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The Celtic Tenors will play a concert in the Canal Court Hotel this Friday 22nd April. It's part of their homecoming tour, their first full tour of the province in many years, celebrating the release of their latest album Timeless, released on Universal Ireland label.
Performing a range of material from both pop, country, classic and Irish artists, The Celtic Tenors truly showed the audience what has made them so special for so long. With over one million album sales worldwide and several international tours of Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and more it is no surprise they received what can be likened to a heroes welcome.
The Celtic Tenors continue their tour next week performing their close-harmony take on classics from Eric Bogle to John Denver to Dolly Parton to Luciano Pavarotti whilst ensuring there is something for everyone with their mix of comedy and song. As the tenors have noted themselves 'There's nothing "high-brow" about our show, it's informal, relaxed and fun for all the family"
Tickets for Friday's show are available from the Canal Court & Ticketmaster.
See Celtic-Tenors.com for more info.
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The Riverside Church in Newry are hosting a fascinating evening of soulful ballads on Saturday 14 May at 8pm, with a musical group all the way from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Admission is free and refreshments will be served.
The Singing Pilgrims will be on their second tour of Ireland and perform a mix of Irish traditional music and gospel songs. Starting off their tour in Newry they will also be playing in Boyle, Mohill, Galway and Kilorglin.
The three band members have been playing together for nearly twenty years, two of them Bria and Natasha played as children in the Apple Mountain Harp Kids ensemble, a group directed by third member Jeanne. In recent years Jeanne and Natasha played with band The Next Chapter playing the World Bodhran Festival in Killarney.
Jeanne Page is a best-selling author of Hammered Dulcimer books with Mel Bay Publications. While the hammered dulcimer was Jeanne’s main instrument in previous bands, in “Singing Pilgrims,” she focuses on her first love, the guitar.
Natasha Coffing is a multi-instrumentalist composing on the piano as well as the Celtic harp, but long ago, the fiddle became the instrument that felt most at home in her hands. Tasha’s aggressive and passionate playing stye has become the centerpiece of the “Singing Pilgrims” signature sound.
Gabrielle Coffing (Bria) rounds out the trio and it has been harder to nail her down to one primary instrument. She provides a strong rhythmic heartbeat on bodhran or dumbek for Tasha’s sparkling jigs and reels but moves to the keyboards for most of the vocal numbers.
All three play the harp.
Check out their music at singingpilgrims.wordpress.com
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Rostrevor is set to draw some of the world’s leading choirs, composers and soloists as it stages its first ever Choral Festival next month.
From 1-5th June the village will host this unique, non-competitive Festival which has secured as its special guest world renowned composer Morten Johannes Lauridsen – who makes his first ever visit to Ireland for the event.
Choirs from across the globe including University of Notre Dame Choir and The Palestrina Choir of Dublin’s Pro Cathedral among many others, will join composers and soloists from Russia, Argentina, USA, France, Malaysia and local singers and choirs for a 5 day long programme of concerts, recitals, workshops and masterclasses from the 1st-5th June in various venues across the village.
The Festival, under the patronage of former President of Ireland Mary McAleese, is the brainchild of Siubhan O’Dubhain – a novelist, playwright and composer - supported by a small committee of musical enthusiasts.
“While fundraising for my grandson’s charity, I was approached with the offer of the University of Notre Dame Choir coming to sing in Rostrevor. Mary McAleese lived in Rostrevor for many years and is a regular guest at Notre Dame University in Indiana and was aware of the fundraising drive. I began to think, if we secured a visit from a choir of that stature, who else could I approach to make a weekend event and it spiralled from there to become a Festival of Choral Music.
“The main aim is to celebrate great choral music and inspire local choirs. It’s also to give access to composers to have their work performed and we’ve reached out to local schools for workshop participation. We are using a number of venues from local churches, the GAA Club and outdoor parks (weather permitting) to bars and restaurants so it’s accessible to everyone,” Siubhan adds.
The Festival is non-competitive and all events are completely free – with voluntary donations going to a number of local charities. The Programme has been supported by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Arts Council of Ireland, Newry Mourne and Down District Council and the Ireland Funds and sponsored by Moet Hennessey, Lee Opticians, Mourne Mountains Brewery, Deli Lites and Carlingford Property Services alongside personal support from Martin Naughton, Gerard O'Hare and Larry Powell.
For a full list of events and programme details visit Twitter @rostchoralfest or follow them on Facebook
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Down County Fleadh kicks off in Warrenpoint this Saturday 11 June and runs for over two weekends, concluding on Sunday 19 June. It’s where the musicians are selected to compete at the Ulster Fleadh in Bangor from 16-24 July and then hopefully Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann, held this year in Ennis in August.
Warrenpoint CCE are organising the event and other fringe events are taking place in the town over the Fleadh including The Dublin Legends in concert at the Whistledown Hotel on Sunday 19 June.
Check out the gigs for the best of local talent and maybe take part in a session yourself.
Events
Saturday 11 June
9pm - Open Trad Session, The First and Last
Sunday 12 June
12pm - Dancing Competitions, St Peter’s GAA Clubrooms
4pm - Ceili with the Long Note Ceili Band and caller Paddy Mee. St Peter’s Parish Centre.
Friday 17 June
8.30pm - Session trails, various locations
Saturday 18 June
9.30am - Fleadh Competitions, various locations.
8.30pm - Festival Concert with Damien O’Kane Trio with Damien, John-Joe Kelly and Stevie Byrnes. Whistledown Hotel. Tickets £12 from Whistledown Hotel
Sunday 19 June
3pm _ Marchind band from seafront to competition venue, Ringmacilroy Playing Fields.
You can find out more information at www.warrenpointcce.com or box office at 078 1511 0758
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Danny Carmo Sat 18 June Event has been CANCELLED
Prepare to be amazed, dazzled and bewildered by ‘Danny Carmo’s Mathematical Mysteries’, coming to the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre, Newry this Saturday 18 June.
Danny Carmo brings a mind-blowing, spectacular show where Maths, Theatre and Digital Technology collide to create an interactive performance, proving that understanding maths can be fun.
Not so long ago Danny Carmo thought that school and in particular maths was not for him as all he wanted to be was a famous magician, but when he knuckled down to learn all the tricks of the trade he realised that Maths was not only essential, it was the secret to a whole load of magic!
Danny Carmo’s Mathematical Mysteries is a multimedia and educational production featuring the magical world of Danny Carmo. The Sean Hollywood Arts Centre will host two one hour shows at 11am and 2pm. Admission is £5 or a family ticket for four including one adult is priced at £18.
For further information or to book tickets contact the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre box office on 028 3031 3180.
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Sunday 28th August sees the annual Newry City Triathlons and Festival of Water take place once again at the Albert Basin and on Newry Canal.
Entries are now open for the Triathlon's and for the Bath Tub Race
It's a perfect platform for local athletes to showcase their potential and bring together a range of sporting events not to be missed. There is something for all the family to enjoy with not only the sporting events but also lots of opportunity to take part in water based activities including Curach racing, banana rides and Jet Ski rides along with a concert from The Housem8s to wash it all down!
The spectacular line up of sporting activities includes:
O’Briens Newry Border Man Half Iron Distance Triathlon
Start Time: 7:30am
Registration is now open on Eventbrite
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/obriens-newry
Entry Fee: Individual £70 / Team £120
firmus energy 2015 Newry “Sprint” Triathlon (The fastest sprint triathlon in Ireland)
Start Time: 9:30am
Registration is now open on Eventbrite
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/firmus-energy
Entry Fee: Individual £30 / Team £50
Iron Kids Mini Biathlon
Start Time: 12:00noon
Registration is now open please email: admin@newry.com for an entry form
FREE ENTRY
Inland Waterways Association of Ireland - Bath Tub Race
Start Time: 2:00pm
Registration is now open please email: admin@newry.com for an entry form
Entry Fee: £30.00
Festival of Water - Free Family Fun Event
Start Time: 11:30am – 4:00pm
Come along and enjoy a truly entertaining day at the Albert Basin, trying water based activities ranging from; Kayak Racing, Curragh Racing, Chip & Dip, Jet Ski Rides, Canoe Races, Banana Rides, Rib Rides and Climbing Wall.
Entertainment
During the day the Albert Basin will come alive to the sound of Housem8s providing non-stop entertainment.
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Finegan and Son working alongside the Seedhead arts group who play a huge roll in Belfast City Culture Night have put together a program of events over the summer months, ranging from stand up scientist, Emer Maquire to Cheese and beer tasting and the second quarterly Barista throwdown.
Tomorrow night Saturday 16 July is your big chance to find out everything you wanted to know about Kissing. Flirting and even Love.
These behaviours form the foundation of human existence as we know it. But what separates the Romeos from the Tinder turn offs? Are humans programmed for monogamy? And are looks really that important?
Society tells us romance is responsible for relationships. The truth is, it’s all down to science; a captivating cocktail of chemistry, genetics, biology and evolution.
Think about it-our mating rituals involve some pretty weird behaviour. But have you ever stopped to wonder why? What gives us the urge to unhygienically exchange our spit with that of another? Why did our ancestors first decide to pucker up? And WHY does it feel so good?
Some of us don’t even get to the kissing stage before falling madly in love with the dark haired barista in Starbucks. Others date for years before finding “the one”. And what about those who find “the one”… multiple times. Science can explain why we love to fall in love.
Come on a journey through the weird, wonderful and downright fascinating phenomenon that is sexy science.
Emer Maguire is a Stand up Scientist, teaching people about science by making them laugh. She has delivered engaging and refreshingly novel talks across the UK and Ireland, focusing on bringing sexy science to the public. In 2015, Emer was crowned the best science communicator in the UK by international competition, FameLab. Emer has gone on to carve out a budding career in science communication; the next few weeks will see her join the TEDx speaker alumni and present a six part radio series on all things sexy and all things science.
It's at Finegan and Son, Kildare Street, Newry and entry to tomorrow night is 6 pounds and Sexy Science starts at 7pm.
Check The Finegan and Son Facebook page for more details. https://www.facebook.com
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What an achievement! One of the districts most popular and most enduring festivals Fiddlers Green International Festival is celebrating it's 30th anniversary this year and the week long celebration begins tomorrow Sunday 24th July in beautiful Rostrevor.
The longest running festival of its kind throughout Ireland, “the Fiddlers”, while having top quality folk music as its core, provides a comprehensive programme of events designed to appeal to all ages and to cater for all cultural tastes.
FESTIVAL FOLK CLUB AND HALL OF FAME
St Bronagh’s Social Club, the venue for the Festival Folk Club, will this year see a series of concerts featuring singers and musicians of the very highest calibre.
Monday 25th July LUKA BLOOM
One of the most talented and thoughtful singer/songwriters of his generation and a guitarist of consummate skill.
Tuesday 26th July THE CASEY SISTERS
Nollaig, Maire and Mairead present their bewitching mixture of tunes, airs and songs with panache and grace.
Wednesday 27th July LYNCHED
Street ballads delivered with energy and commitment by Dublin’s own “folk miscreants”
Friday 29th July HALL OF FAME AWARD
This year’s recipients of this coveted award are BRIAN & EITHNE VALLELY, the founders and driving forces behind the world renowned ARMAGH PIPERS CLUB.
With Brian and Eithne Vallely receiving this year’s Hall of Fame award, it is highly appropriate that one of their most talented protégés (and son) Cillian brings his band Lunasa to headline the 2016 Hall of Fame concert.
Described by the New York Times as “the best traditional band on the planet”, this multi talented quintet produce a powerful blend of verve and musicality.
Saturday 30th July CATHAL HAYDEN & MAIRTIN O’CONNOR and FOUR MEN AND A DOG
A superb double header! We welcome back two previous Hall of Fame winners, the virtuosi Cathal Hayden and Mairtin O’Connor and, celebrating 25 years on the road, the irrepressible Four Men and a Dog.
Sunday 31st July THE SANDS FAMILY
The festival folk club comes to its traditional close with Co. Down’s own musical ambassadors to the world, The Sands Family.
THE MUSIC OF HEALING and CREATIVE ARTS AWARD
Presented by Tommy Sands in the beautiful setting of An Cuan, The Music of Healing is a presentation of songs, music and verse in a more reflective vein. During the evening, the Creative Arts Award, which is awarded annually to someone who has excelled in a particular area of the Arts ( the late, great Seamus Heaney was the first recipient of the Award in the year 2000) will this year be given to Mickey MacConnell, raconteur and songwriter supreme, Mickey’s “Only Our Rivers Run Free” is an acknowledged modern classic, and many of his humorous and satirical songs feature prominently at singing sessions in Ireland and beyond.
FREE ENTERTAINMENT IN THE SQUARE
Free open air concerts will take place throughout the week on the outdoor stage in The Square. Presenting an eclectic mix of folk, funk, blues, jazz, reggae and soul, there is something for everyone here. Look out for the WILSON MAGWERE BAND and the NI SOUL TROUP.
The ever popular Ceilis will attract diehard dancers from all over Co. Down and further afield.
LUNCHTIME FOLK CLUB and CEILI HOUSE
The Lunchtime Folk Club features accomplished performers in a relaxed, intimate venue and each day is followed by the Ceili House where the shy (and not so shy) can sing a song, play a tune or add a poem or recitation to the overall festival vibe.
THE ACOUSTIC STAGE
Performances by established and aspiring artists will feature each afternoon in the wonderfully atmospheric setting of An Cuan.
FIDDLER’S GREEN SCHOOL OF MUSIC
A new inclusion this year; instrumental workshops each morning from 10am-12noon and among the highly respected tutors are Donal O’Connor (fiddle), Padraig McGovern (uilleann pipes), Martin Quinn (accordion) and Lorraine O’Brien (concertina).
THROUGHOUT THE WEEK
A full programme of events for children, Art and Photographic exhibitions, sessions, tours and guided walks, the hugely popular Literary Pub Crawl, Duck Derby and much, much more.
Further information: www.fiddlersgreenfestival.co.uk Tel. 07895986616. Email: info@fiddlersgreenfestival.co.uk
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Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has teamed up with Enda Flynn to provide a free Ring of Gullion Wildlife Photography Workshop to help those who are hoping to enter the Ring of Gullion Photo Competition.
The workshop will take place on Wednesday 3 August starting at 11am in the Pastoral Centre, Jonesborough and will run during the wider Ring of Gullion Lúnasa Festival.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Gillian Fitzpatrick said, “It is great to work with Enda who specializes in nature photography. His work has been published in newspapers, magazines, calendars brochures throughout Ireland and Britain. The workshop will be hands on and will enable the group to get out and about in Jonesborough and get tips on how to take the most effective photographs.”
Enda is planning to keep the workshop as practical as possible with a short and simple presentation to outdoor photography fundamentals, which will help attendees to understand how to take excellent photos of buildings, landscapes, people or wildlife. The workshop will then move outside, where the group will get a chance to take their own photographs to help reinforce the basics.
The workshop will give everyone involved a chance to take various photographs, using all of the key features on the camera to gain confidence in photography. All makes and models of cameras are welcome at this workshop and you will be part of a small friendly group of no more than fifteen students.
To enter the Ring of Gullion Photo Competition please visit www.ringofgullion.org and head to the competition section. The theme this year’s competition is ‘My People, My Place’ and will be broken down into two categories; under fourteens and over fourteens. Closing date for all entries is 15 September at 5pm. The winning entries will also enjoy a wealth of publicity on our website/social media and in the local media. The top thirteen phots will feature in 2017 Ring of Gullion Calendar.
The Ring of Gullion Lúnasa Festival will be running for the month of August in beautiful South Armagh. There will be at least one event taking place every single day throughout the month. These will range from small drop-in craft workshops to our major weekend-long celebration of the fabulous, ‘Footsteps in the Forest’. Visitors will be able to take in cooking, hiking, geology, history and art! To find out more visit www.ringofgullion.org/events/lunasa-festival-2016/
This event is free and supported by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Ring of Gullion Landscape Partnership, and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
For further information visit www.ringofgullion.org or contact 028 3082 8590.
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