MUSIC Clifden gears up for annual trad fest

TOP TRAD?Musicians taking part in a trad session at last year’s festival.

Clifden gears up for annual trad fest 

The sixth annual Clifden Traditional Music Festival starts this week, on April 9, and runs until Sunday, April 12.
Proceedings kick off sat 8pm on Thursday in the Alcock and Brown Hotel with the launch of Neansaí Ní Choisdealbha’s new CD ‘Draíocht Na Feadóige’ and a tune composition competition. The official opening and concert takes place the next day in the Clifden Station House Theatre at 7pm. This free event will feature a host of artists from all over the country.
Saturday starts with music workshops in fiddle, button accordion and concertina from 10am until 12.30pm in Clifden Community School, with a youth session afterwards. A sean nós dancing workshop will also take place with All-Ireland Oireachtas Champion John Joyce in Clifden Town Hall at 2.30pm on the Sunday of the festival.
Music sessions are a very big part of the festival, and again this year will feature a host of champion musicians, including fiddle player Laura Beagon from Monaghan; flute player Brendan Quinn and fiddle player Liz Gaughan from Tipperary; concertina player Róisín Broderick, accordion player Graham Guerin and banjo player Gearóid Keating from Kerry; accordion players Michael Curran and Daithí Gormley from Sligo; husband and wife duo Theresa and Declan Payne from Sligo; and piano player Catherine McHugh and singer Deirdre Scanlan from Tipperary.
The Friday sessions take place at 10pm in EJ King’s Bar and Lowry’s Bar. On Saturday, there’ll be sessions at 2pm in the Alcock and Brown Hotel Bar; 4pm in Mannion’s Bar; and 10pm in O’Malleys Bar, The Central Bar and Guy’s Bar. The final ‘Farewell Session’ will be held in Foyle’s Hotel at 12.30pm on Sunday.
A big highlight of the festival this year will be traditional the outdoor gig on the street on Saturday night. This year, music will be supplied by the lively group Blas, featuring Tara Breen on fiddle, Stephen Doherty on accordion, Anne Brennan (of the Brennan Sisters from Maam) on vocals, Shane McGowan  on guitar and Jimmy Higgins on percussion. The band will be joined by a host of dancers and guest artists.
At 6pm on the Sunday, a new CD ‘Connemara Magic’ will be launched in the Station House Theatre at 6pm. It will feature over 50 young musicians from all over the area who have learned a new suite of music composed by Conor Keane from Clare called ‘The Connemara Suite’. This event is hosted by Leo Hallissey and CEEEC, who commissioned the project, Tradfest.
A few events have been added onto the Trad Fest again this year. On Saturday, street entertainment will include stilt walkers, face painters and jugglers, and there will be a traditional street market featuring a host of stalls on the square. A busking competition, which  takes place on the Saturday from 1.30pm, should also provide great entertainment. There will also be entertainment on the ‘Gig Rig’ on Saturday afternoon with Catriona Canavan and Friends.

For more information, visit www.clifdentradfest.com, call 0864015342 or email clifdentradfest@yahoo.ie.