August 15th – 19th, 2012
www.westcorkmusic.ie

West Cork Music is delighted to be able to announce that the 10th Masters of Tradition Festival will be taking place from Wednesday 15th – Sunday 19th August in Bantry House, Bantry, Co. Cork.

Looking set to build on the resounding success of the last nine years, the 2012 Masters of Tradition Festival will throw open its doors to some of the very best musicians in the land.

This unique Festival gives performers the freedom to choose what they play in the glorious surroundings of Bantry House and St Brendan’s Church. The idea for the festival evolved from Artistic Director Martin Hayes’ call to create a quiet and intimate space where the heart of traditional music could be exposed. The concept has evolved over the years to produce this event that encompasses a simpler, less cluttered performance format and involving some of the very best Irish musicians sharing their take on traditional music.

As ever the Festival is headlined by Martin Hayes, the fiddler from East Clare, whose distinctive touch and extravagant virtuosity has brought the tradition to new levels. His famous trance-evoking sets with Dennis Cahill have mesmerised audiences all over the world. So the five days of music-making in Bantry will be opened and closed by the resident master. Martin Hayes says, I have attended almost all of the performances each year of this festival and every time I leave Bantry, I do so with a renewed faith in the strength of this music. Within this subtle setting, our music reveals sophistication and artfulness and its inherent virtuosity of thought.”

Keep an eye on www.westcorkmusic.ie for announcements of this year’s line-up. The Masters of Tradition Festival is generously supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, Failte Ireland and Cork County Council.