www.sligolive.ie

Presents

Ensemble Ériu

5.30pm - Sun. 25th Oct. 2015 – The Model, Sligo

Ireland’s Folk, Roots & Indie Festival enters a second decade of quality music on the Wild Atlantic Way
21st – 26th October 2015

Described by the critics as something very special, SLIGO LIVE is delighted to present a very unique music experience performed by some of Ireland’s very talented young musicians from a range of backgrounds including traditional, jazz and classical. Ensemble Ériu live at The Model, Sligo on Sunday, 25th October 2015 @ 5.30pm.  Tickets are on sale from The Model
Ensemble Ériu are a septet led by Jack Talty and Neil O’Loghlen who draw on a wealth of creative sources to perform arrangements of Irish traditional music rooted in the styles of West and North County Clare. The group brings together a chamber ensemble of some of Ireland’s most exciting young musicians from a range of performance backgrounds including traditional, jazz and classical.  The result is a unique combination of the fresh and familiar, a soundscape that is creatively progressive, yet rooted in tradition.   Ensemble Eriu have been awarded a TV4 Gadam Cheoil award 2015 for excellence in musical collaboration and when you take a brief look at what these members have achieved it’s easy to see why:
Neil O’Loghlen - Double bass, flute and tin whistle.  Neil blends Irish traditional music and improvisation in a personal way.   He received the Pat and J. Sherrold Moore scholarship to attend the Banff International workshop in jazz and creative music.  He performs regularly with leading Irish jazz musicians including Louis Steward, Myles Drennan, Michael Buckley and Mike Nielsen.
Jack Talty – Concertina and electronics.   Concertina and piano player Jack Talty has numerous awards to his name including the Sean O’Riada Memorial Prize, the Mary V. Hart Memorial Prize, a Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann U.C.C. scholarship award, and a Societies Guild Bene Merenti Award to name just a few.  He has toured extensively in Europe, North America and Australia, and has contributed to over 30 albums to date as a musician, engineer, composer, producer and arranger.
Matthew Jacobson – Drums.  John Fordham from The Guardian described Matthew as “a European jazz artist of growing charisma” while The Irish Times said “one of Ireland’s most exciting new talents”.  He was awarded scholarships to study at both the School of Improvisational Music in New York and Berkelee College of Music in Boston, and received a bursary from the Irish Arts Council to spend six weeks in Chennai, South India studying the region’s traditional Carnatic music.  He performs with and composes for numerous musicians.  He has worked with leading creative music specialists and received a Fullbright Scholar Award in performing Arts to spend a nine-month period in New York developing compositional and improvisational skills.
Matthew Berril – Clarinet.  Matthew graduated with a Masters Degree in Music Performance under John Ruocco at the Royal Conservatoire, Den Haag, The Netherlands. He has played on many European stages as well as his home country of Ireland.   He was awarded a place in the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Cretive Music in Canada and won the ‘Grand Prix’ in the Tremplin Jazz Competiton in France.  He continues to play traditional Irish music on the guitar and violin.
Maeve O’Hara – Marimba.  Maeve holds a BA in Music Performance from The Royal Irish Academy of Music.  She has performed with many orchestras, including RTE National Symphony Orchestra and RTE Concert Orchestra. She was a member, and assistant conductor, of the RIAM Percussion Ensemble performing throughout Ireland and New York.  Maeve has given many performances throughout Europe and China.
Jeremy Spencer – Fiddle.  Jeremy has performed and recorded with various artists both in Ireland and around the world.  Folk World described him as “Jeremy Spencer shines on the fiddle.  He has a sure touch on the faster numbers, and his playing of the slow air ‘The Poor Distressed Soldier’ is pure and sweet”.
Paddy Groenland – Guitar.  Paddy studied Classical music in Maynooth and jazz guitar in Belgium.  He then studied at the Berklee College of Music, Boston on a Fullbright Scholarship.  He has toured with many artists and in 2013 appeared with Clare Memory Orchestra performing Dave Flynn’s Clare Suite in Glor with legendary fiddler Martin Hayes.
Sligo is the spiritual home of poet, W.B. Yeats, and in conjunction with Yeats 2015, SLIGO LIVE 2015 has a Yeatsian theme running through the programme.  Ensemble Ériu, have written a Yeats piece which they will perform at this year’s SLIGO LIVE.
Music lovers have been enjoying fantastic music from Sligo Live on the stunning Wild Atlantic Way for the past 11 years. The festival, which focuses on folk, roots and indie music, produces over 80 performances, all indoor, over 6 days throughout the October Bank Holiday Weekend.
The line-up at SLIGO LIVE  includes RUFUS WAINWRIGHT,  THE WATERBOYS, JOOLS HOLLAND and HIS 21 PIECE RHYTHM & BLUES ORCHESTRA, RALPH McTELL, ALTAN, Michael Rooney, Ensemble Ériu,  PAULINE BLACK & GAPS HENDRICKSON from The Selecter, The Whileaways, The Jimmy Cake,  and many more to be announced.  Add the dynamic Sligo Sessions, the Arrivals emerging artists strand, Festival Club, Food Trail, Festival Fringe and Sligo’s stunning setting on the Wild Atlantic Way and you have the perfect place for an autumn break.
Tickets are available from www.sligolive.ie and www.Ticketmaster.ie, all Ticketmaster outlets and Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo (071 916 1518). A very limited number of great value weekend tickets which include seats at all Sligo Live 2015 performances: including Rufus Wainwright, The Waterboys and Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, plus 80 performances over 6 days are also on sale for €136.00.   Now that’s a festival not to be missed.
Sligo Live Festival is a not-for-profit festival and has the support of investment from its public and private partners.  It is made possible by this community effort and input from the host of volunteers you will meet as you go from event to event.

For festival details and regular announcements log onto: www.sligolive.ie, follow us on Twitter @sligolive or like our Sligo Live Festival Facebook page www.facebook.com/SligoLiveFestival.