Irish Trad Music Blog

"THE 2010 Amber Fiddle Award has received a welcome boost in the shape of a �1250 grant from Perth and Kinross Council, matching the contributions of the Award’s existing sponsors Birnam CD, Bonskeid Music, Butterstone Studios, The Fiddle Tree and Fiona Ritchie Productions. As a result of the council’s grant, the prize money for this year’s prestigious event has been boosted to reward the second and third place finalists. As in previous years, the first prize will be �1000, and this year there will be additional cash prizes of �500 and �250 for second and third places respectively. The winner will also receive a copy of the Niel Gow Tophy which was commissioned for the award and resides in Dunkeld. Other prizes include a two-year subscription to ‘Fiddle On’ magazine, which will also run a feature on the winner and publish his/her tune in the magazine." Competition to honour fiddle legend Gow - Perthshire Advertiser :

"There are some things that Ireland will never have a short supply of, such as rain, 'grand soft days' and Guinness. But this week the country learned something truly shocking: Ireland is real danger of losing the craft of uilleann pipe making, if it does not invest more in training the craft to potential pipe makers. Like the harp, the uilleann pipe is almost a symbol of Irishness itself. Capable of producing plaintive sounds that can melt the hardest heard from one thousand yards, it's moving notes have been heard in films as various as Titanic and Lord of the Rings." Irish uilleann pipe makers in increasingly short supply | News from Ireland | IrishCentral :

"After a lifetime of playing with tropical island musicians, renowned guitarist Bob Brozman decided to try six days of trad music, writes Siobh�n Long� IT WASN’T EXACTLY a proposition to die for: six days, three musicians who haven’t played as a trio before and a raft of unfamiliar music to contend with. This was the challenge posed by executive producer Brian Carson of Belfast’s Moving On Music – but the truth is it led to sparks flying in directions none of the musicians could have anticipated, with the results of their intensive lockdown captured on a new album, Six Days In Down�. Bob Brozman is a prolific recording artist, ethnomusicologist, master of the Hawaiian slide guitar and this year was voted “Best World Guitarist” by the readers of Guitar Player�magazine." And on the seventh day . . . - The Irish Times - Wed, Oct 20, 2010 :

"WESTPORT harpist Laoise Kelly, celebrates the launch of her long-awaited second CD, ‘Ceis’ at Carrick-on-Shannon’s The Dock venue on Wednesday, October 27, where she will be accompanied by Clare fiddle player Michelle O Brien.�� And as an extra special treat, Achill tin whistle/flute player Des Cafferkey, guitarist Seamie O’Dowd and bodhran player Junior Davey will perform during the first part of the night.�� Laoise, who recently represented Ireland at the World Harp Festival in Paraguay, has pioneered her own unique style of harp playing, using a combination of techniques, by playing the thirty-four gut strung Irish harp with fingernails as opposed to finger tips. Her sheer talent and technical brilliance is very much to the fore on her new album, through her remarkable interpretations of the old and new tunes she has chosen.� ‘Ceis’ breathes a fresh lease of ife into ancient harp airs, previously unheard for centuries, alongside lively west Kerry polkas and new compositions fr...

"Jane Gilmartin and Lynn Feingold will share an evening of traditional music at Old Ship Coffeehouse off the Square at 8 p.m., on Saturday, Oct. 16. The Coffeehouse off the Square is at Old Ship Church Parish Hall, 107 Main St., Hingham. As Feingold grew up in the folk music renaissance of the 1960s, music was everywhere, but what really caught her attention were the old traditional songs and ballads of England, Ireland and Scotland. She enjoyed the singing styles of folk icons like Joan Baez, Jean Redpath and Judy Collins and was tutored by their recordings. From many sources she collected ancient ballads, tender love songs, hearty drinking songs, and songs of love lost and chances taken. Whether performing for an historical society or a coffeehouse, Feingold draws her audience into the fun with her wit, high energy and good humor. Visit songsofthecolonialdays.com for more" Hingham coffeehouse offers evening of traditional music - Hingham, Massachusetts - The Hingham Journal...

"Galway’s newest live music venue, Monroe’s will play host to a collection of the very best of Galway’s Irish music and dancing talent on Saturday, October 23. The night will be a celebration of the many popular acts which Galway has been producing and hosting over the past few years. Music at the Crossroads, Celtic Rhythm, The Hession school of Dancing, Dance of Desire, Emma Brady and more will all be coming together on one stage for the first time ever. The talent will include Connacht, All Ireland and World champion musicians and dancers. The night is organised by Irish dancer Fergal Costello who is raising €4500 to fund his involvement with The Haven Partnerships Build It week. 600 Irish people will be travelling to Haiti with the group across two weeks in October and November." Leading Irish musicians and dancers for Haiti fundraiser | Galway City Tribune | galwaynews.ie :

"Tommy Sands grew up in Ireland, but his musical influence was American folk singer Pete Seeger. 'He sang songs about real people in real situations,' he said in a phone interview from Reno, Nev., to promote his concert Friday in Lincoln. 'His songs were like a lesson, like a history lesson.' You can imagine how excited he was to meet the legend in person. 'It was in the wintertime, and I was over here touring,' he said. 'I met some friends of Pete's who were aware of how fond I was of his music.' He learned that Seeger knew about him as well. Sands, after all, had been making a name for himself as a singer, songwriter and social activist, performing the music of his native land. Sands, with his wife and two small children, met Seeger at his log cabin by the Hudson River in New York. 'He is so big,' Sands said, remembering Seeger, who is more than 6-feet tall. 'He gave us all a hug at one time. We stayed for a few days and had a grea...

"MADISON: Paul Brady will perform Sunday at Madison High School to raise money for the district's marching band and music program. Brady recently released a new album, 'Hooba Dooba,' of Irish folk and contemporary music. Brady has been honored with lifetime achievement awards from the Irish Recorded Music Association, The British Academy of Composers and Songwriters and BBC Radio 2's Folk Awards." Irish folk singer Paul Brady to perform at Madison High School | dailyrecord.com | Daily Record :

Maggie Sansone is America's premier hammered dulcimer player and recording artist. She has been featured on CBS-TV's 'Sunday Morning', NPR's 'All Things Considered', 'Performance Today', 'The Thistle and Shamrock' and Sirius/XM radio. With more than a half million recordings sold, her releases include: A Celtic Fair, Celtic Meditations, Mystic Dance, A Traveler's Dream, Dance Upon the Shore, Ancient Noels, A Scottish Christmas (Vol. 1 & 2), Mist and Stone, and Traditions." Press Release - Maggie's Music Releases Maggie Sansone's Twelfth Album, Wind Drift: Celtic Grooves, Mystic Moods :

NCT COMMUNITY NEWS, Thursday, October 7 : "SAN MARCOS ---- Master Irish flute musician Brian Finnegan and Grammy Award-winning guitarist William Coulter will perform a concert of Irish music at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 in Arts 111 at Cal State San Marcos, 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Road. Tickets cost $10 for general admission and $5 for students with ID. Parking is available on campus, with fees ranging from $3 to $9, depending upon length of stay. Call 760-750-4409."

"An Island autumn brings vigorous austerity, scrubbing away the frivolousness of summer and getting to the bones of what matters. It's a season to come to our senses and listen to small, keen music that can mean a great deal. KCT Concerts will contribute to our yearly woodsmoke-tinged ritual by bringing Irish fiddler Oisin Mac Diarmada to Katharine Cornell Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 9 at 8 pm. Mr. Mac Diarmada has been a favorite of Island audiences for nearly 10 years. His first performance in this country was on Martha's Vineyard in 2001 with the (then) newly formed band Téada, which has gone on to become one of Ireland's most successful and highly respected bands. A graduate of Trinity College Dublin, Mr. Mac Diarmada founded Ceol Productions Ltd. in 2001, which has provided management services to a number of Irish traditional artists, including Téada." KCT Concert: Oisin MacDiarmada : Music : Martha's Vineyard Times : October 7, 2010 :

whistletunes.org : Tin Whistle Tunes and Tutorials Irish Traditional Music Mp3, Video and Sheet Music Download

"Beloved in Ireland and a six-time Grammy-award winner, music group The Chieftains held a foot-stompin’, toe-tappin’, hand-clappin’ benefit concert for Haiti at the Singletary Center for the Arts on the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington on Monday night. The concert blended the best of traditional Irish music with the strains of Bluegrass and Haitian folk tunes. The concert benefitted work being done in Haiti in the wake of January’s devastating earthquake." The Chieftans, Grammy-award-winning group, perform benefit concert for Haiti during Fortnight Festival | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal :

"In literature, the figure of James Joyce casts a long shadow. That his influence also extends into music should come as no surprise, given the musicality of the language employed by the Irish writer, who was also an excellent singer and an accomplished pianist. But the creator of some of the most iconoclastic and difficult works of 20th-century fiction was surprisingly conservative in his own musical tastes. Joyce liked opera—especially Bellini—and Elizabethan lute songs. 'He was one of these creative figures who limit their experimentation to their own field,' says Leon Botstein, who on Wednesday will lead his American Symphony Orchestra in a Carnegie Hall concert that focuses on Joyce's musical universe." James Joyce, Portrait of the Artist as a Music Fan | The American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall | By Carinna da Fonseca-Wollheim - WSJ.com :

"HOMETOWN: Jamaica Plain, Mass. ALBUM: I Saw Across the Sound BAND MEMBERS: Christopher North Alspach (vocals, octave mandolin, guitar), Regina Peterson (vocals, Irish and silver flutes, reed organ, tin whistle), Evan Foudray (bass synthesizer), Dylan Clark (drums), Kate Lee (piano, vocals), Sam Potrykus (upright bass), Josh Dean (vocals) The Points North’s music is a chilling breed of traditional Celtic and New England folk—haunting harmonies, octave mandolin, Irish flute, tin whistle, minimal drums and occasional guitar." Best of What's Next: Points North

"THE GOVERNMENT'S policy on illegal downloading and protecting the rights of Irish musicians has been strongly criticised by music promoter Louis Walsh and folk musician Paul Brady. They spelt out their concerns to the Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan, who was present as a member of a panel discussion on public policy and communications as part of the Music Show in the RDS on Saturday. The discussion centred on the important part the arts and culture would play in helping Ireland's economic woes." Musicians criticise Government on downloads - The Irish Times - Mon, Oct 04, 2010 :

THE LATE Irish composer Aloys Fleischmann's contribution to traditional music in Ireland was celebrated yesterday at a music and poetry event organised by Cork City Council and University College Cork (UCC) at the Glucksman Art Gallery in the city. Last January, President Mary McAleese opened the celebrations organised by Cork City Council to mark the centenary of the birth of Fleischmann (1910-1992). He was an Irish composer, conductor, scholar, campaigner, organiser, professor of music at University College and Freeman of the City of Cork. Events commemorating him take place in the Glucksman Gallery at UCC every Sunday afternoon this month. The gallery has housed the exhibition From the Sources, which features filmed performances by 94 traditional musicians of the first 836 dance tunes and songs contained in Fleischmann's monumental work Sources of Irish Traditional Music. Perspectives: Into Sound opened yesterday with a special poetic response to From the Sources . The event...

Irish composer feted in first of month of events - The Irish Times - Mon, Oct 04, 2010 : "THE LATE Irish composer Aloys Fleischmann's contribution to traditional music in Ireland was celebrated yesterday at a music and poetry event organised by Cork City Council and University College Cork (UCC) at the Glucksman Art Gallery in the city. Last January, President Mary McAleese opened the celebrations organised by Cork City Council to mark the centenary of the birth of Fleischmann (1910-1992). He was an Irish composer, conductor, scholar, campaigner, organiser, professor of music at University College and Freeman of the City of Cork."