www.templerecords.co.uk

The Battlefield Band’s, Alasdair White has won the World Traditional Music category in the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards for his album ‘An Clàr Geal’. Belfast man, Robin Morton, Alasdair’s producer and manager said “Alasdair’s musicianship and tune-making have had a great influence on the Battlefield Band repertoire and continuing success, and playing with Battlefield Band has given him that wider audience that his music deserves. We’re all really pleased for him at Temple Records because we know just how talented he is and it’s great to see him getting the acclaim he deserves”.

You can hear a track from ‘An Clár Geal’ and find out more about the album at www.templerecords.co.uk

www.battlefieldband.co.uk

The twin pack CD/DVD will have its UK launch in mid June and this will be followed by US dates in the autumn of 2008. For over 30 years Battlefield Band have created and played traditional Scottish music with a rare passion and joy, delighting audiences around the globe.

The album will be released on Temple Records who told us “This new DVD release captures the excitement and energy of a Battlefield Band performance and translates it to the small screen”, featuring the band in their home country; live in concert from the Brunton Theatre in Musselburgh, Scotland.

www.iconsfestival.com

The Irish Connections (ICONS) Festival of Music and Arts will be held this year on September 12th to the 14th at the Irish Cultural Centre of New England in Canton, MA, not far from Great Blue Hill and Route 128. Over 23,000 people gathered on the site for last year’s festival and this year’s promises to be even better.

The 2008 edition of the festival will again reflect the new cultural directions of Ireland and its Diaspora. The gathering will celebrate the old and the new, traditional and contemporary Irish music, classic with avant-garde; it will show how music and the arts are enjoyed in Ireland and throughout the world in the Irish style - friendly, welcoming, adventurous and spirited. Watch the IMM website for updates over the summer and keep buying this magazine for some previews of the big line-up that will be announced soon.

www.east-durham.org

Featuring the Andy McGann Traditional Music Festival on Saturday, July 19th 2008 from noon to 8 p.m. M.J. Quill Festival Grounds, East Durham, N.Y.
Planning is well underway for another sensational week in the historic Irish American hamlet of East Durham for the 14th Annual Catskills Irish Arts Week hosted by the M.J. Quill Irish Cultural and Sports Centre. This year’s tutors include: Fiddle, Kevin Burke, Seamus Connolly, Willie Kelly, Oisín Mac Diarmada, Matt Cranitch, Liz Kane, Yvonne Kane, Tony DeMarco, Randal Bays, Rose Flanagan, Patrick Ourceau and John McEvoy. Flute will be taught by Catherine McEvoy, Louise Mulcahy, June McCormack, Mike Rafferty, Jimmy Noonan, Laura Byrne and John Wynne. There are equally impressive faculty tutors for whistle, pipes, button accordion, concertina and harp.

JUNE 20th-22nd, 2008
www.centerforirishmusic.org

Featuring: Liz Carroll (fiddle),Tara Bingham-Diamond (flute & whistles), Dermot Diamond (fiddle),Tommy Martin (uilleann pipes, flute & whistles), Daithí Sproule (songs in Irish and English, DADGAD guitar). The McNally-Smith College of Music in downtown.

St. Paul is where this vibrant summer school will be taking place. More on the web including information on public concerts and open sessions at www.centerforirishmusic.org

www.cherishtheladies.com

Michelle Burke is the newest member of ‘Cherish the Ladies’. She grew up in Fermoy in East County Cork into a musical household where Irish ballads and folk songs were the norm. Her father had a local band that played weddings, dances and parties and as soon as Michelle was old enough she was travelling and singing with him. Her love of music brought her to renowned music college University College Cork where Michelle graduated with a degree with honours in music and went on to further achievements when she earned her Master’s degree in Traditional Irish Music and Song in University College Limerick.
She now makes her home in Edinburgh, Scotland where she continues to perform with pianist James Ross whom she has toured extensively with. She continues to delve into other musical styles as she studies jazz singing, while teaching workshops to adult community groups and young folk where she develops their singing and confidence.

More at www.cherishtheladies.com

5th July – 13th July, 2008
www.willieclancy-summerschool.com

July wouldn’t be July without a little bit of music in Miltown Malbay when Clare celebrates the legacy of Willie Clancy. Now in its 36th year it has everything; great sessions, excellent music vendors and some superb traditional concerts. Some events that took our eye from this year’s programme are: the Breandán Breathnach Memorial Lecture on July 5th when Terry Moylan, musician, archivist and writer, will give a talk on Na Piobairí Uilleann 1968-2008 in the Community Hall. On Monday the 7th of July, Dr. Reg Hall will give a talk on Irish Traditional Music in London, this will be a first-hand account as he was there when some of the most famous live recording were made in the 1960’s.
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www.glensmusic.com

With the Gaelic sporting season getting off to a good start in early summer, what an opportune time for the release of a CD of songs about hurlers and hurling? Actually it’s a beautiful little presentation pack with two booklets included, introducing Belfast traditional singer, Éamonn Ó Faogáin.
The second title is ‘Master Fiddlers of County Antrim’ (we are told that this may become a series) featuring Davy Rice and Denis Sweeney. Denis is the fiddle teacher featured on ‘An Fhidil- Céim ar Chéim’ which we highlighted a few weeks ago.
You can find out more from Seán Quinn www.glensmusic.com and his traditional recordings from the Glens of Antrim

www.blas.ie

The Irish World Academy’s twelfth annual Blas Summer School of Irish Traditional Music and Dance takes place from June 23rd to July 4th. With its continuing commitment to providing tuition from the very best-known Irish traditional musicians, singers and dancers, Blas continues to attract students from all over the world, as well as from Ireland. The renowned music school held a competition on RTE Radio One’s Tubridy Show the week we went to press with this issue. Listeners were invited to compete for two scholarships to attend the two-week residential summer school.
Carl Corcoran, Director of Blas and dancer, Colin Dunne one of the principal Blas tutors were interviewed on the show.

www.celticfusion.co.uk

Castlewellan’s Celtic Fusion Award celebrates the achievements of individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to their chosen art form. In its inaugural year the award was given to Tommy Sands. Last year ‘The Godfather’ of Irish Music, Tommy Makem, was presented with the award, recognising a lifetime of musical achievement, a mere month before he lost his battle with cancer. This year the award will again honour a significant contribution to traditional music with the presentation taking place to the Vallely Brothers at their concert with Karan Casey at the Lodge Cultural Centre, Castlewellan on July 16th.