Temple Bar TradFest 2011 Program Launched

The programme for the 2011 Temple Bar TradFest was officially launched today at a reception in the Workman's Club in Temple Bar.

Programmer Kieran Hanrahan gave details of the 5 day festival which is bound to set toes tapping along the cobbles of Temple Bar this January. Now in its sixth year Temple Bar TradFest is a firm fixture on the Irish music calendar. With some of the best loved names in Irish Trad alongside up and coming acts, showcase concerts and workshops the festival will include 200 free events inviting everyone to join in the fun. It will host performances in the historic Christ Church Cathedral as well as live music and family entertainment on the streets of Temple Bar.

'This year's TradFest features a mixture of world renowned performers, established national artists as well as up and coming acts, again this year we will have showcase performances, workshops, family fun, outdoor concerts, pub sessions, singers clubs and lots more to tempt you', said festival programmer Kieran Hanrahan.

Festival Patron Stephen Rea sent a message of support "I feel very privileged once again to be patron of the Temple Bar TradFest, since its inception, Temple Bar TradFest has been an ambitious and broad-ranging national event, firming up Temple Bar's reputation as Dublin's cultural quarter and providing a focus for traditional music nationally and internationally. In the middle of one of the worst recessions in the history of the state, the festival continues to expand providing an even wider range of entertainment for all. I have no doubt in these difficult economic times that TradFest will lift spirits for the year ahead with a wonderful five days of inspiring song and a lasting engagement with the treasure that is Irish culture."

HEADLINE ACTS

The Festival continues to present a series of headline acts, sponsored by Bushmills and this year will include as a venue the beautiful surrounds of Christ Church Cathedral.

TradFest is delighted to announce that the Festival will commence on Wed 26th Jan as Altan celebrates their 25th Anniversary with a very special performance - 'Altan and Friends' in the historic surrounds of Christ Church Cathedral. This performance is part of Altan's world tour of Asia, the US and Europe. Over 25 years of playing together, Altan have established themselves as one of the most important live acts to play traditional Irish music on the world stage. A host of well known names in Irish music will join Altan for their concert in Christ Church Cathedral to celebrate and congratulate all that they have achieved including Eddi Reader & Seamus Begley.

Christ Church Cathedral will also resound with the sounds of Irish music on Thursday 27th, Friday 28th and Saturday 29th Jan this time with very special performances from the legendary Irish music group Clannad. The original five-piece line up of Moya Brennan, Pol Brennan, Padraig Duggan, Ciaran Brennan and Noel Duggan are reunited to perform a show that will fully reflect the extent of their 40 year career. Although Pol has made a couple of live appearances with them since his departure in 1989, this will be the first time in over twenty years that the classic line up will present a full concert.

One of only a few acts from Ireland to have achieved huge International success, Clannad have given a unique voice to modern Irish music, combining a deep love of traditional strains with a bold approach to writing and recording. Their legacy is a hugely impressive collection of albums that has kept them at the forefront of Irish music worldwide for 40 years. As well as global albums sales in excess of 10 million, the band have also been honoured several times with awards including an Ivor Novello, a BAFTA, a Grammy and not just one, but two Lifetime Achievement Awards at home here in Ireland.

The spectacular and intimate surroundings of Christ Church Cathedral combined with the haunting strains of one of Irelands most original acts make this a performance not to be missed.

Alongside these legendary names TradFest is delighted to be showcasing up and coming groups who are adding a modern twist to traditional trad and exploring Irish traditional music and song in their own special way. Already very established in the Irish music scene BEOGA will take to the stage in the Button Factory (Thurs 27th Jan) as part of a double bill with emerging Irish performers Cirroas. Guaranteed to live up to their name - the Irish word for 'lively' BEOGA from County Antrim were drawn together in 2002 after 'jamming' in a ferocious session at the all-Ireland Fleadh. Since then they have expanded the vocabulary of Irish music with a unique accent of their own blending bluesy riffs with jazz and pop beats producing melodious traditional music played to some of the most imaginative and contemporary accompaniment in Irish music today. Wall Street Journal dubs them "the most exciting new traditional band to emerge from Ireland this century."

Continuing its role to provide a platform to showcase the best in up-coming Irish talent, as on that same night TradFest will play host to Ciorras. Hailed as 'a modern Bothy band', Ciorras bring a contemporary approach to traditional music and were formed as a band earlier this year when the individual members featured in the hit TG4 series, Lorg Lunny. These 8 young musicians were invited by Irish music legend Dónal Lunny to create a new band with a fresh, new unique sound in traditional music.

Friday the 28th of Jan will bring together the best in established Irish traditional music talent as four very talented soloists come together as two duets creating an exceptional night of Irish music. The first of the duets sees harmonica player Brendan Power join multi instrumentalist Tim Edey and then Jackie Daly (accordion) and Matt Cranitch (fiddle) fuse their talents together. World renowned fiddle player Dessie O Halloran will accompany the Cunningham sean nos dancers for 'Fuaim Chonamara' in the inspiring epic story of Irelands oldest dance form, portrayed through the music, song, dance and energy of the Connemara region. One of Irelands most outstanding and creative musicians Mary Bergin will also join this incredible line up.

LIVETRAD.COM BROADCAST

This year the TradFest will go global on Friday January 28th a performance from the Festival will for the first time be streamed live on the internet. The concert from the Button Factory featuring button accordion player Jackie Daly, fiddle player Matt Cranitch, guitarist Tim Edey, harmonica player Brendan Power, and a host of others will be streamed live on www.LiveTrad.com This webcast is the first of 12 Arts Council funded live webcasts which will take place on the LiveTrad.com platform in 2011. Entitled the 'Last Friday Web Sessions', traditional music performances of all kinds, from gala concerts through to pub sessions, will be broadcast free to air over the internet on the last Friday of every month. The webcasts have been picked up in over 60 different countries to date. Online viewers simply need to log onto www.LiveTrad.com at 8pm on January 28th to view the concert.

SHOWCASING NEW TALENT

Over the course of the festival, The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) in association with Temple Bar Traders will present a series of traditional-music showcases and master classes in the New Theatre, Temple Bar. The music showcases will feature performances by some of Ireland's emerging traditional music talents. As well as the showcases master classes will take place where renowned musicians will host music seminars.

FILM

The IFI will present a programme of traditional Irish music films from the Irish Film Archive:

Clann as Dobhar - Providing the backstory to one of the star turns for Tradfest 2011, CatHal Watters intimate and insightful documentary about Leo and Baba Brennan, and their musical family, Clannad. This screening will be
introduced by a member of Clannad.

Irland - Lieder für Träumer Musik für Rebellen (Ireland - Songs for dreamers, music for rebels) - Documentary: a snapshot of traditional Irish music around Dublin in the early 70s.

The Pilgrimage of Ti Jean - Documentary made by Philip Donnellan. French-Canadian master fiddler Jean Carignan visits Ireland to search for the music of Sligo-born Michael Coleman whom he has idolised for half a century.

CULTURE WORKSHOPS

Very popular Irish Cultural Workshops with Gael Cultúr. In two hours explore Irish culture through sean nós singing and sean nós dancing and learn a cupla focal too!

MUSIC PUB TRAILS / SINGERS CLUB

The various pubs in Temple Bar will feature live Irish music over the five days and nights as part of the music pub trail featuring performances ranging from solo balladeers to traditional Irish music sessions to contemporary Irish and folk.

Temple Bar TradFest is also delighted to welcome back the Singers Club, hosted by Séan O Sé which this year will take place in the Temple Bar Hotel. The Singers Club gives people a unique opportunity to hear traditional singers in an informal setting. To share a song, learn a new tune or simply listen in - just drop in. Watch out for special guest headline artists appearing for free in many of the pubs.

FAMILY PROGAMME

This year TradFest will also burst out onto the streets of Temple Bar with 2 outdoor stages bringing music to Temple Bar for all the family. The 2011 programme will feature an extended family programme with the majority of events both free of charge and some ticketed.

The Family programme is in association with Dublin City Council.

Events will include:

Gigs for Kids at The Ark A Cultural Centre for Children: Barcó, the virtuoso musical brothers of the De Barra family will fill The Ark's theatre with a lively medley of contemporary and traditional Irish sounds. They'll also be joined by a special guest or two. The Cunningham Family sean-nós dancers and musicians will take The Ark by storm with their energetic and unique style, blending the old and the new in what promises to be an unforgettable performance. The Ark and Temple Bar Tradfest are delighted to showcase emerging young talent and will present the 2010 Siansa Gael Linn winning group Ioscaid in concert. (Tickets now on sale)

Animal Farm: For the first time, Airfield, Dublin's only working urban farm will move from its home in Dundrum into the very heart of the city, bringing goats, sheep, hens and calves to Temple Bar as part of the festival. Children can enjoy free work shops such as butter making and tasting and making a wool angel.

Street Performers: 12 larger than life street performers will be seen on the streets of Temple Bar throughout the weekend Festival. Watch out for the leaping salmon, fiddling foxes and stilt walking swans.

Siamsa Cois Life: Young people from all over Ireland will showcase their talent on a purpose built stage.

Pipe bands including the Nova Scotia pipe band from Canada, outdoor performances and lots more.

Céilí on The Cobbles - with Shaskeen, and across the weekend East Essex Street will be transformed as a temporary roof is erected and a stage truck will play host to pipe bands and well known Irish Musicians, Irish dancing and surprise guests including Mike Hanrahan, Eleanor Shanley, Legend of Luke Kelly and The Furey Brothers

STAY CONNECTED
For more information log onto: www.templebartrad.com
TWITTER.com/TempleBarTrader
FACEBOOK.com/pages/Temple-Bar-Traders
http://www.facebook.com/tradfest

Temple Bar TradFest gratefully acknowledges the support of Bushmills, Dublin City Council, Failte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, Dublin City BID.

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