www.blas.ie

The Irish World Academy’s twelfth annual Blas Summer School of Irish Traditional Music and Dance takes place from June 23rd to July 4th. With its continuing commitment to providing tuition from the very best-known Irish traditional musicians, singers and dancers, Blas continues to attract students from all over the world, as well as from Ireland. The renowned music school held a competition on RTE Radio One’s Tubridy Show the week we went to press with this issue. Listeners were invited to compete for two scholarships to attend the two-week residential summer school.
Carl Corcoran, Director of Blas and dancer, Colin Dunne one of the principal Blas tutors were interviewed on the show.

www.celticfusion.co.uk

Castlewellan’s Celtic Fusion Award celebrates the achievements of individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to their chosen art form. In its inaugural year the award was given to Tommy Sands. Last year ‘The Godfather’ of Irish Music, Tommy Makem, was presented with the award, recognising a lifetime of musical achievement, a mere month before he lost his battle with cancer. This year the award will again honour a significant contribution to traditional music with the presentation taking place to the Vallely Brothers at their concert with Karan Casey at the Lodge Cultural Centre, Castlewellan on July 16th.

Pavilion Theatre presents tradition:DL
www.paviliontheatre.ie

Paddy Glackin
Tony Mac Mahon, David Power & Dermot Bolger in ‘The Frost is All Over’
Julie Fowlis & Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh
Spiers & Boden
Michelle Mulcahy with John Blake

Pavilion Theatre & THE GastroPUB Company
Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire
Friday 1st – Sunday 3rd August 2008
Tickets: €20/18
Festival ticket €50/44
Gastropub sessions: free admission
Booking: 01 – 2312929 www.paviliontheatre.ie
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www.lunasa.ie

Top traditional band Lúnasa have recently finished their seventh and eighth
visits to Leitrim as part of the successful traditional music residency as
part of Leitrim County Council’s Arts Strategy.

The 18 month residency consisted of a number of visits to different areas
in Leitrim; meeting local musicians, learning Leitrim tunes, working with
young musicians in composing new tunes and spending time in different
community settings. In 2007 they spent time in the Carrick on Shannon
area, Rossinver/Kiltyclogher, Manorhamilton, Ballinamore and Drumkeerin /
Tarmon and so far this year they’ve visited Carrigallen/ Aughavas,
Dromahair, and their final visit of the residency took place in Drumshanbo
in mid May.

The residency will end with a recording of a selection of Leitrim musicians
they met along the way, with members of Lunasa as guests on the album.

For more information on the residency see
http://www.leitrimcoco.ie/Departments/Arts/Lúnasa or http://www.lunasa.ie
or telephone Leitrim County Council Arts Office on 071 9621694

ALBUM ‘LIVE’ AVAILABLE FROM JUNE 10th
www.compassrecords.com

Lau (sounds like cow) is a formidable union of three of the finest and most innovative exponents of modern traditional music: Kris Drever (guitar and vocal), Martin Green (piano accordion) and Aidan O’Rourke (fiddle). Together, their explosive live performances have been generating a major buzz around the UK folk circuit that has now become a world-wide party. The summer of 2007 saw them take festivals by storm across Europe and North-America; the Fall to Japan and Cape Breton. They kicked off 2008 at the BBC Folk Awards where they gave what was widely regarded as the performance of the night, went on to win BEST GROUP award and Bob Hoskins was last seen bowing down to the band proclaiming “I am not worthy!”
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www.colemanirishmusic.com

Ceoláras Coleman, Gurteen, Co. Sligo has a sparkling programme of Irish traditional music, concerts and events arranged for the coming months. The one hundred and twenty seat theatre in the centre lends itself to the full enjoyment of concerts with sound and atmosphere second to none.
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June 30th – July 4th, 2008
www.colemanbodhran.com

The Coleman Country Bodhrán School was established in 2006 by Andrew ‘Junior’ Davey from Gurteen in South Sligo.He is a five times All Ireland Bodhrán Champion and celebrates and preserves the wonderful bodhrán tradition of his area.

The Coleman Country is the area of South Sligo, North Roscommon and North-East Mayo which contains the village Killavil, close to which legendary fiddler Michael Coleman (1891-1946) was born.
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June 15th - 22nd, 2008
www.galwaysessions.com

The Galway Sessions Festival Programme will be launched in the Crane Bar, Sea Road, Galway by VFI President and Udaras member Val Hanley on Friday May 30 at 6 p.m.

Now in its sixth year the Galway Sessions is an annual week-long event (June 15th – 22nd) with an expansive programme featuring concerts, folk-club gigs, open-air events, and a fun, music packed session trail.

The festival will host over 100 events throughout the ‘City of the Tribes’ including big stage concerts at the Salthill Hotel, Roisin Dubh and Black Box Theatre, the very popular folk club gigs at the Listener’s Club in the Crane Bar, set dancing and ceilidhe in the expanse of Monroe’s Tavern and the Black Box and the Western Hotel. Great Sessions will take place throughout the week in well known watering holes such as Taaffees, Tigh Coilis, the ‘piano bar’ in Tigh Neachtain, Murty Rabbittes, Arus na nGael, Massimo’s and many other venues.
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7 years and still growing!
www.johnnykeenan.com

This September will mark the 7th annual Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival, and each year the event grows and further explores its musical roots. Taking over Longford town each year, the Banjo Festival brings together musicians and fans from around the globe to experience four days and nights of indoor and outdoor concerts, street & pub sessions, jams, and extensive workshops.
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September 3rd - 7th, 2008
www.gignthebann.com

In the heart of Co. Antrim nestled between the major towns of Ballymena and Magherafelt lies the village of Portglenone. The village rests along the banks of the River Bann, which has been immortalised by countless artists and writers down through the years.

It is here in this idyllic setting that the 9th “Gig’n The Bann” Cross Community Music and Dance Festival will take place from the 3rd–7th September 2008. This festival has become one of the major events on the Summer Festival Calendar having built a reputation for offering a most impressive line-up of top performers spanning Traditional, Scottish and Folk Music circles.

The ethos of the festival is to bring together musical traditions across all cultural divides and the direction pursued in recent years has been to incorporate the Ulster Scots tradition alongside Traditional Irish music. This has greatly enhanced audience participation in a diverse range of events. It has also meant that people from different sides of the community have become exposed to music, song and dance that they may not have been familiar with before.

The Festival programme for 2008 will again include the usual mix of Concerts, featuring artists such as The red Hot Chilli Pipers and Teada.Traditional Music Sessions with some of Irelands finest musicians, musical cruises along the River Bann, a family fun day and the Bard N` The Bann competition which features local writers in an evening of humorous verse.
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