slow air and song strands in the music, and the many orchestral arrangements that incorporate traditional music (pre-Dennehy, who Kelly features).
The NCH has opened up more and more to other genres of music in the last few decades, and there is a good range of headliner traditional music to be heard there generally speaking, but looking at the Autumn schedule it would appear they have overlooked it entirely, or almost.
There have been a few traditional musicians invited to perform at the monthly Kaleidoscope nights, but it is revealing that as they celebrate their third birthday tonight they haven’t found room to represent that aspect of their cross-genre approach.
Revealing of what, though? I don’t think there’s grounds these days to support the case Toner Quinn made a few years back that the quality of traditional music output is partly to blame. I’m concerned that it might be more a deep-seated preconception, prejudice even, in those programming these and other serious music schedules, which they ought to examine carefully and deconstruct.
New Editors at The Journal of Music
The Journal of Music is pleased to announce Paul O’Connor, Patrick Groenland and Stephen Graham as the latest members of its editorial team.
The appointment of three new editors is the latest in a year of changes at The Journal of Music, which has seen the magazine redevelop from a bi-monthly print magazine to an online publication. With a beta website launched earlier this year, the magazine has been publishing regular articles, reviews and news items, documenting and reflecting on a broad span of Irish and international musical life. The next phase of this web development will be launched in the coming weeks.
Each editor will cover a wide-ranging brief, but will specialise in a particular area. Anyone wishing to contact the magazine can email either the editor relevant to their area, or the General Editor at editor@journalofmusic.com
Paul O’Connor is The Journal of Music‘s new Traditional Music Editor. Originally from Sligo, now living in County Wicklow, Paul ran the blog Last Night’s Fun for a number of years, in which he documented the traditional music scene. He recently began contributing to The Journal of Music, with an article on the Gloaming. Email paul@journalofmusic.com
A composer and guitarist, Patrick Groenland is the magazine’s new Improvised Music Editor. Covering a broad range of musical genres, Patrick’s main focus will be jazz and improvised musical practices from around the world. Patrick is now based in his hometown, Dublin, having studied music in Boston, Leuven (Belgium) and Maynooth. He started writing for The Journal of Music earlier this year. Email patrick@journalofmusic.com
Stephen Graham will fill the role of Classical Music Editor, covering the vast gamut of composed music of the last millennium. Originally from Dublin, Stephen is now based in London, where he is completing a PhD in musicology at Goldsmiths College. He previously studied music at University College, Dublin, and King’s College, London. Email stephen@journalofmusic.com
Today’s challenge …
I’m going to be concentrating all my LAST NIGHT’S FUN energies on my new role as Traditional Music Editor over at The Journal of Music, and so won’t be adding any new content here for the foreseeable.
I’d recommend signing up for updates over at www.journalofmusic.com and/or following @journalofmusic on Twitter.
You can get me in relation to traditional music news etc. on paul@journalofmusic.com. (Of course, I’m still available for commissioned / commercial / freelance / ghost writing work on music@penhire.ie).
September Sessions 2011 in Louisburgh, Co Mayo
ALL EVENTS ARE FREE AND ALL WELCOME….
An Bhun Abhainn, Louisburgh, County Mayo
9th, 10th & 11th of September, 2011
The September Sessions is an annual family weekend of Irish Traditional Music which takes place in An Bhun Abhainn pub, Louisburgh, Co. Mayo. Now in it’s seventh year, this mini festival has seen a wide range of traditional musicians from Mayo and further afield gather in the beautiful surroundings of Louisburgh.
Although focusing on quality Irish music this year we will be getting out and about around Louisburgh with a free gig in the town-hall on Friday night with the Dartry Ceili Band (All Ireland Champions in 2009) and a foraging afternoon on Saturday for kids and adults too.
Watching the kids come along so well over the years has been wonderful to watch and this year we will continue to focus on sessions for both the young ones and the teens. We have our trusty band of merry musicians as usual in the pub throughout the weekend joined by guests.
All events are free and we look forward to welcoming you to Louisburgh
Core Musicians: Emer Mayock (flute), John Kilkenny (fiddle), Philip Duffy (fiddle), Declan Courell (guitar)
Guest Musicians 2011: Ciaran Somers (flute) & Dave Sheridan (fiddle)
Friday Night – 9th
Town Hall – Dartry Ceili Band with support from Mike Bartlett – Doors 7.45pm. Followed by Session in the bar from 9.30pm
Saturday Afternoon – 10th
Foraging afternoon with Will Williams. Spending a couple of hours around Old Head foraging for mushrooms and exploring nature. Starting at 11am.
Followed by kids session at 2pm. (Beach or Town-Hall – dependent on weather)
Afternoon session in the pub from 5pm
Saturday Night
Session in the bar from 9.30 til late
Sunday Afternoon – 11th
Teen Session from 2pm followed by music from the core musicians.
Sunday Night
Finishing off the weekend with old-timey and bluegrass songs with Tim Rogers and his band, The Clew Bay Critters
For more on the September Sessions
Rian sa Gaiety
From the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival brochure:
“Acclaimed choreographer Michael Keegan Dolan and leading musician Liam Ó Maonlaí with a company of musicians and dancers, embark on a journey to explore the tension and harmony between Irish traditional music and modern dance. The Festival is delighted to present this world première, created as a response to the current seismic changes in Irish society.
Ó Maonlaí’s album Rian (meaning Imprint or Trace) was inspired by Seán Ó Riada’s seminal recording, Ó Riada sa Gaiety, and this production combines Rian as part of a live score with new material performed by Ó Maonlaí and leading musicians from across Ireland.
Michael Keegan Dolan and Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre, acclaimed for Festival hits Giselle (2003) and The Bull (2005), return with international contemporary dancers to explore old and new, collaboration and trust, tradition and invention, Ireland and the world.”
- Directed and Choreographed by Michael Keegan Dolan
- Venue Gaiety Theatre
- Date 6 Oct – 8 Oct 7.30pm + 8 Oct 2.00pm
- Duration 1hr 20mins (approx. no interval)
- Prices €15-€35
Musical Direction by Liam Ó Maonlaí
Lighting Design by Adam Silverman
Set Design by Sabine Dargent
Costume Design by Doey Lüthi
Assistant Musical Direction by Phillip Feeney
Sound Designed by Denis Clohessy
Dancers Anna Kaszuba, Saku Koistinen, Louise Mochia, Emmanuel Obeya, Keir Patrick, Ino Riga and Louise Tanoto.
Musicians Cormac Begley – Concertina, Martin Brunsden – Double Bass, Eithne Ní Chatháin – Fiddle, Maitiú Ó Casaide – Pipes.
Iarla O’Lionáird tour to mark the release his new solo album Foxlight
- Belltable Arts Centre, Limerick on Thursday 15th September
- The Sugar Club, Dublin on Friday 16th September
- Triskel Christchurch, Cork on Saturday 17th September
From Note.ie:
“Iarla O’Lionáird tours to mark the release his new solo album Foxlight on Realworld Records on September 26th. O’Lionáird grew up and learned his craft in the musical heartland of Cúil Aodha in the West Cork Gaeltacht. From his iconic early recording of the vision song “Aisling Gheal” whilst still a boy, through many recordings O’Lionaird established himself both as a masterful exponent of Sean Nós Song and as a pioneer in its renewal and development.
HIs latest, Foxlight, shimmers with versatility. While it is rooted in certain traditions, it is also unclassifiable and refuses to be located in one genre or another. It’s also one of Ó Lionáird’s most organic, naturalistic records to date. Instrumentation and layers are embedded in each song, but ultimately it’s about Ó Lionáird’s exquisite, sonically unique voice. Foxlight is produced by Leo Abrahams a features Leafcutter John, Geese, Adjagas, Neill McColl and more as guests. All eleven songs are imbued with a sense of time and place, of connections and myths. From ancient rhythms to modern electronics, Ó Lionáird’s exceptional voice is the fulcrum around which everything pivots.
These shows also feature O’Lionaird’s new band featuring amongst others Stephen Shannon of Strands, Donnacha Hoey of Spook of the Thirteenth Lock and Max Greenwood.
Always an artist on his own journey O’Lionáird signed to the prestigious Realworld label in the mid 1990′s he would go on to make many ground breaking recordings with the multi million selling Afro Celt Sound System receiving two Grammy nominations. Solo albums “Seven Steps to Mercy” (1997, produced by Michael Brook) and “Invisible Fields” (2005) brought widespread acclaim confirming O’Lionáird as one of contemporary music’s most ambitious singers and recording artists. His latest
O’Lionáird has always been a collaborator and an artist seeking new fields of engagement. From his collaborations with Peter Gabriel on Ovo, this has taken an increasingly classical form. His song-cycle with Gavin Bryars, Anail De (The Breath of God) reflects a deep artistic collaboration and friendship with the composer. Similarly he has worked extensively with acclaimed Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy and his group The Crash Ensemble. He also featured as a soloist on the Nonesuch debut label release of Dennehy’s “Grá agus Bás” with Dawn Upshaw and Crash Ensemble released in May.
Foxlight is released on Real World Records on September 26th.”
Tunes in the Church … in Galway, Westport and Killarney
For full details of this inter-connected series of evenings that have been going on through the summer, visit > http://tunesinthechurch.com
Galway:
Wednesday 24th
Mick Conneely senior – fiddle
Mick Conneely – fiddle
Friday 26th
Geraldine McNamara – flute
Noel O Grady – Bouzouki
Monday 29th
Bernadette McCarthy – fiddle
Jacqueline McCarthy – concertina
Marion McCarthy – pipes and whistle
Tommy McCarthy – fiddle
Wednesday 31st
Mairead O’Brien – fiddle
Cormac Begley – concertina and baritone concertina
September 2011
Friday 2nd
John Wynne – flute
John McEvoy – fiddle
Wednesday 7th
Ronan Browne – uileann pipes and flute
Seán Tyrrell – singer and mandocello
Friday 9th
Eoin Ó Beaglaoich – concertina and accordion
Níall Ó Beaglaoich – accordion and storyteller
Saileog Ní Cheannabháin – singer and fiddle
Padraig MacDonnacha – banjo
Maeve Donnelly – fiddle
Terence O Reilly – guitar and singer
Cormac Begley – concertina
Tuesday 30th
Bernadette McCarthy – fiddle
Jacqueline McCarthy – concertina
Marion McCarthy – pipes and whistle
Tommy McCarthy – fiddle
September 2011
Tuesday 6th
Ben Lennon – fiddle
Brian Lennon – flute
Thursday 8th
Eoin Ó Beaglaoich – concertina and accordion
Níall Ó Beaglaoich – accordion and storyteller
Saileog Ní Cheannabháin – singer and fiddle
Killarney:
Thursday 25th
Mick Mulcahy – accordion
Louise Mulcahy – flute and uileann pipes
Michelle Mulcahy – harp, concertina, accordion and fiddle
Tuesday 30th
Seosaimhín Ní Bheaglaoich – singer
Kathleen Loughnane – harp
Conor Byrne presents The Liffey Banks Sessions
Dublin’s NEW Folk club, happening every Tuesday night at the Grand Social from Sept 2011.
Situated at the North side’s end of Dublin’s Ha’penny Bridge, the Grand Social will host, from September 2011, the Liffey Banks Sessions offering the best of Irish and international acts in the traditional, folk and roots scene.
“This fresh, exciting new club aspires to create the Liffey Banks Sessions as a Meeting Place that reclaims the love and passion of traditional music amongst its many followers throughout Dublin and Ireland.
Club organiser, Conor Byrne all his life has been driven by his deep love of traditional music. It is in his blood, and literally flows through his veins. Over many years he has earned the affection and respect of many people, because of his unselfish commitment to the promotion of exciting musical ventures, such as ‘the County Sessions’ in Dublin through 2009/10. Now Conor’s aspiration is to create the Liffey Banks Sessions, which is all about the music, and guarantees an evening of QUALITY musical entertainment for folk of all ages.
The fun begins on Tuesday the 6th of September with America’s tour de force all female group, ‘Cherish the Ladies’, fronted by the highly entertaining and gifted flute player Joanie Madden. This highly charged band celebrate twenty-five years on the road and are planning on throwing one hell of a do for the Liffey Banks Sessions opening night.”
FORTHCOMING ACTS COMING TO THE LIFFEY BANKS SESSIONS include:
CHERISH THE LADIES; SHARON SHANNON; GERRY ‘BANJO’ O’CONNOR; I DRAW SLOW; SCOIL GHEIMRIDH FRANKIE KENNEDY LAUNCH FEATURING MAIRÉAD NÍ MHAONAIGH & FRIENDS; LÚNASA, CAOIMHÍN Ó RAGHALLAIGH & THIS IS HOW WE FLY; MAIRTÍN O’CONNOR; FIDIL; ANDY IRVINE; DÓNAL LUNNY; PÁDRAIG RYNNE; SYLAIN BAROU; ALAN KELLY; MOYA BRENNAN & CORMAC DEBARRA; KAN WITH BRIAN FINNEGAN PLUS MANY MORE.
Cherish the ladies at The Liffey Bank Sessions
Conor Byrne has broadened the range of acts he promotes with The Liffey Bank Sessions, including Luka Bloom & Sanas (29th August), Kan (13th September) and I Draw Slow (20th September).
Last Night’s Fun will be most keen to get to Cherish the Ladies (6th September) and Fidil + (the deeeeelightful) Nell Ní Chróinín (27th September).
The Steeple Sessions … continued
We’ve already ooo’ed at the breadth of talent on display in Dublin these days in regular ‘clubs’ like The Steeple Sessions whose late-season line-up is as good, if not better, that its early one.
I’m missing Michelle O’Brien & Laoise Kelly tonight, though my family is well represented. (Someone has to mind the younger ones!) And behold what they have coming up … and start your hunt for €30 per week to spare:
Thursday August 25th
Eoin Dillon (uilleann pipes)
Graham Watson (mandola & guitar)
Allison Sleator (songs)
Tuesday August 30th
Michelle Foy (flute & fiddle)
Doireann Nic Mhathúna (concertina & sean nós dancer)
Christine McGowan (fiddle, flute & whistle)
Aimee Farrell Courtney (bodhrán)
Thursday September 1st
Steve Cooney (guitar)
Vinnie Kilduff (whistle & multi-instrumentalist)
Tuesday September 6th
Zoë Conway (fiddle)
John McIntyre (guitar)
Thursday September 8th
Peter Browne (accordion)
Daoiri Farrell (bouzouki & songs)
Michelle O’Brien (fiddle)
Tuesday September 13th
Seosaimhín Ní Bheaglaoich (singer)
Kathleen Loughnane (harp)
Mark Redmond (uilleann pipes)
Tuesday September 20th
Dave Sheridan (flute)
Michael McCague (bouzouki)
Donal McCague (fiddle)
Thursday September 22nd
(Special concert of John Dwyer music)
John Dwyer (fiddle)
Lia Byrne (fiddle)
Siobhan Peoples (fiddle)
Tuesday September 27th
Cormac Breatnach (whistles)
Martin Dunlea (guitar)
Thursday September 29th
Paddy O’Brien (accordion)
Tommy O’Sullivan (guitar)
The Gloaming interview in Irish Times
Martin Hayes: “One thing I wanted to make sure was that this would not be a collaboration where we’d all just go on stage and do our own thing. This has to be its own thing: a collaboration between us all. And I think there’ll be enough in there to please many people and displease many people too.”
“Sometimes I felt it sounded like the most traditional music I’d heard in a long time,” he discloses, “and then at others, it sounded like the most modern music I’ve ever heard. We have to trust one another but it’s as much about not being scared to try something that maybe nobody will like.
“It won’t be the end of our lives if it’s outright rejected, which it could be. Because you could live your life trying to get everything just exactly right, but nothing happens – in life or in music – unless you take chances.” (Times) >>>
Hear what’s in store for us from The Gloaming
The Gloaming (Thomas Bartlett, Dennis Cahill, Martin Hayes, Iarla Ó Lionaird and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh) have shared a sense of what they were up to at that recording session in Grouse Lodge in March (via Journal of Music):
The Gloaming’s full tour dates
The Gloaming (now with their own website) have confirmed the following dates & venues for their forthcoming tour:
Saturday 20th August, National Concert Hall, Dublin
Sunday 21st August, An Grianan, Letterkenny
Wednesday 24th August, The Model, Sligo
Thurdsay 25th August, The Riverbank, Kildare
Friday 26th August, Cork Opera House, Cork
Saturday 27th August, Glor, Ennis
Sunday 28th August, Mandela Hall, Belfast
Emer Mayock, Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola, Steve Larkin, Donal Siggins: another heavenly line-up
Steve Larkin fiddle Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola voice Donal Siggins mandocello/guitar Emer Mayock flute/whistles/fiddle
Another line-up of our dreams, calling themselves, The Listeners, has just been announced on the Music Network site >>> “Emer Mayock and Donal Siggins met in Dublin in the1990s amidst the busy music session scene in the city at that time. They have played music together since then, recording and touring extensively in Ireland and abroad.
After meeting fiddle player Steve Larkin in the mid-90s, their shared interest in repertoire from distinct regions and their enthusiasm for newly composed material signaled a musical connection which has since developed between the three musicians.
They have now put together a group with singer & songwriter Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola whose deeply rooted sean-nós singing style of Inis Oírr is counterbalanced by her innovative approach to Irish music.”
Apart from their forthcoming appearance at Love:Live Music in the Sugar Club on the 8th of April, so far the only other date listed for them on Music Network is:
SATURDAY 9 APR, MITCHELL STREET, TIPPERARY TOWN
- Simon Ryan Theatre, Tipperary Excel Centre
- 8pm, €15/€10 (conc.)/ €5 (children)
- 062 80520
- Promoted by Tipperary Excel Centre
- www.tipperary-excel.com/
Update
NEW TOUR DATES
THURSDAY 11 AUG, CASTLETOWNSHEND, CO. CORK
- St. Barrahane’s Church
- 8pm, €15 / (children under 13 years free)
- 028 36193 or 028 33752
- Promoted by St. Barrahane’s Church Festival of Music
SATURDAY 17 SEP, CLIFDEN, CO. GALWAY
- St. Joseph’s Church
- 8:15pm, €15 / €12
- no booking required
- Promoted by Clifden Arts Society
Gerry O’Beirne @ Cobalt Café
Gerry is playing The Cobalt Café this Saturday coming, the 16th, with three other musicians including a great kora player from Senegal, Solo Cissokho. This show is being produced by Improvised Music.
Gerry says: “We will all play solo and then together. I’ve no idea what we’ll do, always a nice prospect in music.
Also on the bill, free strawberries and cream!”
10 years of Téada
Oisin Mac Diarmada pictured at Willie Clancy Summer School recently, with Marcas Ó Murchú
Join Téada in Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo tomorrow night (Monday) to celebrate 10 years of the group. They’ll be joined by lots of great musicians/singers/dancers including Michael McGoldrick, Séamus Begley, Marcas Ó Murchú, Gerard Butler and many more, to also open the 2011 South Sligo Summer School of Irish Traditional Music and Dance.
If you can’t make it, the tribute concert from the 25th South Sligo Summer School will be streamed on www.livetrad.com on Friday next July 15th from 10pm Irish/UK time.
Martin Hayes on imagining the tunes
In an Irish Times article about the Willie Clancy week, Martin, having pointed out that Junior Crehan didn’t have an iPod, is quoted as saying: “Instead of spending time imagining music, we just tend to go for the headphones all of the time and listening to someone else’s version of the tune. If we’re not in the world of imagining these tunes, we are never going to get to the point where we are playing or singing our version of the tunes.”
This is How we Fly on tour
Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh (fiddle, hardanger fiddle)
Seán Mac Erlaine (bass clarinet, alto saxophone, electronics)
Nic Gareiss (percussive dance)
Petter Berndalen (drums, percussion)
Music Network writes: “Formed in 2010, This is How we Fly is a Contemporary Folk band consisting of Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh on fiddle & hardanger fiddle, Seán Mac Erlaine on bass clarinet, saxophones & live electronics, Nic Gareiss on percussive dance, and Petter Berndalen on drums and percussion. Individually, each member has carved out a reputation for not just mastering their chosen fields, but rising above, redefining and renewing the musical world they come from. Initially brought together through a commission from the Dublin Fringe Festival (under the moniker Four on the Fringe of Folk) in September 2010 to play a one-off show, they received an unexpectedly rapturous response. Their music sees Swedish folk music rhythms meet the texture of traditional Irish fiddle, percussive dance from America & improvised jazz and electronics.”
Tour:
SATURDAY 16 JUL, BELMULLET
- Áras Inis Gluaire
- 8.30pm, €8 / €5
- 097 81079
SUNDAY 17 JUL, LETTERKENNY, CO. DONEGAL
- An Grianán Theatre
- 8pm, €12 / €8
- 074 9120777 or online at http://www.eaf.ie
- www.eaf.ie/
WEDNESDAY 20 JUL, , UPPER KILMACUD ROAD, DUNDRUM, DUBLIN 14
- Airfield
- 8pm, €16 / €14
- 01 2984301
- www.airfield.ie/
