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  • Excitement building ahead of Fleadh - Comhaltas President - Derry Journal
    Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann
    Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
    The president of Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann has said the “warmth and friendliness” of the people of Derry will help ensure the success of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.

    Vince Jordan made the comment ahead of the international festival of traditional music, which will be held in the city in August.

    The Birmingham man joined members of the Derry branch of Comhaltas on a visit to the European Parliament recently to promote the Fleadh.

    Mr Jordan said he is looking forward to visiting Derry in the summer. “Derry is a lovely city,” he said. “The river Foyle is a focal point with the Peace Bridge as one of its many features. The historical Walls of Derry is well kept and accessible. Some of Derry’s buildings demonstrate some of our greatest architectural heritage. However, the main attraction in Derry is its friendly, warm, hospitable and helpful people,” he added.



    He also said he was impressed by the performances of the Derry musicians in Brussels.

    “On our visit we witnessed the Derry branch of Comhaltas engaging an audience of over 400 MEPs and their staff, with a concert in the Parliament building. The Derry group gave a brilliant display that was greeted well by the audience.

    “A gala concert the next day with the Chieftains was a massive success.

    All this organisation by Martina Anderson MEP and staff created a great impression of Derry, Comhaltas and Ireland,” he said.

    The Comhaltas president also said excitement is building ahead of the Fleadh.

    “I have been to many places on Comhaltas business in the past 12 months and I see and hear people gearing themselves up to be ready for the Fleadh,” he said.


    Excitement building ahead of Fleadh - Comhaltas President - Entertainment - Derry Journal:


  • Dervish Release First Studion Album in 5 Years
    Dervish
    Cover of Dervish
    “The Thrush in the Storm”.

    OUT APRIL 2013

    DERVISH release their eagerly awaited first studio album in 5 years entitled “The Thrush in the Storm” this April 2013.  The album reflects DERVISH’s dedication to Ireland’s rich music tradition and in particular to theirSligo music roots and contains many new tunes and songs with an innovative Dervish style.

    DERVISH have just completed a sell-out tour of the USfor the album’s launch.  The album had its US launch at a special function in Boston in association with the WGBH Public Broadcasting organisation in Americawhere it was hailed by fans as their best yet.  Their US Coast to Coast tour finishes in The Lincoln Theatre,University of Hartford, Connecticut.  DERVISH Launch “The Thrush in the Storm” this April in Ireland and Europe before heading to the UK for a promo tour.



    Dervish are one of the leading Irish bands on the Folk/ Roots circuit worldwide. DERVISH’s 24 year journey has taken them to thousands of venues in over 30 countries; sharing festival bills with everyone from Beck to James Brown, Oasis, Sting, REM and from Neil Young to Iron Maiden; playing tunes at the Great Wall of China, Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon and the Wailling Wall and playing to an audience of 240,000 people at the biggest rock music festival in the world “Rock in Rio.”  Their innovative approach to Irish traditional music, while remaining respectful and loyal to the tradition, has won them critical acclaim internationally as well as many industry awards.

    DERVISH’s creative input has been much in demand of late and they completed the music for the new 8 week series currently on ITV called “James Nesbit’s Ireland”;music from their new album will feature in the forthcoming Irish movie “Calvary” starring Brendan Gleeson, Chris O Dowd and Kelly Reilly. The movie is expected to be released later this year.

    Dervish recently signed a three year publishing deal with Bucks Music Publishing in London.

    DERVISH’S NEW ALBUM “The Thrush in the Storm” IN ALL GOOD RECORD STORES this April 2013.

    For further information please contact:
    Carmody Smith PR:
    Tel:  01 207 0496/ 086 1741 882
    E-mail:  aine@carmodysmithpr.com


  • Marty Lipp: Three Irish Stars Form New Neo-Trad Constellation - Huffington Post
    Kevin Crawford
    Cover of Kevin Crawford
    "In Irish music today, tradition ain't what it used to be.

    While the casual listener might think any group of musicians playing "Irish sounding" music on acoustic instruments is traditional, even those venerable veterans The Chieftains were considered revolutionaries when they first performed. Since then, there have been several generations of performers who are firmly and lovingly rooted in tradition, but who have reinvented the music, expanding the repertoire, instruments and arrangements.

    This month sees the appearance of a new constellation of neo-traditional stars in the Irish music firmament: the Teetotallers -- flute player Kevin Crawford of Lunasa; guitarist John Doyle, formerly of Solas; and fiddler Martin Hayes of the duo Hayes and Cahill.

    In a recent interview Crawford said the three began to play together at the request of a producer at a festival in California. They were all intrigued by how well the collaboration went, so began to coordinate calendars to create a tour and a yet-to-be released album."



    Marty Lipp: Three Irish Stars Form New Neo-Trad Constellation:


  • Irish music star coming to Durham
    Paul Brady
    Cover of Paul Brady
    "A MUSICIAN whose songs have been covered by Tina Turner, Cher, Cliff Richard and Ronan Keating will perform in the North-East this weekend (Sunday, April 28).

    Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Paul Brady will appear at the Gala Theatre, in Durham City, on Sunday.

    Mr Brady is often described as a musician’s musician and is considered one of Ireland’s finest singer-songwriters.

    His first album, Hard Station, was released in 1981.

    The Durham show starts at 7.30pm. Tickets are £23.50. Discounted tickets, priced £15, can be booked by quoting ‘DANCER15’ when booking.

    To book, go to the box office, call 03000-266-600 or visit galadurham.co.uk"



    Irish music star coming to Durham (From Durham Times):


  • Lúnasa's First Recording in Three Years Out on April 16th | Grateful Web
    "Ireland's premier acoustic band Lúnasa is releasing their first new recording in three years on April 16, the much-anticipated new album, LÚNASA WITH THE RTÉ CONCERT ORCHESTRA, on Lúnasa Records via City Hall Distributors (in the U.S.). LÚNASA WITH THE RTÉ CONCERT ORCHESTRA is a musical collaboration that marks a true first for the all-star Irish traditional band and the world-renowned national orchestra of Ireland. It is also available digitally from iTunes and other digital outlets."
    Lúnasa's First Recording in Three Years Out on April 16th | Grateful Web:


  • Irish musicians mourn pianist Felix Dolan of Scarsdale | The Journal News

    SCARSDALE — Felix Dolan spent the last decades of his life revolutionizing piano backup for Irish traditional music.

    The 76-year-old retired IBM executive and longtime Scarsdale resident died Tuesday at home surrounded by his family.

    Within minutes of announcement of his death, members of the international community that plays Irish traditional music were on Facebook and other social media sites, mourning his passing.

    “Tonight the internet is on overdrive as people pay homage to Felix Dolan, a truly great man and a gentleman,” Sligo fiddler and Westchester County Assistant District Attorney Brian Conway wrote on his Facebook page . “I have been consumed by thoughts of Felix, over the last few weeks in particular, and I always come back to that wonderful warm smile that greeted everyone who came in contact with Felix.”



    Conway and Dolan played together on a regular basis at Dunne’s pub in White Plains. Dolan’s distinctive piano vamping set the pace for Conway and the musicians who joined him.

    “Felix Dolan: the keyboard is silent,” is how the news was announced on thesession.org, a forum dedicated to Irish music.

    “Felix was the consummate gentleman with the broadest smile and most positive outlook,” said Tim Quinn, president of the Fairfield, Conn.-based Shamrock Traditional Irish Music Society, which helped support some of the workshops and CD’s that featured Dolan. “In the Traditional Irish Music world he was second to none, hundreds of albums and CD’s include his brilliant playing … he shall be sorely missed!”

    The Bronx-born Dolan attended Catholic schools through high school and, at one time, contemplated becoming a teaching brother. Instead, he opted for a family life, marrying Joan Lynch in 1959.

    Dolan received a bachelor's degree in economics from St. John’s University and a master’s in computers from Pratt Institute.

    He worked for IBM from 1963 until his retirement in 1996. He began as a computer programmer in the research department and became involved in early computer and information security.

    In 1981, he and his wife and four children were sent to Paris for the company. Back in the United States in 1984, he continued in management and was IBM's director of information security when he retired.

    Survivors include his wife; four children, Phelin, Siobhan, Brendan and Dierdre; and seven grandchildren.

    The wake will be held 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the Edwin L. Bennett Funeral Home in Scarsdale. A funeral Mass is set for 11 a.m. Friday at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Scarsdale.


    Irish musicians mourn pianist Felix Dolan of Scarsdale | The Journal News | LoHud.com | lohud.com:


  • NPU presents Bryan Duggan – How TUNEPAL Works
    Image representing iPhone as depicted in Crunc...
    Image via CrunchBase
    A series of talks and live performances on the third Friday of every month
    Bryan Duggan – How TUNEPAL Works
    15 Henrietta Street, Dublin 1
    Friday 19th April 2013, 8.30pm

    Dr. Bryan Duggan will present April’s ‘Notes & Narratives’. A lecturer in the School of Computing in DIT and an accomplished flute player, Duggan is the author of TUNEPAL, a search engine app for traditional Irish music. TUNEPAL allows a player to search for tunes either by title or playing and also has options for editing and saving tunes. TUNEPAL is available for iPhone, iPad, Android and at tunepal.org.



    Notes and Narratives provides a unique opportunity for musicians, singers and dancers to showcase valuable researched material in an engaging and entertaining format.

    The series, which takes place at NPU’s restored Georgian headquarters at 15 Henrietta St, will appeal to the general public, and especially to students, enthusiasts and fellow practitioners of the traditional arts keen to enhance their overall appreciation of music, song and dance.

    Lectures/performances run for up to 45 minutes followed by an open discussion to provide the audience with an opportunity to engage with the performers.

    The aim of the series is to strengthen the legacy of Na Píobairí Uilleann’s founding members Breandán Breathnach and Seán Reid by helping to support and encourage research into the traditional arts. All material presented will be housed in NPU’s archive.

    Na Píobairí Uilleann is supported by The Arts Council and Dublin City Council
    Admission €10 (Consession €5)
    Contact Details: Na Píobairí Uilleann, 15 Henrietta St., Dublin 1, Ireland
    Tel. +353-1-8730093 email. info@pipers.ie
    www.pipers.ie


  • TG4 WANTS TO TEACH DONEGAL PEOPLE HOW TO PLAY MUSIC! - Donegal Daily

    Imagine an Ireland where everyone in the country has the chance to learn to play a musical instrument, from the fiddle to the guitar, the drums or even the saxophone.

    This is the driving ambition of Glaoch An Cheoil, a brand new series for TG4 produced by Mind the Gap Films.

    The show aims to unite unused or discarded musical instruments with people who have always wanted to learn to play, but never had the opportunity. We are establishing 4 music hubs (one in each of the 4 provinces) – our Ulster centre will be in An Crannóg in Gaoth Dobhair, Co. Donegal!

    You can join our crusade in two ways:

    Donate/loan an instrument or Sign up for free music lessons!

    Do you have an old musical instrument lying under a bed, in the attic or shed, gathering dust in a corner? Perhaps it was bought with the best intentions but never played. Maybe it was handed down from a parent, grandparent or friend but hasn’t been used in years. Would you like to see this instrument being enjoyed by someone who has always yearned to play but never had the chance? Then please join our Amnesty for Instruments.



    Or have you always felt that you have music in your soul? Have you longed to learn to play but never had the opportunity? Or did you once play an instrument and wish you’d kept it up? Maybe you play one instrument but would like to learn another? Then sign up for free lessons on one of our Amnesty days! (Lessons available to people aged 16+)

    The Amnesty will start in Gaoth Dobhair on Saturday 27th April from 11am – 3pm

    For those who bring an instrument we will have our assessor on hand to decide if it can still have a useful life and if needed, we will restore it for you. We appreciate that some instruments will have both a monetary and a sentimental value – we will guarantee that all instruments are fully insured while in the loan bank and, if loaned, will be returned to their owners in better shape than when they were loaned.

    For those who want to learn come and tell us your story and what musical genre you’re most interested in, be it trad, rock, classical, or pop. We will pair you up with an instrument from our Glaoch an Cheoil loan bank and introduce you to a tutor to get you on the road to being a fully-fledged musician.

    Each of our 4 centres will have a well-known and respected musician to act as a mentor, inspiring the community to get involved. The mentor for Gaoth Dobhair is renowned fiddle player Liz Doherty. Liz will also encourage those who are learning to play and make sure they are putting in the time and dedication required to master their chosen instrument.

    This is an opportunity to give someone else the gift of music. An opportunity to have a musical instrument brought back to life. An opportunity to pass on a tradition that is an integral part of our colourful heritage.

    For more information or to register your interest in loaning an instrument please go to our website www.glaochancheoil.ie, or email info@glaochancheoil.ie or call 0818 222 070

    Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/glaochancheoil

    Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/glaochancheoil

    http://www.donegaldaily.com/2013/04/09/tg4-wants-to-teach-donegal-people-how-to-play-music/



  • Musical Tales 2013
    Hamilton Harty
    Cover of Hamilton Harty

    CMC presents a series of concerts in Dublin city libraries during April as part of the One City One Book initiative.

    Funded by the Dublin City Council Arts Office Arts Grants 2012 and supported by the Dublin City Council Library Development Office, the concerts on 24 and 25 April 2013 will be presented and curated by composer Benjamin Dwyer and will feature performers Royal Irish Academy of Music Miriam Kaczor (flute), Evelina Ndlova (electric piano) and Margaret Bridge (choral conductor with a choir of eight singers).

    The programme celebrates James Plunkett’s Strumpet City as the chosen book for the One City One Book 2013, and to mark the influence of Dublin City, which is at the heart of Plunkett’s novel, on Irish composers. Composers featured include John Buckley, Hamilton Harty, Michael Holohan, Donal Sarsfield and Vincent Kennedy.



    Harty’s In Ireland (1918) was written in the same decade as the Dublin lockouts and reflects a flavour of the music written at this time. Michael Holohan celebrates his city with two works specially adapted for these concerts. Vincent Kennedy, who recently completed an orchestral work Dublin – An Overture to my City, has composed a new piece for these concerts entitled s-Trumpet City, which he will perform. Also featured are versions of popular tunes by John Buckley and Donal Sarsfield.

    The concerts take place between 1pm and 2pm in the Central Library (Ilac Centre) on 24 April, and Rathmines Library on 25 April. Admission is free. Further information from Karen Hennessy, khennessy@cmc.ie.

    Performers

    Miriam Kaczor (flute, piccolo), Evelina Ndlova (electric piano), Vincent Kennedy (trumpet), Margaret Bridge (choral conductor), Robyn Richardson, Sarah McCourt, Zosia Kucyńska, Heather Fogarty, Richard Bridge, Richard Shaffrey, Robbie Blake, Pascal Kennedy

    Programme

    Hamilton Harty In Ireland (1918) flute, piano 12’

    John Buckley Two Jigs (2010) flute, piano 5’

    Michael Holohan The Street Cries of Dublin (1987) SATB 6’

    Michael Holohan All in All in SA flute, piano

    Donal Sarsfield The Rocky Road to Dublin (2005) SATB 5’

    Vincent Kennedy s-Trumpet City (2013) SATB flute, piccolo, piano 7’

    All concerts are FREE admission but booking is essential.
    Please contact the relevant library to book.

    1pm – 2pm, Wednesday, 24 April

    Central Library – Music Library Dublin 1

    T | 01 873 4333 E | musiclibrary@dublincity.ie

    1pm – 2pm, Thursday, 25 April

    Rathmines Library, Dublin

    T | 01 497 3539 E | rathmineslibrary@dublincity.ie