Remembering Bunting Festival | Belfast | 18- 19 February 2022
Remembering Bunting Festival | Belfast | 18- 19 February 2022
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Friday 18th February
Exploring our shared culture – A series of talks centred around culture and shared traditions in Ulster
6pm | Ulster Scots Centre, Belfast | Free event
Explore our shared traditions and culture across the province and with an illuminated talk around history of the Ulster Scots, cultural expression and more. With special guest speakers Matthew Warick and Fintan Vallely.
Pipes of Peace concert – With Ian Burrows & Kenny Qua
7pm | Ulster Scots Centre, Belfast | Free event
Following the talks, a fantastic night of the music traditions so dear to Ulster are explored and celebrated in dynamic style. The Pipes of Peace project demonstrates the crossover of the sharing of Scottish and Irish tunes on Scottish Border Pipes played by Ian Burrows and Uillean Pipes played by Kenny Qua.
Saturday 19th February
Exhibition of the original Bunting Manuscripts
12 pm | Queens University Belfast, Special Collections/Archive | Free event
Special Collections & Archives at Queen’s University Belfast has held the Edward Bunting Collection since it was bequeathed in 1916. The earliest manuscript dates from the Belfast Harp Festival of 1792. A number of Bunting’s unique manuscriptsalong with original accession letters will be displayed in the Special Collections Reading Room. Assistant Librarian in Special Collections, Kriss Leslie, will introduce these manuscripts and attendees will then be invited to peruse those on display. Additional Bunting manuscripts and publications are available online at www.rememberingbuntingfestival.com. Pre-booking is essential as places are limited. Please email specialcollections@qub.ac.uk to secure your place.
Part of a bigger picture: A glimpse into different worlds via the Bunting archives with Dr. Moyra Haslett & Ciara Conway
1:30 pm | Old Staff Common Room Main University Building (Lanyon), Queen’s University Belfast| Free event
Intriguing and unexpected, a panel of experts share and discuss information and insights that have been uncovered through the study of The Bunting archive. Hosted by Dr. Moyra Haslett, current co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Irish Song. Along with PhD candidate, Ciara Conway, they share their collective and individual research to shed light on the subject of how the Bunting collections over an unrivalled glimpse into different worlds immediately followed by a panel discussion. Revitalise after the panel discussion with complimentary refreshments whilst engaging in casual, but meaningful collaborative dialogue around the festival’s topics of interest. Enjoy this time to share interests, network and connect with the panellists and like-minded guests.
Documentary Screening : Belfast 1792 – The Hub of the Harp and Q&A with Film maker, Bernard Conlon
4pm | 2 Royal Avenue, Belfast | Free event
Screening of film maker, Bernard Conlon’s 25 minute documentary film, Belfast 1792 – The Hub of the Harp which offers great introductory insight into why we still celebrate the work of Edward Bunting today. The film describes the events surrounding the 1792 Belfast Harpers Assembly, which took place in the Assembly Rooms building at the junction of Donegall and Waring streets. It touches upon the 220th anniversary in 2012 which was an event that took place in the Central Library to commemorate it. This event revealed research about the life and times of Arthur (Art) O Neill, one of the oldest harpers at the Assembly as carried out by Eugene Dunphy. The lm highlights an era in Belfast when there was common purpose and great cultural and political dynamic. Following the screening, Bernard will be available for a short Q & A period.
CEOL Band performance
7:00pm | 2 Royal Avenue, Belfast | Free event
This 15 piece cross community youth band, is drawn from members of Ulster Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann branches and the Northern Ireland Piping & Drumming School and the Music Service for Pipes and Drums. They will perform an exciting showcase of tunes and songs that shine a light on the continuing evolvement of their shared heritage of traditional music.
Headline performance – Daoirí Farrel trio
8:00pm | 2 Royal Avenue, Belfast | Free event
Dublin-born traditional singer and bouzouki player Daoirí (pronounced ‘Derry’) Farrell has been described by some of the biggest names in Irish folk music as one of most important singers to come out of Ireland in recent years. He has recently won the All Ireland Champion Singer award at the Fleadh in Co. Derry, and the Danny Kyle Award at Celtic Connections. Daoirí Farrell has been nominated for three BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2017 for Best Singer, Best Traditional Track and the Horizon Award for best newcomer.
Accompanying Daoirí will be Northern Irish singer and multi-instrumentalist Damien O’Kane who teams up with master guitarists Steven Byrnes (Treacherous Orchestra, Kate Rusby) and Steven Iveson’s (Damien O’Kane Band) in a trio that takes traditional Irish music and song and gives it a contemporary edge. Though a fulltime member of Kate Rusby’s band, O’Kane is a singer, a very good one too, with a relaxed, assured, hypnotic vocal style that exudes a natural warmth and empathy with the colourful characters who occupy his songs.
