Late notice, cause it’s on tonight! A gig celebrating the launch of their new album, Home away from home (which can be purchased here >>>).
Sean Gavin on flute
Bernadette Nic Gabhann on fiddle
Caitlín Nic Gabhann on concertina
Sean McComiskey on accordian
The girls from Co. Meath met the Detroit & Baltimore boys at the Catskills Irish Arts week in upstate New York in the summer of 2009.
Delighted to have the chance to see Téada live, finally, and locally, at the first Music on the Hill, organised my Maryann Ryan in Kilteel on Saturday. I’d say it was the smallest stage Téada have been on in a while, but they managed to squeeze out a great show, and hung around and mingled a bit both before & afterwards in the Kilteel Inn and out back. They are off on another US tour (minus Paul Finn, pictured below in his solo set, who has just got married and who has the day job to attend to). And it’s no wonder they are so popular there and here as they clearly put in a lot of quality work on getting the balance right in their act – tune choices, arrangements, stage dynamics etc. And it goes without saying that they are superb musicians each and every one. I am glad I hadn’t yet purchased their new CD, Ceol & Cuimhne, as I was able to buy it direct off them afterwards … and get the autographs and have a chat!
A batch of other pics from the night (minus the morning, by which time I was in no shape to be taking photographs not to mention the shape the prospective subjects of the photographs were in) are here >>
A landmark anthology of Irish poetry is set to be published charting our greatest writers such as WB Yeats, Patrick Kavanagh, Seamus Heaney . . . and Christy Moore. “The original version was more chaotic and referred to a series of events that took place on the way down to west Clare. There was a break-in to Portlaoise Prison to serenade friends, a savage feed at the old treaty stone diner in Limerick where a card school broke out and Dickie Rock went all in on a pair of threes,” he recalls. (Indo) >>>
September 2, Thurs: Ireland: Co. Kerry, Listowel, St. John’s Theatre and Art Centre, www.stjohnstheatrelistowel.com 068 22566
September 3, Fri: Ireland: Dublin, National Concert Hall, Special Guests of Dervish, 20th Anniversary Concert, www.nch.ie 01 417 0000
September 4, Sat: Ireland: Co. Wicklow, Tinahely, The Courthouse, www.tinahely-courthouse.ie 0402 385209
September 5, Sun: Ireland: Co. Laois, Stradbally, The Electric Picnic, Body and Soul Stage, www.electricpicnic.ie
MONDAY 20 SEP, KILWORTH, CO. CORK
WEDNESDAY 22 SEP, CLIFDEN, CO. GALWAY
Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Seán óg, Petter Berndalen, Nic Gareiss, Sat 18 Sep – 9:00 pm @ ABSOLUT Fringe Factory at The Grand Social (“Pravda”)
“Four sonic explorers are bracing the edge of folk music in this extraordinary performance. With a reputation as one of Ireland’s most creative traditional musicians, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and his array of curious fiddles find new and wonderful soundscapes to traverse. Saxophonist Seán Óg also sits at a crossroads between free improvisation, avant-garde composition and contemporary jazz, creating notes that range from the delicate to the brash. Petter Berndalen takes all the corners of Swedish fiddle music and grafts them onto his snare drum to create new rhythmic contours. And adding a whole other element to this gathering, Nic Gareiss incorporates footwork vocabulary from a multitude of step dance styles to create beautiful sounds & textures with his feet. Like Sigur Rós bumping into Martin Hayes on a twisty mountain path. This is a standing concert.”
Mick describing and Caoimhin demostrating the complexities of the Hardanger fiddle
I was lucky (& bold) enough, some might say blessed, to attend a mostly private concert in Maynooth last night (in St Mary’s church put on for delegates at a European Association of Social Anthropologists conference): featuring Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and Mick O’Brien up first lifted by the dancing of Sibéal Davitt; followed by Eithne Ní Chatháin with Seán Óg on clarinets & Cormac O’Brien on double bass. Sublime music. Eithne’s declared her enthusiasm for playing with “these guys” and it was reflected in a superb performance.
Caoimhín and Mick’s set included tunes from Peadar Ó Riada, their Canon Goodman set, and a tune by Michael Tubridy who was in the audience and once taught Caoimhín. When they both play tin whistle together, their register slipping makes two sound, at times, like three. A beautiful fragile thing, it is. Bird song-like. The fiddle-uilleann pipe relationship gives them more sonic ground and they always make the most of it, digging around in the tunes in search of riches: the past, somethings new and of each other.
Eithne included sean nós and contemporary songs, some of her own, some learned from singers in her adopted home of Dingle and some from other writers (‘Curra Road’ by Ger Wolf). My favourite was the closing Mo Bhuachaill Cael-Dubh. It was transporting. With the jazz influences coming through the clarinet & double bass, and the sophisticated approach to arrangement, this ensemble is exploring exciting new territory through traditional song. It is not about the singer, ever; but about the songs, their delivery, and their exploration through the instrument that is her voice. It is the definition of sublime (bringing Stina Nordenstam to mind at times for me).
The setting in St Mary’s church on the NUI Maynooth campus was perfect, Sibéal Davitt in particular putting the flagstones to great use with her steps during a couple of tunes. The whole thing, including a few warm-up pieces on the harp by Michelle Mulcahy, was put together for the European Association of Social Anthropologists by Enda O’ Catháin.
As part of Music in the Historic Quarter, an initiative of the Contemporary Music Centre, Music Network is presenting a free coffee concert with a performance by acclaimed traditional Irish musicians Paudie O’Connor (box) and Aoife Ní Chaoimh (fiddle), on Tuesday 31st August from 11:00 – 11:30 a.m. at The Coach House, Dublin Castle. This is a free concert but ticketed. Tickets can be booked on Tel: 01 671 9429.
Born in Ballyhar, Co. Kerry, Paudie O’Connor is a box player well grounded in his local Sliabh Luachra tradition as well as being . He learned much of his music during his childhood from local heroes such as Johnny O Leary, Denis McMahon, Anne and Nicky McAulliffe and Jimmy Doyle. Such influences are reflected in both the style and repertoire of his acclaimed 2005 CD release, “Different State”, a collection of dance music and slow airs from the Sliabh Luachra and Munster tradition. The album was listed in The Irish Times best five albums of 2005. Continue reading
Jackie Daly (accordion), Matt Cranitch (fiddle) and John Faulkner (guitar, bouzouki, vocals) are the line-up for this Music Network national tour, from the 14th to the 23rd of September, “letting loose the Sliabh Luachra genie from the bottle” as the publicity material states. It goes on:
“Though Jackie and Matt are both steeped in the rich musical traditions of the Sliabh Luachra, this collaboration with singer John Faulkner is very much a celebration of the here and now, the “living stream” of Irish music. An acclaimed songwriter and composer, John is a heartfelt performer who has traded lines with the likes of Ewan MacColl, Dolores Keane, Arty McGlynn and John Prine. Button accordion wizard Jackie needs little introduction to trad fans, and his work with legendary groups such as De Danann, Patrick Street, Arcady and Kinvara is testament to his versatility. Former Fleadh Cheoil winner and master fiddler Matt Cranitch is a founder member of the group Sliabh Notes, as well as a highly respected authority on and teacher of Irish traditional music.”
TUESDAY 14 SEP, DUBLIN 2
The Coach House
8 p.m., €15 / €10 (conc)/ €40 (family)
Tel: 01 671 9429
Promoted by Music Network
admin@musicnetwork.ie
Book Tickets
Conor Byrne presents … “After an absense over the Summer holidays the County Sessions is delighted to announce its return to the Button Factory on the 21st September, where we will start by celebrating the music of County Offaly. This very special event will be hosted by one of Ireland’s most respected folk singers Johnny McEvoy.
On the night we will be joined by one of the country’s finest tin whistle players Seán Ryan. We will also be joined by the Kinsella family who have been at the core of trad music in Offaly for many years now.”
Also performing: Denis Ryan (Fiddle); Pat Buckley (Guitar & Vocals).
Tuesday 21st September at 8pm
Button Factory, Curved Street, Temple Bar, Dublin
adm €17.50/15 book www.tickets.ie or City Discs, Temple Bar (01) 6330066
Probably a bit late coming upon this. (Thanks to Phil Callery for drawing attention to it.)
Traditional Irish music festival with performances from Emer Mayock, John Kilkenny, Philip Duffy, Declan Courell, Tim Rogers & Tara and Dermy Diamond, in An Bhun Abhainn pub, Louisburgh, Co Mayo on Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10th, 11th & 12th of September.
Kids Saturday: Children’s Percussion Workshop with Robbie Harris – Town Hall, 3.00pm
Sunday: Children’s Traditional Session with John Kilkenny and Emer Mayock – Town Hall 2.00pm
Ronan O’Snodaigh & Eoin Dillon of Kila, with others @ The Sugar Club (via Siúcra) on Friday, Saturday & Sunday 27th, 28th & 29th of August at 8pm. Book tickets here >>>
End the summer with a night of music and craic up the hill in Kilteel, Co Kildare. Music. BBQ. Camping. And breakfast rolls on sale in the hall next morning.
Line up includes: Lost Leaders; Buail an Bothar; Kosa; Sinead Keogh and band; Ken Murphy and Aishling Keogh; Maire Digan and band; Teada; McGetigans; and many more
€10 for all day ticket / €15 for day and camping ticket
Ring Maryann on 085-1443848 to get your ticket.
Líadan & Búille @ Féile An Droichead on Friday, 27th August @ 7.30 pm in An Droichead, Belfast.
Tickets (£10 sterling) available to purchase online here >>>
Also playing are:
Lumiere & Guidewires on Saturday 28th August
Kathleen MacInnes Band & The Damien O’Kane Trio on Sunday 29th August 2010,
Fidil, Cíarán Ó Maonaigh, Aidan O’Donnell and Damien McGeehan
Wednesday 8th September 2010; John Hewitt, Donegall St; 8pm
Conor Byrne presents Galway County Session
Maírtín O’Connor, Liz & Yvonne Kane, Steve Cooney, Aine Ní Droighneáin and Nathan “crazy legs” Pilatzke
Friday 10th September 2010; Black Box, Hill Street; 8pm
Bríd Harper, Dermot Byrne & Steve Cooney + Conor Byrne & Friends
Saturday 11th September 2010; Black Box, Hill Street; 2pm
Completely Banjaxed – Banjo night, With Cathal Hayden, Brian McGrath, Eamonn Coyne, Marcus Moloney & Brona Graham + accompanists Ed Boyd & John Joe Kelly
Saturday 11th September 2010; Black Box, Hill Street; 8pm
Méabh O’Hare, Grace Kelly & Edel Fox versus Barry Kerr, Ruadhraí O’Kane & Tony O’Connell + accompanists Ed Boyd & John Joe Kelly
Sunday 12th September 2010; Black Box, Hill Street; 2pm
Siobhan Peoples, Michelle O’Brien & Paul Meehan
Sunday 12th September 2010; John Hewitt, Donegall St; 8pm
Writing that Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh stands in quiet defiance against mediocrity, vulgarity and self-regard, FINTAN O’TOOLE quotes the poet Thomas Kinsella on the experience of listening to a great sean nós singer in Corca Dhuibhne: “The song was Casadh an tSúgáin and the singer Jerry Flaherty . . . Nothing intervened between the song and its expression. The singer managed many difficult things, but the result was to focus attention on the song, not on the performance or on the quality of the voice. It was a special voice, adapted (like a reptile or an insect) to its function. Mere beauty of tone would have distracted, attracting attention for its own sake. And the singer’s act of communication was thoroughly completed by his audience. They sat erect and listened, lifted their glasses and drank, and murmured phrases of appreciation.” (Times) >>>
A TIDAL wave of traditional music washed over Cavan yesterday as musicians from all over the world set up, tuned, and started to play. It is the first Green Fleadh and is on target to be carbon neutral. It is also the first year of Fleadh TV, an hour-long internet broadcast of interviews, songs and music to a worldwide audience. (Independent) >>>
Mel Mercier has created an installation drawn from probably the most important of the Prof’s publications, Sources of Irish Traditional Music c.1600 – 1855. Gathering 100 contemporary traditional musicians – all graduates, students or tutors of UCC – and filming their performances of 1,000 airs collected in what was a life-long study (edited after the professor’s death by Micheál Ó Súilleabháin), Mercier is filling the art gallery with sound as well as vision. Even if the enthusiasm with which they are presented were discarded, the statistics of the Glucksman event, opened on June 12th by Bill Whelan, are impressive. From the Sources is based on 20 hours of footage capturing nearly 1,000 performances edited for six simultaneous projections, accompanied by an archive of all the recordings which will be made available for public inspection. (Times) >>>
What do you get when you put two Champion Céilí bands into an Award-winning Night Club? – one of the best night’s craic ever and it certainly puts an end to the old ham sandwich and tea image of Céilís in the past . That’s just what Sligo Live Sessions have done. The Velvet Room in Sligo has won Top Irish Nightclub for the past 3 years running. Sligo Live Sessions are delighted announce another first with the festival hosting a late night Céilí with The Innisfree Céilí Band and The Dartry Céilí Band in Sligo’s award winning Night club taking trad into previously unimagined territory. (Sligo Live website >>>)
