IrishMusicInfo
The Sunday Tribune Weekly Traditional Music Column by Fintan Vallely
991031
oe Burke and Anne Conroy recently launched a wonderful exhibition of prints by German painter Gertrude Degenhardt, quirky postcards and poster portrayals of wild, anorexic, drinking-women as skreeling whistlers, batty bodhr‡ns, freaky fiddlers and caterpillaring concertina players. Her work is on show at the Kenny Gallery, Galway until November 15th. More sedate, in concert tonight are Karan Casey, singing with John Spillane at the HQ, Dublin, and Cape Breton fiddler Jerry Holland, at Dolan's, Limerick. Lœnasa play there on Wednesday, and at The Lobby, Cork, on Thursday, while next weekend's Scoil Shliabh gCuillinn at Mullaghbane, Co. Armagh has singers Frank Harte and MairŽad N’ îist’n with Matt Cranitch's Sliabh Notes. Liam O'Flynn continues his triumphal progress tonight at St. Iberius's church, Wexford at, at the Metro, Cork on Thursday, Dingle on Friday and St. Canice's cathedral, Kilkenny on Saturday. From Kill, Co. Kildare, O'Flynn studied piping initially under Leo Rowsome in Dublin, was influenced by Willie Clancy and SŽamus Ennis, and began Planxty in 1972, with Christy Moore, Donal Lunny and Andy Irvine. He broke into rather different tempo in 1980 with his lead uilleann pipes role in Shaun Davey's orchestral Brendan Voyage, then Granuaile, The Relief of Derry Symphony and The Pilgrim. By now his work includes film scoring with Elmer Bernstein (The Field) and appearances with poet Seamus Heaney, he has recorded with avant garde composer John Cage, and with popular musicians Kate Bush, Enya, Nigel Kennedy The Everley Brothers and Mark Knopfler. This remarkable, catholic embrace of all potential of the music scene includes performances which take his journey in a circle - back to organist Catherine Ennis, daughter of mentor SŽamus. Expanding further in the traditional, he opened his present tour at the NCH with Galician gaita pipes player Carlos Nunez (better known with The Chieftains). Now in the visual domain too, his last year's Hummingbird film aired on TnaG and RTƒ - a beautiful portrayal of life and influences - is due out soon as a video from Tara. O'Flynn's present, regular Pipers' Call band has guitarist Arty McGlynn and keyboard player Rod McVey, this marking his confidence in the integrity of one-instrument-melody, the self-sufficiency of uilleann pipes. An old Planxty colleague of the piper, Chieftains and ex-Bothy Band flute player Matt Molloy, is this year's TG4 Traditional Music Award winner, with Cork concertina player Aog‡n Lynch being given the young musician title. £4,000 goes to Molloy, £1,000 to Lynch, both get commissioned John Coll sculptures. Celebrated in performance at the Town Hall Theatre, Galway last Monday, Molloy and Lynch were joined on stage by such as members of Altan, The Chieftains and Skara Brae, Noel Hill, Tony Linnane, Steve Cooney and last year's winner Tommy Peoples, all in a dramatic concert recorded for TG4, to be broadcast on 31st November, the station's third birthday.
©Fintan Vallely, IrishMusicInfo.com
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