An Chúirt Chruitireachta International Festival for Irish Harp Monday June 29th to Thursday 2nd July 2020
Connect with the living tradition of Irish harping as Harp Festival goes on-line
With the cancellation of the 34th international Harp Festival due to Covid-19, the International Festival for Irish Harp takes its first steps to becoming an on-line festival, and will run from Monday 28th June to Thursday 2nd July at www.cairdenacruite.com/festival. For four days, the Festival will become a virtual mecca for harpers, where the very best of Irish harping can be experienced and where our foremost tutors share their expertise to inspire future harp players.
Alongside its lunchtime virtual Drogheda Tholsel Sessions featuring rising stars of Irish harping, the Festival brings together highlights from its 2019 popular public concert series, featuring a roll call of Irish and international leading harpers; including Maeve Gilchrist, Cormac De Barra, Siobhán Armstrong, Janet Harbison, Oisín Morrison, Paul Dooley, Séamas Ó Flaithearta, Gráinne Hambly, Máire Ní Chathasaigh, Kathleen Loughnane, Anne-Marie O’Farrell, Áine Ní Dhubhghaill, singer, Seaosaimhín Ní Bheaglaoich and many others. This year’s festival will also include a performance from Louth Music Generation Harp Ensemble, directed by Deirdre Ní Bhuachalla, and a unique recording of a gathering of young harpers from all over the country, led by 2019 artist-in-residence and composer, Maeve Gilchrist. Daily workshops will be hosted by our foremost tutors.
“Over its thirty-four year history, An Chúirt Chruitireachta has played a major part in leading the huge upsurge of interest in the harp in Ireland today” says Festival Director, Aibhlín McCrann. “We are certainly not going to allow the pandemic deter us from bringing the best of Irish harping on-line to our harpers here and overseas, and to audiences farther afield. This will be a festival with a difference, but we can’t wait to meet up and go live at An Grianán, Termonfechin next year to celebrate our thirty fifth festival anniversary”.
An Chúirt Chruitireachta is funded by The Arts Council, Louth Co Council, Create Louth and with support from RTÉ Lyric fm and RTÉ Supporting the Arts. Special thanks to the Trench Trust who have generously supported the harp ensemble experiment.
www.cairdenacruite.com/festival
FOR LISTINGS EDITORS
An Chúirt Chruitireachta International Festival for Irish Harp
Monday June 29th -Thursday July 2nd
Connect with the living tradition of Irish harping as Harp Festival goes on-line
MONDAY 1 JULY, 1pm
International Festival for Irish Harp: Rising Harp Stars Music Generation
The Music Generation Louth Harp Ensemble, under the leadership of director, Deirdre Ní Bhuachalla, play a mix of traditional and contemporary tunes.
The Drogheda Tholsel Sessions
MONDAY 1 JULY, 8pm
International Festival for Irish Harp: Ceol na dTéad featuring Siobhán Armstrong, Róisín Elsafty and Ronan Browne
This trio presents the vibrant voice of one of Ireland’s finest sean-nós singers, Róisín Elsafty together with the very rare and beautiful sound of the medieval Irish harp, played by Ireland’s foremost historical harper, Siobhán Armstrong, woven with the diverse colours of Ronan Browne’s flutes, whistles and 170-year-old pipes.
TUESDAY 2 JULY, 1pm
International Festival for Irish Harps: Rising Harp Stars from Cork to Derry with harpers Aoife Blake and Gráinne Meyers.
The Drogheda Tholsel Sessions
TUESDAY 2 JULY, 8pm
International Festival for Irish Harp: Oíche na bhFear with Cormac de Barra, Oisin Morrison, Paul Dooley and Séamas Ó Flatharta joined by multi-instrumentalist Barry Kerr
A concert celebrating the resurgence of male harpers in Ireland.
WEDNESDAY 3 JULY, 5pm
International Festival for Irish Harp: Harps a-Humming – Harp Ensemble Gala Concert
A collaborative performance with Maeve Gilchrist (harp), Nic Gareiss (dance), Harp Festival participants and Music Generation and other ensembles from Northern Ireland, Dublin, Mayo, Meath, Louth, Limerick, Wexford, Laois and Wicklow.
Wednesday 3 July 8pm
Joining Forces: Scintillating duo, Maeve Gilchrist and Nic Gareiss in concert with RTÉ Con Tempo Quartet
Programme to include Pasture’s Red, a work for harp and string quartet by Maeve Gilchrist
THURSDAY 4 JULY, 1pm
International Festival for Irish Harp: Rising Harp Stars concert featuring Dublin-based harper Luke Webb with piper Luke Ó haAlmhain.
THURSDAY 4 JULY, 8pm
International Festival for Irish Harp Gala Concert with renowned harpers.
For further information/images, please contact:
Aibhlin McCrann cairdenacruite@gmail.com, Tel. 087 2800390 Louise Walsh: Tel. 087 649 0818
