Sisters Maighread and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill belong to a renowned singing family originally from the Donegal Gaeltacht. The unique style and repertoire of traditional singing they represent so gloriously comes down to them through generations of the Ó Domhnaill family. Added to this is
their distinctive unison and harmonic interpretations of Donegal songs and their fluent and accomplished singing to instrumental accompaniment.

Maighread and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill will be touring as a duo. Their live performances are unforgettable heart-rending events. The sound of their solo and combined voices is indescribable but lingers in the memory forever.

Colum Sands is a universal storyteller who draws on a long Irish tradition of humour and poetic musicality to weave songs for the world. Colum has performed solo and as a member of 'The Sands Family' in over thirty countries, he has presented countless radio programmes over 22 years with BBC and produced around one hundred albums, working with young musicians and veterans like Joan Baez and Pete Seeger.

One critic described Colum as a performer who "views the world with balanced, non-tribalistic humanity, breaking down all kinds of barriers and leaving behind optimism and appreciation of the power of the human
spirit over adversity."

His new book, "These Quiet Places", a collection of nature-inspired photographs, thoughts and verses are due for release in September 2022.

Lidia Jewloszewicz-Clarke - Violin
Maria Ryan - Violin
Robin Panter - viola
Aoife Burke - cello

The Banbha Quartet is a fine new group founded in 2020 and made up of four of our most celebrated musicians. Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov’s beautiful, meditative ‘Ikon’ and a new work by acclaimed Dublin-based composer Tom Lane lie at the heart of their programme for this, their third tour for the Foundation. The concerts open with a delicate masterpiece by Mozart and end with Mendelssohn’s dramatic, virtuosic E minor quartet

Programme:
Mozart - Quartet in D major K.575
Silvestrov – ‘Ikon’
Tom Lane - ‘Refractions’ - new commission
Mendelssohn - Quartet in E minor Op.44 No.2

Thanks to the National String Quartet Foundation, the Arts Council and RTÉ Lyric FM.

Twelve years have passed since the Kane Sisters last recorded a studio album.
Entitled “In Memory of Paddy Fahey”, this new album is dedicated to the master composer and fiddle player. It includes fifteen of his compositions alongside newly composed tunes from Liz and Yvonne.
“In Memory of Paddy Fahey” will be launched by Neansaí Ní Choisdealbha and Anne Marie Kelly.
Liz and Yvonne will be joined by guitarist John Blake and dancer Nathan Pilatzke.

Frankie won Traditional Musician of the year 2018 at the TG4 Gradam Ceoil awards. A co-founder of Dé Dannan, Frankie has recorded with Irish musicians such as Andy Irvine and Sharon Shannon, and international acts including Elvis Costello and The Rolling Stones.

Clifden Arts Festival In partnership with Cruit Éireann Harp Ireland presents Summer Harps at Clifden

Experience some of Ireland’s finest harpers in concert, with Seamus Ó Flatharta, Úna Ní Fhlannagáin and Lynn Saoirse, as they perform an eclectic and entertaining mix of harp music celebrating our national emblem.

Úna Ní Fhlannagáin is an award-winning harper-composer and singer from Co. Galway, Ireland. She is rooted in diverse musical influences such as the dance music tradition of North Clare, the sean-nós singing style of Maigh Seola, the American post-minimalists and free jazz.

Séamus Ó Flatharta is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and dancer from Áird Mhór in the heart of Connemara. Since the age of 16, he has been making waves in the fields of music, song and dance,  performing in China, The USA, Canada, The United Kingdom and throughout mainland Europe.

Lynn Saoirse has been living near Clifden for most of the last 36 years. She has performed widely: throughout Europe and across the USA, as well as in the Caribbean, Nepal, Argentina, French Guiana and Egypt.

"Simply one of the best folk duos on the planet" (BBC)
"Folk Instrumentalist of the Year 2020" RTE Radio 1 Folk Awards (Zoë)
"Featured Composer 2021" ITMA Irish Traditional Music Archive (Zoë)

With an exciting blend of eclectic fiddle and guitar music, Zoë Conway and John Mc Intyre bring to the stage sympathetic arrangements of traditional Irish music, compositions and songs, old and new. The husband and wife folk duo possess a rare facility to draw pieces into their repertoire from other genres such as classical, jazz and world music and express this material in a way which not only displays the sheer range and knowledge of both instrumentalists but also exhibits the wonderful versatility of their instruments.

They have performed for rock stars, millionaires and dignitaries worldwide, including Irish Presidents Mary Mc Aleese and Michael D. Higgins. They were awarded Best Live Show from the popular YouTube channel Balcony TV. They received over half a million views online.

"An ceol is binne agus is cruinne dá gcuala mé riamh."

Noelie McDonnell, Noriana Kennedy and Nicola Joyce. Three accomplished singers who had each toured and recorded extensively with their separate projects before coming together as The Whileaways. With over a dozen albums to their collective credit and having played gigs and festivals worldwide, they began to admire each other singing at sessions in their hometown of Galway. Since coming together, they have toured worldwide, been nominated for Best Group and Best Album in the RTE Folk Awards, and garnered high praise from the music press at home and abroad.

These three singers are cut from the same cloth and weave a tapestry of harmonies and beautifully crafted original songs. Their sound is true, and their delivery is undeniably captivating.

Mick is one of the Irish tradition's most acclaimed and respected fiddle players. He has toured and recorded with many artists, most notably De Danann. In 2001 his debut solo album Selkie was released to critical acclaim on the prestigious boutique trad label Cló Iar-Chonnacht, and he has recorded numerous albums to date. Mick is a leading exponent of the 6-string Greek bouzouki in Irish traditional music.

Anne Brennan (Vocals) is from Maam in North Connemara Anne is a member of the well-known and distinguished group "The Brennan Sisters". Anne comes from a family steeped in traditional music and song and has toured throughout Ireland and Europe as a solo artist. Anne has shared the stage over the years with some of Ireland's most talented artists, including Paul Brady, Sharon Shannon, Declan O' Rourke, Gerry O Connor, Arty McGlynn, Steve Cooney, Mundy and Damien Dempsey, to name but a few, and continues to tour as a solo artist and with various bands throughout Ireland and Europe.

David Munnelly (accordion) from Mayo is widely regarded as one of his generation's most influential Irish accordion players: he has played with legendary Irish bands such as De Dannan and The Chieftains!

The Washington Post described John Feeley as ‘Ireland’s leading classical guitarist’, who also judged his CD “The Immigrant’s Song” to be the best classical guitar CD of 2013. He has won several prizes in international competitions and performed with major orchestras worldwide. He has been awarded a PhD from Maynooth University for a dissertation on contemporary Irish music. His performances of Irish airs have been praised for their subtlety, brilliance and originality.

www.johnfeeley.ie

Fran O’Rourke acquired a love of Irish songs as a schoolboy during a three-month stay in the Connemara Gaeltacht. His first public performance was on the popular children’s television programme, “Seoirse agus Beartlaí”. While studying on the Continent during the ’70s, he participated in major festivals in Belgium, Germany, and Holland and appeared on radio and television. He is an Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at University College Dublin. While researching philosophical influences in James Joyce, he discovered the importance also of traditional songs in his writings. John and Fran have published “JoyceSong: Irish Songs of James Joyce”, a live recording of a concert at the Princess Grace Library on St Patrick’s Day, 2015 (www.joycesong.info / www.franorourke.ie).

In their concert, John Feeley and Fran O’Rourke will include a selection from their CD of traditional songs in Irish, Casadh na nAmhrán (2021). The album was chosen by the reviewer of Irish Music Magazine as his recording of the year and shortlisted in the folk music category of Schallplattenkritik, the German equivalent of the Grammys.

Sponsored by: Kevin and Suzanne Cronin