Irish Trad Music Blog

(Photo credit: candyschwartz ) Belfast–born uilleann piper, John McSherry and Detroit natives, Tyler Duncan and Michael Shimmin have been dreaming of The Olllam for the last decade. With a name inspired by the ancient Irish king’s own ollam bards of lore, the trio wanted an ensemble that naturally represented their combined experiences with a multiplicity of styles. McSherry, one of the best uilleann pipers in the world and a founding member of legendary Irish group Lúnasa, has been dubbed “a true master” by Irish Music Magazine and is well–known for his current work with his group At First Light as well as his ‘90’s stint with Donal Lunny’s Coolfin. Duncan and Shimmin have also been busy in the United States performing and recording with their award–winning Irish–jazz crossover group Millish with Duncan doing double–duty in the dance–rock group My Dear Disco/Ella Riot. It seemed that the right moment for collaboration between the three musicians would never present itself.

Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The 40th Annual Scoil Éigse organised by Comhaltas takes place in Cavan Town, August 12th to 17th, the week preceding Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. At Scoil Éigse – CCÉ’s annual international Summer School students of all ages register for the various instrumental music, singing, dancing and Irish language classes. Scoil Éigse (meaning a learning experience focused on cultural discussion and participation) implies, this annual event, preceding Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, provides a broad-based cultural educational experience for students, their families, other visitors and the general public. Daily classes are central to the week’s purpose – students are placed in appropriately graded instrumental music classes (fiddle, flute, whistle, button-accordion, concertina, banjo, harp, uilleann-pipes and piano-accompaniment), traditional singing and amhránaíocht classes, dancing (set, sean-nós and céilí dancing) and conversational Irish classe...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Have you noticed how many people in Massachusetts have freckles? That’s because we’re the most Irish state in America, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with nearly 24% of all state residents claiming Irish ancestry. You’ll find many of us  – with or without freckles – at this year’s Boston Irish Festival, taking place June 8-10, at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton, about 10 miles from Boston. And everyone’s welcome, you don’t have to be Irish! Now in its 22nd year, the festival takes place on the spacious 46-acre grounds of the Centre, tucked away off Route 138, not far from the interstate highways. It boasts state-of-the-art athletic fields, walking trails, a children’s play area, and an authentic Irish cottage built by craftsmen to traditional specifications – thatched roof and all. The festival’s main draw, of course, is great Irish music, on fiddles, accordions, pipes, flutes and guitars, taking place on various stages throughout the fest...

Cover of John Spillane John Spillane - musician, songwriter, recording artist, storyteller, poet and self-confessed dreamer – is chatting from his home town of Passage West in Co Cork. It’s a place that’s now enshrined in musical history as the title of one of his hit records. When asked to write a song about this small town outside Cork city, he produced what must be regarded as a modern day classic in the Irish song tradition. The simply named Passage West is a beautiful love song with a haunting refrain, which cleverly interweaves poignant images of the famine years and the emigration theme omnipresent in Ireland’s history. It’s just one of many gems in the John Spillane hit factory. Others include comical, anthemic yarns Johnny Don’t Go To Ballincollig and Dunnes Stores Girl, the wistful Hey Dreamer, songs of love and hope A Rock to Cling To and Love is King.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) MÁIRE MHAC an tSaoi, one of the most significant Irish poets of the 20th century, and the most important living poet working as Gaeilge, will be celebrated in NUI Galway. NUIG will host The Miracle of the Parish: Máire Mhac an tSaoi Symposium on Wednesday May 23 from 9am in the university’s Moore Institute. Along with Máirtín Ó Direáin and Seán Ó Ríordáin, Máire Mhac an tSaoi revolutionised the practice of poetry in Irish in the 1940s and 1950s and paved the way for a new generation of women poets, working as Gaeilge agus as Bearla in the 1970s and 1980s. Máire Mhac an tSaoi also gave voice to the intimate and subversive aspects of women’s experience in poems that challenged the moral orthodoxies of the time.

The Round Tower at Drumcliffe, County Sligo. An original photo taken by me in June 2006. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The Contemporary Music Centre presents an outdoor music trail in partnership with Music in Drumcliffe in the grounds of St. Columba’s Church and its environs throughout the Music in Drumcliffe Festival, 11am – 7pm, 5 – 7 May 2012. The trail celebrates the rich connections between W.B.Yeats and Irish composers specifically, whilst also highlighting the many associations between Irish music and Irish literature. The Trail consists of three outdoor listening posts featuring a total of four works by Irish composers: Brian Boydell, Rhona Clarke and Donnacha Dennehy; Brian Boydell’s Four Yeats Poems; Rhona Clarke’s Tread Softly and Five Songs; and Donnacha Denney’s That the Night Come. A walk and talk of the New Music Literary Trail led by Irish composer Benjamin Dwyer will take place 1.30pm, 6 May. Admission is free to both the trail itself and participation on the Walk and ...

Quebec City (Photo credit: Wikipedia )  "Irish Heritage Quebec hosted a conference given by Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin on the influence of Irish traditional music in Quebec and the rest of Canada. Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin, an expert on Irish traditional music, sketched the history behind the waves of Irish immigration to the Maritime Provinces, Quebec and points west through the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. He spoke of the establishment of Gaelic speaking pockets in Canada and of the enduring Irish traditional dance and music these communities brought with them. With audio extracts and playing his own concertina, he demonstrated how these rhythmic patterns persevere in the traditional music of Quebec, the Metis and among Canadians of Irish ethnicity today. About sixty people were in attendance at McMahon Hall, 1145 de Salaberry. Professor Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin lectured at the University of San Francisco and currently holds the Johnson Chair in Quebec and Canadian Irish Studies a...

Image via Wikipedia I am not sure what made 2011 such a prolific and significant year for books being published on Irish traditional music, but there have been several more that I thought were worthy of recommending to those with a serious bent on the music. At this time of year they do make wonderful gifts for those on your list. While they appear expensive and not likely to be found discounted at Amazon.com, they will be appreciated for many years to come and provide valuable and authoritative insights into Irish music. It has been 12 years since Armagh native and musician/journalist Fintan Vallely published his first Companion to Irish Tradition Music in 1999 which in 478 pages attempted to provide a comprehensive guide to traditional Irish music and musicians. It was an ambitious and successful effort, but there were some criticism that it wasn’t comprehensive enough and there was demand over the years for a revised edition. Vallely undertook the challenge and engaged a num...

"This weekend offers Reno audiences the extraordinary chance to see — or more accurately, experience — the legendary Irish dance performance, “Riverdance.” After its debut in Dublin 1994, “Riverdance” became a popular sensation, made Michael “Lord of the Dance” Flatley a household world, spurred a revival of Irish pride and encouraged countless boys and girls to learn traditional Irish dance. Within minutes after the curtains rose at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts on Friday night, any doubters in the audience likely were convinced: “Riverdance” lives up to its hype." Review: 'Riverdance' lives up to its hype in its Reno performance | Reno Gazette-Journal | rgj.com : Related articles Review: Riverdance opens in Regina (irishbodhran.blogspot.com) High-energy entertainment (irishtradmusic.blogspot.com)

"Designed by the North American Feis Commission to reward the hard work of young musicians and foster interest in performing at feiseanna, the inaugural Music Award Competition for the under 15 age group took place on May 7, 2011. The event was held at the Westin Atlanta North at Perimeter in conjunction with the 21st Annual Peach State Feis, hosted by the Peach State Feis Inc. Helen Gannon, Director of St. Louis Irish Arts Incorporated and Chairperson of the Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann North America, oversaw the competition on behalf of the North American Feis Commission. Gannon explained that each competitor would play two tunes twice over with an 8-bar introduction. A dancer selected by the feis committee would dance two steps (32 bars), and begin dancing immediately following the 8-bar introduction. The candidate would continue to play until the tune had been completed twice over." North American Feis Commission awards music scholarship | Irish Entertainment Around ...

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...

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 via Wikipedia Irish Band Dervish To Broadcast Pub Session 10/8 2010/08/17 : "Imagine the west of Ireland and the warmth of an Irish pub . In the corner, the hypnotic pulse of a traditional Irish music session, drawing you in as the turf fires crackle and the pints are downed late into the night. The music, constantly surging and moving, until at last, the entire pub is enveloped, moving and toe tapping to every note. For many, that image is but a fond memory of a visit toIreland, one which you'd love to revive, but which gradually fades, and will be fuelled again only by your next visit to Irish shores. But now, you can again get a taste for the best in traditional Irish music, this time, without leaving the comfort of your own home. Dervish, one of Ireland's greatest traditional Irish music bands, will play material from their extensive back catalogue, compiled over the past 21 years, popular session tunes Reels and Jigs played in their own unique way."

Image via Wikipedia "'Where's the craic ?' is a common Irish phrase, roughly translated as 'Where's the fun and good conversation?'� Minnesotans found it this weekend at the 32nd Annual Irish Fair of Minnesota. Located on Harriet Island, the fair overflowed with entertainment and good times. Large crowds flocked to watch Irish dancers such as the Saint Paul -based Rince na Chroi (Rink-a na Cree) dancers (equipped with the massive curly wigs), accompanied by the Two Tap Trio. Eager to dance themselves, some fairgoers tried their feet at set dancing and ceili (kay-lee) dancing." St. Paul has "the Craic" at Irish Fest | Twin Cities Daily Planet :

Image via Wikipedia "THE SOUND of traffic on Cavan ’s narrow streets was replaced by music yesterday as the 60th annual Fleadh Cheoil na h�ireann got under way. An anticipated quarter of a million lovers of traditional music and song have begun flocking to the town for the event, which runs for the rest of the week. The fleadh, last held in Cavan in 1954, is an internationally recognised traditional Irish cultural event which also showcases traditional music, concerts, c�ilithe, parades, pageants, pub and street music sessions. Apart from the event itself, 800 participants are attending Scoil �igse, a major summer college of Irish traditional music and dance which is also being hosted in Cavan by the fleadh organisers, Comhaltas Ceolt�ir� �ireann."

Image via Wikipedia An Introduction to Irish Music Powerpoint presentation, giving a brief introduction to Irish music. This presentation was used as the basis for a lecture given by Tradschool in late 2009. An introduction to Irish Traditional Music. - The Music - Transmission of Irish music - Social and cultural context of Irish Music - Tradition vs. Innovation

JOE BREEN, Irish Times http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2010/0322/1224266807175.html?via=mr Both his native Donegal and American country music course through Kevin Doherty’s memorable caustic lines, built on melodies of elegant intensity A FRAMED VINTAGE broadsheet poster of Donegal’s attractions sits on the wall of his Dublin home, while on the floor rests a vinyl copy of a Carter Family recording. Kevin Doherty doesn’t have far to go for inspiration when his well runs dry. Both his native county and American country music course through his wonderfully imaginative and compelling songs, including the 12 tracks that comprise his latest project, Telegraph . Strictly speaking this is not a solo album but a collaboration between a number of leading Irish musicians, including guitarist Conor Brady and pianist James Delaney, who fly under the flag of Telegraph . But Doherty writes all the songs, sings and produces and, in the way of many independent artists, he also markets it b...

A high school in rural Ireland will soon have a direct, high-speed, high-definition video link to researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, allowing students to look through Tech’s million-dollar electron microscope and take classes from top scientists. “For our students to be able to interact directly with researchers in Georgia, remotely control technology such as telescopes and powerful microscopes will be hugely exciting and motivational for our students and teachers,” Joe Varley, a science teacher at Killina Secondary School, 10 miles from Tullamore, Ireland, told GlobalAtlanta in an e-mail interview. Classes with Tech researchers via video will start in January, said Jeff Evans, deputy director and principal research engineer with the Georgia Tech Research Institute. Tech is offering the classes through a program called Direct to Discovery. Tech currently offers the program in about 90 Georgia school systems. Killina will be the first overseas school to part...

Co. Dublin, Ireland — 22 Aug. 2009 — Supported by a generous grant from the Arts Council of Ireland, the innovative Irish early music ensemble eX, under the artistic direction of Eric Fraad and Caitríona O’Leary, presents a series of two adventurous original premier productions and two master classes which are open to the public including Shipwrecked, an Adventurous Renaissance Cabaret Oratorio and Motion of the Heart an Occult Mannerist Masque Irish Early Music Ensemble eX to Present Two Spectacular Original World Premiere Productions Including Shipwrecked, an Adventurous Renaissance Cabaret Oratorio and Motion of the Heart an Occult Mannerist Masque Supported by a generous grant from the Arts Council of Ireland, the innovative Irish early music ensemble eX, under the artistic direction of Eric Fraad and Caitríona O’Leary, presents a series of two adventurous original premier productions and two master classes which are open to the public. The series commences on Sunday 20th September...

From Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Clonmel 2004, a session of reels led by the well-known McKeown family from Dublin. Uilleann piper Gabriel McKeown and his wife Mary (then on piano) were members of the Pipers' Club Céilí Band who were the All-Ireland champions in 1975 and 1976.