glór Arts Centre in Ennis is delighted to announce a new traditional music strand for this Autumn in Ennis, County Clare.
In a county heaving with traditional musicians, glór has teamed up with Paula Carroll of the traditional music strand The West Wind on Clare FM to curate ‘Words and Music’, a new series of concerts focusing on the stories around the music as well as the music itself.
Words and Music takes place in glór studio once a fortnight starting Thurs 17 Oct and runs until Thurs 12 Dec, at 8.30pm.
This intimate series of traditional music concerts brings together some really interesting pairings of musicians at work in and around Co. Clare today, and showcases the high calibre of traditional music performance in the county.
‘Co. Clare is an amazing place for traditional music. At times it seems like all you have to do is throw a stone and you’ll hit a musician!’, says series producer Paula Carroll. ‘There’s a huge musical energy in the place, with music sessions every night of the week and festivals every few weeks, it seems. Yet with all this session activity it can still be difficult to find a calm space where great music is presented in a curated yet informal atmosphere. The opportunity to hear stories and reminiscences around the music is also dwindling. But that is exactly what Words and Music will be attempting to do’, Carroll continues.
‘The series leaves space around the music for a story, a joke or a small insight into the quirky mind of the traditional artist! We’ll also be bringing together musicians you wouldn’t normally have a chance to hear together outside of a session,’ she concludes.
Concert guests:
| Joan Hanrahan and Joe Carey | Thurs 17 Oct, 8.30pm |
| Máire ní Ghráda and Conal Ó Gráda | Wed 30 Oct, 8.30pm |
| Jackie Daly and Eileen O’ Brien | Thurs 14 Nov, 8.30pm |
| Andrew MacNamara and Mark Donnellan | Thurs 28 Nov, 8.30pm |
| Charlie Piggott and Eugene Lambe | Thurs 12 Dec, 8.30pm |
About the musicians:
Joan Hanrahan is a well-known fiddler, broadcaster and music educator from Lissycasey in Co. Clare. Joe Carey is a popular accordion player, singer and raconteur from Geesala, Co. Mayo, who visits Clare and collaborates regularly with Clare musicians.
Piper Máire ní Ghráda born in Cork, living in Clare, grew up at a time when being a woman piper was an unusual thing. Mother of Clare hurler Darach Honan, for this concert she teams up with her brother Conal Ó Gráda, well-known fluteplayer and member of The Raw Bar Collective.
Jackie Daly, accordion-player from North Cork, has long been synonymous with Sliabh Luachra music. His long years of residency in Miltown Malbay have brought him into musical partnership with fiddler and singer Eileen O’ Brien (daughter of iconic trad composer Paddy O’ Brien).
Mark Donnellan is the leader of the Tulla Céilí Band. One of the most highly regarded though under-the-radar fiddlers in the county, he shares a deep musical heritage with Tulla native and accordion player Andrew MacNamara. Andrew is a nephew of accordion-player and TV producer Tony MacMahon.
Piper, pipe-maker, whistle-player and music collector Eugene Lambe lived for many years in Fanore, North Clare. Accordion player and music–writer Charlie Piggott (ex De Danann) is a longtime friend and collaborator. Both weave magical stories around the tunes they play.
About Paula Carroll
Paula Carroll is an independent radio producer and documentary-maker. She is one of the producer/presenters of the long-established West Wind traditional music strand on Clare FM, and creator of the highly popular Kitchen Sessions Series on Clare FM.