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

www.facebook.com/anbhunabhainn

www.anbhunabhainn.com

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

Tarab launching debut CD tonight

Improvised Music Company Presents

TARAB

Debut CD Launch

“Some of the most enchanting music I’ve  heard this year.”-  The Irish Times

Francesco Turrisi – accordion, harmonium, percussion.
Nick Roth – saxophones, flutes, Emer Mayock – flutes, whistles, pipes, fiddle
Robbie Harris – bodhran, percussion,Kate Ellis – cello

Tarab is a light, nimble craft that sails the waters between Ireland and the Mediterranean, and its helmsman is Italy’s  Francesco Turrissi, who has made a real   impression since moving to Ireland, bringing a fresh perspective informed by his background in baroque harpsichord, jazz piano and the Moorish dance forms of Southern Italy. In Tarab he performs on accordion and various Arabic and Sicilian frame drums, and convincingly bridges modal music from right across Europe in a band that   also includes saxophonist Nick Roth and cellist Kate Ellis. Their jazz and classical backgrounds find a counterbalance in traditional flautist Emer Mayock who, along with percussionist Robbie Harris, brings an innate understanding of melody and form in Irish music.

Turrisi orchestrates with subtlety, deftly balancing these powerful elements to harmonious effect, pulling Irish music into invigorating new conversations. Iranian tombak master Pedram Khavar- Zamini, Palestinian oud player Haytham Safia, Bulgarian kaval virtuoso Theodossii Spassov and the masterful Greek singer Savina Yannatou are among the artists with whom they’ve recently collaborated, and later this they’ll be performing with the acclaimed Irish theatre company Rough Magic.

Wednesday 27th April / Whelan’s Dublin / 8pm  / €12/10

Improvised Music Company Presents TARAB Debut CD Launch

Thursday 28th April / Hilgrove Hotel, DIngle / 9:30pm / €15/12

Feile Na Bealtaine, Hilgrove Hotel, Dingle

Sunday 1st May / Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray / 8pm / €25

Bray Jazz Festival, Bray Mermaid Arts Centre

Things to be thankful for in 2011: Emer Mayock’s plans

The multi-instrumentalist, composer and fabulous flute player from the County of Mayo, Emer Mayock, has a busy year ahead, filled with lots of great stuff for us to look forward to:

She will release a CD with piper Mick O’Brien and fiddle player Aoife Ni Bhriain exploring music from the Goodman Manuscripts.

The band Tarab (Emer, Kate Ellis, Francesco Turrisi, Robbie Harris and Nick Roth) will release it’s debut recording.

Emer will work with Rough Magic Theatre in a new production of Ibsen’s ‘Peer Gynt’.

She will perform in Ireland and abroad with a new ensemble she has put together with Lasairfhiona Ni Chonaola, Donal Siggins and Steve Larkin.

And she will travel to Nova Scotia in July to perform at the Boxwood festival.

September Sessions @ An Bhun Abhainn, Louisburgh, Co Mayo

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

Tarab @ Kilkenny Arts Festival

Saturday 14 Aug 1pm; St Canice’s Cathedral

Francesco Turrisi held St Canice’s rapt last year with his jazz trio. This year he looks set to do it all over again with his equally-exciting project Tarab, an ever-evolving ensemble that weaves together traditional music from Ireland and the Mediterranean.

Bringing together jazz saxophonist Nick Roth and classical cellist Kate Ellis with traditional flautist Emer Maycock and percussionist Robbie Harris, Tarab blends these disparate musical traditions into its own distinctive sound, weaving a subtle, delicate spell. The result, as The Irish Times has written, is “some of the most enchanting music” you’re likely to hear, and a great chance to bring the family for a lively introduction to a wealth of musical styles, as well as instruments from around the world.

Kilkenny Arts Festival website >>>

Emer Mayock & Donal Siggins joined by Cormac Breatnach

Emer & Donal kicked the music off, later joined by Cormac in a night of superb music. The lighting was blighting for photographs, the mirror in the background was a flash nightmare, and the microphones (as usual) got in the way, but none of that affected the musicians. It was a stunning gig to open the festival and although the numbers attending were down it didn’t have any impact on the music, which was all the more special as so much of it was composed by the performers themselves.

Music under the mountains festival in Hollywood, Co Wicklow

Friday 18th
Hollywood Inn at 9.00 p.m.

Emer Mayock, Donal Siggins, Cormac Breathnach, (flutes, low whistles, bouzuki)

Saturday 19th
Tuttys at 2.00 p.m

Steve Larkin and friends

Ardenode Hotel 8.30p.m

Arc, Frankie Lane and Buille

Sunday 20th
Tuttys at 12.00 p.m
Alyth McCormack from Isle of Lewis to host the singing session

Tuttys at 8.00 p.m.
Michelle O’Brien, Peter Brown, and Paul Meehan (fiddle, accordion and guitar)

See http://musicunderthemountains.blogspot.com/ for ongoing information.

Great night at Twisted Pepper

Loved seeing Daire Bracken (also of Slide) in Electric Ceilí mode but without the electric part. (Also got to meet Daire afterwards and he was kind enough to give me a copy of their forthcoming CD for my son, who saw them recently and cried at the thought that he wouldn’t see that exact concert ever again! More anon about the CD.)

Was also blown away by The Third Twin with Eoin Dillon (of Kíla) on pipes and Steve Larkin on fiddle. I’d heard Steve play twice before, and Kíla a few times, but this was my first encounter of Eoin’s solo project and I am keen for more.

Also got to say hi to Emer Mayock who was just in from her live performance and chat on the Radio 1 Arts Show, about Tarab. Emer will be performing in three different assemblies at the Festival of World Cultures in Dun Laoghaire this weekend coming.

Emer Mayock, Donal Siggins, Robbie Harris & guests

Took kids to ‘The Session’ Family Traditional Music Show devised by Emer Mayock and Robbie Harris, at the National Concert Hall on Saturday. It was a super idea and brilliantly executed by all involved. My kids loved it and I think learned a lot. It ended with half the kids up on stage with the dancer all giving it a lash.