Irish Trad Music Blog

Image via Wikipedia "Most traditional Irish bands grow up as friends playing together from the time they are wee at sessions and festivals throughout the Emerald Isle. Lunasa, a traditional-yet-modern Irish quintet, is the exception to that rule. Kevin Crawford, who plays flute, whistle and bodhran, met the other members as he got on the airplane for their first tour, back in the late '90s -- a plane headed for Australia, no less. 'I did not know them before that moment,' Crawford said, calling from a tour stop on the central coast of California. 'They knew of me from other recordings and asked me to join them. So we did our first gig as Lunasa in the Blue Mountains of Australia. It was a strange beginning, but it has worked.'" Lunasa does Irish with a twist | Standard-Examiner – Ogden, Layton, Brigham, Weber, Davis, Sports, Entertainment, Dining, Utah Jazz, Real Salt Lake, Ogden Raptors, Top of Utah News :

Image via Wikipedia "This weekend marks the third Music Show event at Dublin 's RDS, a convention that incorporates live music, workshops and panels with a chance for bands and music fans alike to catch a glimpse of the inner workings of the Irish and international industries. �Last year's event was the biggest of its kind in Ireland, with 12,000 people passing through the doors of the venue over two days. Running this Saturday and Sunday, the show is the creation of Hot Press magazine, who established it in 2008. This year's musical guests include Cathy Davey , Republic of Loose, Damien Dempsey , Fight Like Apes (above) and The Flaws. There will be panels on topics such as music journalism, the benefits of music colleges for musicians, and the art of production, with a number of high-profile guests contributing to each. Newton Faulkner will host a masterclass in guitar-playing, Mundy and Gemma Hayes will host a songwriting workshop, and one of the biggest draws of ...

"Born in Ireland and now based in New York, pianist Isabelle O’Connell has been an energetic advocate for living composers on both sides of the Atlantic. She also plays some mean Messiaen. Her new CD Reservoir features works from the past two and a half decades by nine Irish composers. The results are not merely a dogmatic presentation of a particular national “school of composition.” On the contrary, O’Connell’s clearly quite willing to program a stylistically eclectic recital. And the Emerald Isle" Isabelle O’Connell’s Reservoir of Irish Music :

Image by aplumb via Flickr "The 2010 Blackhawk Chamber Music Festival will celebrate its tenth anniversary with three unique programs in Davenport, including The Intimate Lute & Flute: Irish, Scottish and Continental Renaissance and Baroque on Thursday, October 21 at 7:30 PM with Jeffrey Cohan (baroque and renaissance flutes) and Oleg Timofeyev (lute), The 19th-Century Russian Perspective: Viola, Natural Horn and Flute meet the Russian Guitar on Friday, October 22 at 7:30 PM with Kristen Thelander (natural horn), Christine Rutledge (viola), Jeffrey Cohan (eight-keyed flute) and Oleg Timofeyev (Russian 7-string guitar), and Love to George! From Johann and George: A Bach & Handel Tribute to George Shangrow on Sunday afternoon, October 24 at 3:00 PM with Terri Richter (soprano), Gregory Hand ( harpsichord ), Jeffrey Cohan (baroque flute) and Oleg Timofeyev (lute and viola da gamba )." Black Hawk Chamber Music Festival 10th Anniversary Celebration - Quad Cities Onlin...

Image via Wikipedia "World-renowned traditional Irish music band The Chieftains will play four concerts in Ireland in November, it was announced today. The six-time Grammy Award winners play at Limerick University on the 17th of November, Cappoquin Community Centre on the 20th, the Mermaid Theatre in Bray on the 21st and the Tullamore Court Hotel on Wednesday 24th November. The tour will feature original members Paddy Moloney, Matt Molloy, Se�n Keane and Kevin Conneff, but will also feature guest performers from around the world including Ottowa Valley Dancers Jon and Nathan Pilatzke, New York-based champion Irish dancer Cara Butler , eight string guitarist Redmond O’Toole, harpist Triona Marshall and guest singer Yvonne Mc Mahon-Tiernan." Chieftains to play mini Irish tour - The Irish Times - Wed, Sep 29, 2010 :

Image via Wikipedia "The words “mystic” and “mystical” have been applied to Van Morrison ’s music so often that it almost seemed redundant when a song called “Into the Mystic” appeared on his 1970 album, “ Moondance .” Then again, few singer-songwriters anywhere can match this Irish-born troubadour, whose sold-out Wednesday concert at the Civic Theatre (top ticket price: $371.55 per seat) marks his first San Diego date in 37 years. This holds especially true when it comes to creating genre-leaping music that, at its best, is both highly personal and broadly appealing, intensely spiritual but steeped in the grit of everyday life. His enormous influence can be heard in the work of everyone from Bruce Springsteen and Counting Crows to James Morrison and Ray LaMontagne. Morrison’s finest albums — 1968’s “ Astral Weeks ,” 1970’s “Tupelo Honey,” 1988’s “Irish Heartbeat” (which he recorded with The Chieftains) and 1993’s “Hymns to the Silence” — sound very much of this earth while, a...

"IT was a day to celebrate culture -- and where better than the official opening of the new home of the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. The spectacular building located on the northern bank of the sprawling University of Limerick campus was opened by the Taoiseach yesterday. Along with hundreds of assembled guests, Mr Cowen allowed himself to be entertained for more than an hour by an impressive group of musicians, singers and dancers, including The Chieftains, The Irish Chamber Orchestra, and UL students. The Taoiseach was clearly enjoying himself as he clapped along with the melodies of Donal Lunny and Paddy Moloney." Cowen opens new home for music and dance - National News, Frontpage - Independent.ie :

Image via Wikipedia "The number of green T-shirts being sold around town has jumped, red plastic beer cups have been flying off the shelves of local supermarkets, and a number of homes have begun proudly displaying flags in colors of orange, white and green. All are signs that North Wildwood has been readying for its 19th annual Irish Fall Festival and the thousands of people it brings to enjoy a weekend-long party that celebrates Irish heritage. “It’s like North Wildwood’s own Mardi Gras,” said Krista Nooney as she stocked up on red plastic cups at a grocery store. Nooney said her entire family extends their vacation to include the last weekend in September “religiously” so not to miss the festival. “I don’t think we’ve missed one since the city started hosting it,” she said." Big crowds expected for Irish Fall Festival | Cape May County Regional :

"THE NEW €20 million home of the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance was officially unveiled at the University of Limerick yesterday. The state-of-the-art facility has several theatres as well as dance performance studios, recording spaces, music performance practice rooms, seminar rooms, exhibition areas and an international research centre. Yesterday’s official opening by Taoiseach Brian Cowen included performances by the Chieftains, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Rex Levitates Dance Company and students of the academy. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Cowen underlined the importance of the academy in protecting and showcasing Ireland’s cultural heritage. “The new academy building not only offers a place to study, examine and develop the many strands of our musical heritage but it also lets us celebrate it, and the rich and varied traditions of other cultures,” he said. In his address, the director of the academy Prof Miche�l � S�illeabh�in said the building was like “walki...

"The internationally acclaimed Irish composer Bill Whelan presented two gifted emerging Irish composers with substantial music bursaries at an awards ceremony in Dublin this week. Cormac McCarthy from Cork and Aoife Ni Bhriain from Dublin are the latest recipients of the Bill Whelan International Music Bursary which was established to support Irish music students studying abroad. The Bursary, which was launched in 2005, has assisted students to further their studies in disciplines ranging from film scoring, orchestration and music composition. The bursary scheme is administered with the assistance of The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO). Speaking today at the presentation of the awards Bill commented, 'Since the Bursary began over five years ago, I have had the honour and pleasure to meet some extraordinary young musicians, many of whom have gone on to flourishing careers as practicing musicians or in the academic field. Unfortunately, this is the last year of this parti...

"If anyone deserves a day of honor, Irish brewer Arthur Guinness does. To honor its founder, Guinness and the Irish American Heritage Center will put an all-star music lineup on stage to show Chicago that every day is a lovely day for a Guinness. The Arthur Guinness Day Music Festival is a day-long celebration of music, food, fun and Arthur Guinness, founder of the Guinness brewery business, who was an entrepreneur, visionary and philanthropist. Kick off the next 250 years of Guinness tradition with this indoor and outdoor festival that features world-class beer, in a world-class venue, with a world-class lineup. The festival features Gaelic Storm, Seven Nations, Kevin Flynn and the Avondale Ramblers, the Irish Music School of Chicago and the Dooley Brothers and Jimmy Moore and the City of Chicago Pipe Band and Nineteen Pints." Irish American Heritage Center and Guinness Present the Arthur Guinness Day Music Festival | abc7chicago.com :

"BOONE—Music from Ireland will be performed Sept. 30 by students and faculty from Appalachian State University ’s Hayes School of Music . The evening begins at 8 p.m. in Broyhill Music Center’s Rosen Concert Hall. Admission is free. Called an “informance,” the evening features student musicians who participated in the Hayes School of Music’s 2010 study abroad program to Ireland. In addition to performing on fiddle , concertina and Irish harp , students will talk about their experience in Ireland and how it relates to their academic degree. The study abroad program to Ireland began in 2000. It is based at University College of Cork’s �School of Music. Faculty and students from Appalachian work with UCC faculty and students, attend private lessons, master classes, and recitals by Irish musicians at the university. �Evenings are spent observing and participating in pub music sessions." Ireland in story and song presented Sept. 30 at Appalachian � News Archive � Appalachian ...

Image via Wikipedia "For any event to be celebrating it’s 30th anniversary is cause for celebration. For The Cork Folk Festival, it’s much more than that. Put together from year to year purely on a voluntary basis by a dedicated group of enthusiasts, sometimes with the help of major sponsorship, often by a combination of various sponsors and supporters, it’s endurance is a tribute to the energy and labour of it’s workers. The Cork Folk Festival’s annual objective is straightforward – to present the best of local, national, and international folk and traditional music, song and dance on Leeside in late august/early September each year." http://www.corkfolkfestival.com/

Image via Wikipedia "Na Piobairi Uilleann is the home of Dublin piping and tonight tours of the renovated Georgian headquarters on Henrietta Street run from 6pm until 10pm. There will also be a series of recitals, beginning at 6.30pm. No booking needed. See pipers.ie" If you see just 100 shows tonight . . . - The Irish Times - Fri, Sep 24, 2010 :

Image via Wikipedia "Nashville's in the house! The foot-stomping spot on Friday night will be the Music Center at Strathmore , where the 2010 National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellows will perform and talk. Del McCoury , the bluegrass legend, will bring his 50 years of guitar playing to the stage. The concert, starting at 8 p.m. and emceed by Nick Spitzer, host of public radio's American Routes, will include Yacub Addy, a Ghanaian drum master, Jim 'Texas Shorty' Chancellor, the Texas fiddler, and Mike Rafferty, an Irish flute player. If you can't make it up Rockvile Pike, the NEA is offering a live webcast and instructions will be posted Friday afternoon at arts.gov." Arts Post - A free evening with Heritage pioneers :

"The 16th annual Greater Danbury Irish Festival kicks off Friday, Sept. 24 at the Charles Ives Concert Park, featuring a number of new musical acts in addition to the cultural attractions, traditional Irish eats and Guinness for which the festival is�beloved. 'It truly is a musical festival this year,' says Eileen Alberts, who is co-chairing the event along with Paul Grasseler Jr. 'Some of our performers, like the Mighty Ploughboys and the Highland Rovers, have been with us for years, but we also have a number of new acts that we're very excited�about.' That new talent includes the CPTV-featured group the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Celtic songstress Fiona Molloy, and the breakout band Screaming Orphans. All three recently performed at the Milwaukee Irish Fest, one of the largest festivals in the�country." Music at center of Greater Danbury Irish Festival - NewsTimes :

Image by BedwyrPhoto.com via Flickr "CORVALLIS — Celtic music lovers will have a rare opportunity to hear Ireland’s all-star quintet L�nasa perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28, at the Majestic Theatre. In October 1997, the band released its d�but CD “L�nasa,” a searing mix of concert and studio tracks gathered from their first year together. It was immediately hailed as one of the freshest recordings of Irish music in years, called “moving, pulsating, and thrilling to the very marrow” by Roots magazine and “a true must-have disc” by The Irish Voice. The album became an immediate best-seller in Ireland, topping Hot Press ’ folk charts and nominated one of the year’s top 10 by the Irish Echo in the U.S." Lunasa brings stars of Celtic :

Image by sjrowe53 via Flickr Andy Irvine" Overview Date: 25/09/2010 - 26/09/2010 Location: Irish Cultural Centre Blacks Road, Hammersmith London, England W6 9DT Contact Information Phone: 020 8563 8232

Image by Kman999 via Flickr "Edel Fox is one of the most accomplished Irish musicians of her generation. Despite her young age, her musical résumé boasts a list of accolades. Liz and Yvonne Kane create a highly exciting and vibrant sound. In fact, rather than playing off each other and making contrasting individual statements, they choose to stay close at all times, the result being a powerful and gorgeous unified sound. Such is the musicianship of these young players that you’ll find yourself listening to every little turn of phrase." Edel Fox & The Kane Sisters :

Image by clspeace via Flickr Take three iconic fiddle players - Cathal Hayden, Dezi Donnelly & Tola Custy, add an engine room second to none - John Joe Kelly and Ed Boyd, and the results are one unique gig!!! Blazing Bows

" Irish traditional music will be the focus of the fall 2010 Gaelic Roots Music , Song, Dance, Workshop and Lecture Series at Boston College. The series, sponsored by BC’s Center for Irish Programs, has often featured music from Scotland, Cape Breton and Appalachia as well as Ireland. But there will be a distinctly Hibernian flavor to this fall’s events, which take place at Connolly House (300 Hammond Street near BC’s Chestnut Hill Campus) beginning at 6:30 p.m. All are free and open to the public. •Fiddler Oisin McAuley and flutist Jimmy Noonan will kick off the series on Sept. 30. McAuley, a member of the popular band Danu, has become a mainstay in the local session scene since moving to Boston several years ago. Noonan teaches in BC’s Irish Studies Program and has played at numerous concerts and festivals with an impressive array of musicians including Seamus Connolly — director of Irish music programs at BC — Louise Costello, Tommy McCarthy and Chris McGrath, among others...

"MUSKEGON — Organizers said last weekend’s Michigan Irish Music Festival was a success, and they are already choosing bands for next year. Festival President Chris Zahrt said she believes attendance was up slightly from last year, with 15,000 visitors coming to Heritage Landing from Friday to Sunday. “We had a great turnout,” she said. “We had a full house for Mass Sunday morning — standing room only.” Last year, about 14,000 people attended, a 40 percent increase from 2008. Zahrt said vendors reported healthy sales this year, but there was no repeat of last year’s troubles when sellers ran out of most Irish foods by Sunday." Michigan Irish Music Festival organizers claim success, looking toward 2011 | MLive.com :

"NAPLES — Susanna Haslett became enamored with Irish folk music at a young age. That love blossomed into a lifelong passion for Irish cultural arts. Haslett, 56, grew up listening to all types of folk music with her parents, but she immediately took to Irish melodies. The music sparked her interest in Irish dance and playing Irish music. “The arts has given me so much joy and enhanced the quality of my life,” said Haslett, a petite, dirty blonde who is not Irish, but has Irish ancestry. “I want to share that joy and enhance the quality of someone else’s life.” One of the ways she shares her passion is by teaching Irish dance classes at Veterans Community Park in Naples. The classes take place every other Monday in the fall/winter season and cost $7." Susanna Haslett shares her passion for Irish dancing and music throughout SWFL � Naples Daily News :

Celtic Classic Bethlehem: Celtic Classic kicks off Friday in Bethlehem - mcall.com : "Celtic Classic returns this weekend to downtown Bethlehem with a new theatrical flourish. Last year the three-day celebration of Celtic heritage was condensed a bit to trim costs, but this year's fest is expanding, with a new venue, called Celtic Crossroads, at Moravian College's Foy Hall, featuring theater and film. See a new local Irish mumming troupe, an Oscar-nominated animated film about the Irish Book of Kells and performances by local theater groups and one from Galway, Ireland. Celtic Crossroads, organized by the Eastern Pennsylvania Arts Alliance, rounds out the 23rd annual festival's cultural offerings, which include music by 17 acts, food, beer, bagpipes, Highland games and more."

"Ireland's 'Arthur's Day,' in memory of beer maker and purveyor Arthur Guinness, 'is being pitched as a sort of secular St Patrick's Day, a long overdue acknowledgment of the centrality of Guinness to Irish life,' grumbles The Guardian's Ed Power. Unfortunately, for natives the iconic drink has become so pass�that it's viewed as 'the liquid equivalent of a plastic bodhr�n or one of those strap-on Leprechaun beards you can buy in tourist shops.' Harsh words for a beer that's often taken to be a national symbol of the Irish (what Power describes as 'national relic')." Irish Don't Really Prefer Guinness | The Atlantic Wire :

"A FREE music event aimed at attracting shoppers back into Limerick has been unveiled. Limerick Live will feature performances from some of the country’s top artists. A state-of-the-art stage will be erected on Cruises Street on October 2nd for live performances by top Irish acts including Fight Like Apes, The High Kings, John Spillane, O Emperor, We Should Be Dead and Supermodel Twins. The event will continue into the evening at Dolans Warehouse. A second stage will showcase local talent with performances from Art In Motion Performance Company directed by Jenny Brown and guests, Myles Breen Bottom Dog Productions, Comedy Improv, Centrespace Studios and Windings." Top acts taking to streets for Limerick music event - The Irish Times - Wed, Sep 22, 2010

"Berlin will resonate the sounds of Irish music on Tuesday 21st Sept as Temple Bar TradFest arrives in town! A special showcase event will be held at the Irish Embassy in Berlin from 6.30pm to promote the very successful Temple Bar TradFest to assembled dignitaries, tour operators and members of the German media. The event has been organized by Temple Bar traders who organise the annual festival. Many local business people will themselves travel to Berlin to promote Temple Bar and the Irish music and culture Festival. Among those travelling will be RTE Radio One presenter and TradFest Artistic Director Kieran Hanrahan." Temple Bar TradFest Arrives In Berlin Sept 21 2010/09/20 :

Friday 22nd October @ 8.30pm Bookings see www.passionftuittheatre.com

Cover of The Man Who Built America 'We Irish should ke-ep these personages in our hearts," wrote WB Yeats in the preface to Lady Gregory's Cuchulainn of Muirthemne, "for they lived in the places where we ride and go marketing, and sometimes they have met one another on the hills that cast their shadows upon our doors at evening." For over a decade in the Seventies and beyond, the increasingly bizarrely togged-out Horslips kept the personages of olde Ireland in our hearts with songs about . . . deep breath . . . Connacht Queen Maeve, brown bulls, magicians, all-knowing fairy children, fearless warriors, deposed kings and epic battles with silver spears and so forth and so on. It was an acid trip down through the ages of old Irish history with a touch of Lord Of The Rings thrown in for good measure. Another deep breath now . . . Dearg Doom: "You speak in whispers of the devils I have slain/By the fire of my silver Devil's Blade." Ferdia's Song:...

MUSKEGON -- The crowd couldn't wait to get its Irish on. The Michigan Irish Music Festival opened Friday at Heritage Landing at 5 p.m. on the dot, but eager fans began to congregate half an hour early to listen to Irish-American duo Switchback perform a pre-concert at the gate. As the hour drew closer, however, some fans jokingly shouted, "It's 5 o'clock somewhere!" Switchback played traditional Irish music, as well as their tribute to the festival volunteers, "The Michigan Irish Festival Song." "You'll probably hear that about thirty times this weekend," guitarist and bassist Matin McCormack said. "We're here making sure you all turn to Irishmen and women the moment you step through the 'portal of transformation.'" Mary Buckley Ellis, of Muskegon, is one of the few who can say she's 100 percent Irish. She and a non-Irish friend, Betsy Schappert of Twin Lake, were dancing in the Bob & Bernie's Pub tent to q...

Casadh - Gaelic Song and Irish Traditional Music group perform in the amazing Clonard Monastery during Féile an Phobail 2009. Featuring Gráinne Holland, Nioclás Mac Cathmhaoil, Frainc Mac Cionnaith & Desy Downey. More info http://www.casadh.com

"Details of what is described as Ireland’s longest-running arts festival, Oireachtas na Gaeilge, or assembly of Irish-related events, were announced in Killarney last night, writes Anne Lucey. The great assembly returns to Killarney at the end of October for only the second time in the festival’s 113 years, and after an absence of 92 years. As in medieval times, debates, storytelling, writing, singing and music will mark the event which is open to all ages. Competitions will be held in disciplines including sean-nos singing, sean-nos dancing, violin, uilleann pipes, harp and duets. The festival takes place from Wednesday, October 27th, until Sunday, October 31st, and thousands are expected to attend." In short - The Irish Times - Fri, Sep 17, 2010

Celtic music lovers will have a rare opportunity to hear Ireland’s all-star quintet Lúnasa perform in Corvallis at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28, at the Majestic Theatre. “We like to think it’s because Corvallis has a reputation of being wildly enthusiastic about Celtic music, but it doesn’t hurt that we happen to be halfway between the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle, two mainstays of the West Coast concert circuit,” said local organizer Jennifer Parke of the Corvallis Folklore Society. Lúnasa is one of the most sought-after bands on the international Celtic music scene. The band’s inventive arrangements and bass-driven grooves are steering Irish acoustic music into surprising new territory. “This is the hottest Irish acoustic group on the planet,” raved a review in The New York Times. Named for an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, patron of the arts, Lúnasa is indeed a gathering of some of the top musical talents in Ireland including bassist Trevor Hutc...

Michigan Irish Music Festival begins Friday | wzzm13.com | Grand Rapids, MI : "MUSKEGON, Mich. (WZZM)- The last big event of the year at Muskegon's Heritage Landing begins Friday. Thursday volunteers put the finishing touches on set-up for the 11th Annual Michigan Irish Music Festival. The event runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday in downtown Muskegon. 15 bands will perform on three covered stages so the music can continue rain or shine. There will be traditional Irish dancing, a marketplace and a beer brewed specifically for the event."

Irish music night - Mayo Advertiser - September 17, 2010. : "Moy Valley Resources will host the Bofield C�il�Band for a big seisi�n in the Kennedy Glasgow Centre, The Quay, Ballina, on Friday September 24 at 9pm. The night will feature a feast of Irish music, song, dance and storytelling. Proceeds are in aid of the Moy Valley Over 55 Club. Tickets (€10) are available at Moy Valley Business Centre Cathedral Road, Ballina (096 71303)."

Pub Celebrates St. Patrick's Day 6 Months Early - News Story - WNEM Saginaw : "SAGINAW TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- March is still six months away, but one local restaurant is already celebrating the luck of the Irish. This week, Bennigan's is marking the halfway point to St. Patrick's Day. The Saginaw Township location will host a tent party Friday and Saturday night, complete with live music and of course, green beer. Admittance is free until 10 p.m. on Friday. A cover charge of $5 will be in effect after 10 p.m. and on Saturday."

There's an old saying that goes something like, “ Go out and make your mark in the world exploring the new ways but don't turn your back on your roots”. The members of Vishten have been doing just that for the past seven years, touring their brand of new-traditional Acadian music in over 1000 performances rendered in 8 different countries. Made up of third generation Acadians living separate but Parallel musical experiences, twin sisters Pastelle and Emmanuelle LeBlanc from Prince Edward Island, Canada have teamed up with Pascal Miousse and Louis-Charles Vigneau from the nearby Magdelen Islands to create a sound that incorporates elements of the new ways while retaining and staying true to the essential Acadian spirit of their roots. The sound is essentially Celtic but with a difference. The songs are French, sung by each band member, alone or in four part harmony. The foot percussion drives the rhythm in a fiddle tune at times yet refrains itself in the gentler musical moments...

Image via Wikipedia Cootehill gears up for Gerry Whelan Memorial Weekend - Entertainment - Going Out - Articles - Anglo Celt : " Cootehill is once again looking forward to an event packed weekend of traditional music , song and dance as the sixth annual Gerry Whelan Memorial Weekend, which runs September 17 - 19, fast approaches. Coming hot on the heels of the hugely successful All Ireland Fleadh in Cavan , the now firmly established Whelan Festival in Cootehill will be the icing on the cake for music enthusiasts who've already enjoyed the Fleadh 'main course' in the nearby county town. If the Whelan celebrations are to be the musical dessert in what has been a feast of trad for Co Cavan this year, there are some sweet pickings indeed on offer, with a host of top names from around the country set to take part."

Fiddler's Bid to make themselves known - Borders Today : "Fiddler's Bid to make themselves known Published Date: 16 September 2010 By Unknown Fiddler's Bid to make themselves known THE Riddell Fiddles play host to Shetland band Fiddler's Bid in Melrose's Corn Exchange on Monday, September 27. It is the septet's only Borders gig, and only last year they picked up a Scots Trad Music Award. Not only do they play fiddle , but the group also use guitar, electric bass and harp . They have been described as a 'musical tornado' and playing like 'angels and devils'."

The Thistle And Shamrock: Daithi Sproule : NPR : "Meet one of the gentle architects of today's Irish music sound. Join Fiona and the intimate audience gathered at the Swannanoa Gathering during its Traditional Song Week to enjoy musical insights, conversation and song with D�ith�Sproule, as he talks about working with Skara Brae , Liz Carroll Trian and Altan. This episode originally aired the week of Sept. 2, 2010."

Slide Irish band plays two concerts 09/15/10 : "The Irish Times describes Slide as 'traditional musicians with attitude.' This five-member group of young musicians is currently touring the United States and making their way to Alaska with just three stops: Juneau, Kodiak and Homer. The Homer concerts are presented by the Homer Council on the Arts and are a unique opportunity for the community to hear traditional and eclectic Irish music . The concerts are at 8:30 p.m. Sept. 25 and 12:30 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Homer Theatre."

Cavan dancing talent on show on TG4... - Entertainment - Staying In - Articles - Anglo Celt : "TG4's hit show, An Jig Gig, returns this year and will feature dancing talent from Cavan. The show which starts on Sunday, September 26, will feature acts from across the country battling it out to become Ireland's best traditional dance act. Sonia Leonard from Ard-Rialla dance school tutored two groups from the Cavan and Fermanagh area, which competed in this year's show. 'We had girls from Cavan, Belturbet, Ballyconnell, Kildallan, Killeshandra, Bawnboy, as well as Fermanagh.'"

The Shanti Town Collective presents: Blackbox Telly - A showcase for original music filmed on location at the Passionfruit Theatre , Athlone in the centre of Ireland. Episode one features Resurrection Fern, an Athlone based folk band.

Image via Wikipedia Bill Whelan and guests - The Irish Times - Wed, Sep 01, 2010 : "Some will recall that Ireland took the 1994 Eurovision prize with Rock’n’Roll Kids�, but the de facto winner of that particular song contest was surely a dance. Nor, 16 years later, would luck seem to be running out for Riverdance�, that luckiest of Bill Whelan’s inspirations. The smash-hit show it spawned has now been playing to worldwide audiences for longer than did the most prominent of Eurovision victors, Abba�. Whelan must be one of the few people in the wordy world of popular music ever to have had a big say purely in the language of notes. He describes his secret simply as “taking trad music, working it in with the orchestra, and giving it a new twist”. The Seville Suite�and Riverdance�have sounded subtler than they did in Friday’s muscular performances by the RT� Concert Orchestra under principal conductor David Brophy . Amplification funnelled the timbres, and spelled danger for the so...

Concert review | Irish Fest offers fine blend of old and new - KansasCity.com : "Before he and his band, McPeake, played “ Wild Mountain Thyme (Will You Go Lassie)” on Friday at Irish Fest, Francis McPeake III told the crowd that his great-grandfather, who wrote the song more than half a century ago, probably never imagined that his great-grandson would one day perform the song at a festival in Kansas City . In many ways, this annual rite of Labor Day weekend is still your great-grandfather’s Irish Fest. It still features plenty of traditional forms of Irish music , dance , art and culture. But as it has grown — it’s now the world’s third-largest, organizers say, behind events in Milwaukee and Dublin — it has evolved."

A Concert of Reconciliation for Peace - Chris Caswell master harpist Tickets at Song and Spirit Center, 9/11/2010 - SF Gate : "Saturday, Sep 11 7:30p at Song and Spirit Center, Novato, CA Concert Series at Song and Spirit... Healing, Connection and Continual change... heal all dissonance, war and inner angst, between you and other, between brother and sister, mother, lover and you. � A Concert of Reconciliation....for Peace on 9/11� Chris Caswell master harpist presenting: 'the heart of the harp' a celtic, international flavor with excellence we take a leap together�towards healing on this blessed day"

Image via Wikipedia Meath VEC offering Irish music history course in Nobber - News - Meath North - Articles - Meath Chronicle : "Meath Vocational Education Committee is offering a new course in its adult education programme in O'Carolan College, Nobber this autumn. A course on the history of Irish music and tin and low whistle will commence in Nobber on Tuesday 28th September. The first hour of this course will focus on the history of Irish music looking at the instruments, different forms of dance music and traditional singing. It will also look at developments in Irish music from the harpers of medieval times right down to more recent times, incuding innovators like O'Riada and groups like the Clancy Brothers , Horslips, Planxty, Altan and the Afro Celts and shows like Riverdance . Fusions with other forms of music and connections with Celtic music in other parts of Europe and North America will be explored. In the second hour the tin whistle or low whistle will be ...

Image via Wikipedia Kirriemuir music festival hailed a success - Press & Journal : "MUSIC lovers gathered in Kirriemuir over the weekend for the annual Festival of Music and Song. The three-day event, which is in its 29th year, saw a variety of groups and musicians perform, including Crieff -based singer and storyteller Margaret Bennett , traditional Scots singer Jock Duncan and Angus Folk and the Forfar Instrumental Band. The event also saw musicians from throughout Scotland compete in a number of competitions. Festival spokeswoman Helen Gardiner said: “It was a tremendous festival with a lot of people attending the various events. We were also very pleased with the competition results. “There were lots of different things on at the same time so there was a lot for people to do."

Devilish Merry's new CD incorporates influences from both sides of the Atlantic : "The first two tracks on the new Devilish Merry CD, 'Water & Vines,' could cause disorientation to a folk music fan trying to trace all the roots . The title song begins simply with a banjo , played Appalachian clawhammer-style, but then the percolating percussion of a Celtic bodhran comes in, followed by the melancholic textures of an alt-country lapsteel guitar. If that's not dizzying enough, by the middle of the minor-key 'Bluebird,' plaintive Irish fiddle and almost-bluesy tin whistle melt into a traditional Appalachian dance tune, ' Cluck Old Hen ,' previously recorded by the likes of Alison Krauss and Kris Delmhorst. On top of that, anyone not familiar with Devilish Merry might be amazed to hear the members have been doing this conscious merging of styles since before 1979, when they self-released an LP (reissued on CD in 2000) called 'The Ghost of...