Collaborations

The Highland Saga Show

The multimedia music show "Highland Saga" playing classics like "Amazing Grace" and "Auld Lang Syne" - performed by the singers and musicians of the Highland Saga Band, and reinforced with the powerful sound of the scottish bagpipes and drums. The audience go on a musical journey through time with Highland Saga and learns the story of young Dougie Cunningham who grows up in the Scottish Highlands who falls in love, and joins the legendary Scots Guards. Does the story have a happy ending...? more »

Blue - featuring Emily Spiers

"The band's line-up is fresh and exciting. Emily's vocals and stage-presence are second to none, her voice fills a room, leaving an audience spellbound and always wanting more. Enhanced by their driving rhythm section of bouzouki and bodhrán, these musicians have produced a sound that reflects the subtleties of light and shade, with a mixture of powerful and emotive contemporary Irish music and song, as well as some new compositions. Their style combines depth, texture and energy, which both drives the band and is exhilarating to experience live." more »

Harriet Earis & Colman Connolly

Making a name for themselves as a dynamic and innovative duo. Their unusual combination of harp with uilleann pipes, flute and whistles makes for a head-turning alliance. Their music is foot-tapping and infectious.Together they take a refreshingly modern approach to the two archetypal instruments of Ireland, the harp and the uilleann pipes, developing their own sound that is fun, lively and expressive. By adding new rhythms, harmonies and arrangements to traditional tunes as well as composing some of their own, they aim to foster a living tradition, music that is breathing and changing but also in touch with its roots. Together they create a performance that is tight and polished, full of energy and drive and a total enthusiasm for their music. more »

Déirin Dé & Elphin

The expressive and incomparable singing of native Irish Ann Grealy forms the heart of the six-piece Irish/German band. The wide range of songs performed by the Dublin-born lead vocalist extends from soulful melancholic ballads to humorous and spirited songs, accompanied by the band's virtuous instrumentalists. The five musicians, lost to Irish music with body and soul, inspire with a mixture of solid backing and tastefully arranged Irish dances such as jigs, reels, hornpipes and polkas. Beautiful waltzes and airs, with their own compositions and unusual interpretations of popular trad tunes that rounds off their evenings program of entertainment.

Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer

Vicki Swan & Jonny effortlessly blend traditional material with contemporary sounds. Their performances showcase new interpretations of old songs alongside original self penned tunes and new contemporary songs that are entirely at home in the tradition. Be entranced by the haunting nyckelharpa, amazed at the cow horn (one of the worlds earliest communication devices) and meet some of the bagpipes that didn't come from Scotland. Suitable for all ages, their evenings are packed with toe tapping tunes and songs of love, death, trains and dressing up (not always at the same time) all presented with sparkling gentle humour, lots of smiles and skillful musicianship. These two have been carving out a reputation for delivering innovative new slants on traditional tunes and fascinating original compositions in festivals and folk clubs around the country over the last number of years. Vicki's unique style of playing the Scottish Smallpipes, at once spell-bindingly beautiful and haunting, is perfectly complimented by Jonny's driving guitar playing. On stage the two create a performance that is always fun and never dull! more »

The Speech Project - Gerry Diver

New compositions by Gerry Diver featuring exclusive spoken word contributions from Shane MacGowan, Damien Dempsey, Christy Moore, Martin Hayes and Danny Meehan. Archive interviews from Joe Cooley also feature in the compositions.

The music is derived from the melody and rhythm of the spoken words. Described by one of the interviewees as "a kind of folk minimalism on the cutting edge of folk crossover" On hearing Joe Cooley's voice Gerry realised it sounded as if it were in the key of B flat minor and there also seemed to be a slip jig rhythm in his voice these musical hues formed the basis for the Speech Project. Slowly grew a following of other musician interested in Gerry's concept, including two pices from Christy Moore being turned into musical compositions and other interviews with Shane MacGowan, Damien Dempsey, Martin Hayes and Danny Meehan have given birth to more stunning tracks. more »

Emily Spires and the Tunesmiths

Emily and the Tunesmiths is Emily Spiers, Colman Connolly and Steph West on two flutes, two voices, pipes and harp. Exploring a love of Irish dance tunes, song and funk, the Tunesmiths are an Oxford/London band whose music lies somewhere between Nina Simone and Lúnasa. Having played together in other guieses for many years, you can also hear them on the The Half-moon Lovers album which is Emily's song album.