Curating a festival is no easy feat by any means and it takes an incredible amount of hard work and determination to pull it off with elegance and grace. An execution of artistic ideas, where the performers and the audiences feed of the high energy that builds in a space of shared artistic chemistry. Over the last forty years the Clifden Arts Festival has transformed into a living, breathing entity which continues to delight and inspire young and old. From traditional, lively Irish music, classical quartets, exceptional concerts, as well as invigorating comedy, spectacular theatre, inspiring talks and incredible visual arts exhibitions, you will not fail to find something to suit everyone at the Clifden Arts Festival.
Hailed as one of Ireland’s most innovative and exciting bands, Kíla share a passion to create great music with an ability to absorb influences from across the globe. With its roots in traditional Irish, it features a strong percussive like singing and gorgeous melodies driven by a serious rhythmical undercurrent. Kíla have created their own distinctive style of world music, which has won over audiences around the world through their nine recordings to date and their spectacular live performances.
Music Network is delighted to present a unique and exciting new collaboration featuring three extremely talented instrumentalists and vocalists. Dervish front woman Cathy Jordan, will be accompanied by founder member of Four Men and a Dog, Mick Daly and completing the line-up will be current BBC Radio 2 folk awards 2017 nominee, Jarlath Henderson. The emotive blend of vocal harmonies, the bodhrán, guitar, banjo, uileann pipes and tin whistle, all respected exponents of traditional Irish music, will undoubtedly showcase dynamic instrumental playing and stunning show interpretations.
After twenty-five years honing his craft, Tommy Fleming is now taking his place at the forefront of popular music across the globe. Tommy evolves every song with his own unique, deeply romantic and sincere style, evoking emotions in you that only music can reach. A Tommy Fleming concert is a musical experience not to be missed with one song more haunting than the other.
Stockton’s Wing, who have performed with the likes of Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli, will also showcase at the Festival. They took part in the film production of the John B. Keane play “The Field” and their song “Beautiful affair” was voted into the top 75 songs in the history of RTE radio. They will celebrate 40 years and perform from their vast and eclectic back catalogue of recordings.
Another huge crowd pleaser will be the Gala Concert Garda band with Cara O’Sullivan. After the establishment of An Garda Síochana, the band gave its first public performance on Dun Laoghaire Pier on Easter Monday, 1923. Besides providing music for official Garda functions, the band also undertakes a heavy community-orientated programme performing at schools, festivals and sporting events.
Lisa Lambe is one of Ireland’s most sought after singers and actors. She is rapidly becoming one of the most popular female singers with her sensational television, radio and stage performances. Lambe’s remarkable voice paired with collaborators Fiachna O’Braonain and Martin Brunsden capture a rare instinct for interpretation which will leave audiences spellbound.
Martin plays double bass and singing saw and has worked with holy men and women, artists, the Hothouse Flowers, poets, sculptors and theatre companies. Fiachna has worked with African gospel singers, Moroccan tribesmen, Texan swingers and Irish balladeers as well as performing with his own band Hothouse Flowers for over thirty years. The trio have found in each other a natural simple symbiosis which draws on various musical roots to produce a gentle and heartfelt world of song.
Located along the glorious Wild Atlantic Way the Clifden Arts festival falls at a time when there is a change in the foliage displaying the rugged scenery beautifully on crisp September mornings. The festival fun can be found in every part of this picturesque part of Ireland as Clifden covets beautiful, secluded sandy stretches, a spectacular rugged coastline, lively pubs, quaint restaurants and an infectious Irish personality which encourages visitors to come back to the Clifden again and again.
For more information about the Clifden Arts Festival and ticket sales, please visit www.clifdenartsfestival.ie
For additional information about The Clifden Arts Festival please contact Think PR – 091 79 25 26 – 087 9004145 or pam@thinkpr.ie – Pam Finn
About Clifden Arts Festival
The longest running community arts festival in Ireland, Clifden Community Arts Week, now in its 40th year will take place from September 13th – 24th and yet again promises to have something to excite everyone in this year’s programme. Audiences can expect a very high quality artistic programme with a superb literary, musical and visual art content which again will have the community arts of Clifden and the surrounding hinterland as a central focus with creative writing, music, theatre, graphic design and film workshops and performances taking place in the local schools for the duration of the festival.
