July 15th – 21st, 2012
www.sssschool.org

Nestled at the foot of the Ox Mountains, the south Sligo town of Tubbercurry is the setting for the 26th South Sligo Summer School of traditional music, song & dance this July.
Classes are held each morning in several traditional instruments including fiddle, flute, harp, concertina, uilleann pipes, tin whistle, traditional guitar, banjo, bodhrán, traditional piano/keyboard accompaniment and piano and button accordians. Traditional singing and lilting classes as well as a singing class in the sean nós style are also included in the daily program of classes. All classes and workshops are facilitated by tutors of the highest calibre and classes are graded in all instruments. As well as daily set dancing and sean nós dancing workshops, dancers have a full program of nightly céilís to look forward to with a great variety of the best bands from all corners of the country, including the locally based Swallow’s Tail, Dartry and Innisfree Céilí bands, and, paying their first visit to Tubbercurry, the Deenagh Ceilí Band from Kerry.

Daily lectures and talks are an established feature of the summer school and topics will be as varied and interesting as ever this year.  Included in the program are presentations on the guitar in traditional music, the origins and development of the concertina in Irish traditional music and elements of Irish/American fiddle styles, presented by Seamie O’Dowd, Jack Talty and Martin Dowling. Two further talks on transmission and metaphoric practice in Irish traditional music and the history, influence and playing styles of the bouzouki in traditional Irish music, presented respectively by Michelle Mulcahy and Paddy Kerr, complete this year’s line–up of afternoon lectures.

Nightly concerts and recitals featuring summer school tutors and local and visiting musicians are an integral part of the week’s activities. For the past number of years the Monday night concert, which takes place in St. Attracta’s Community School, has been held in honour of a local musician or group of musicians who have made a special contribution to the summer school and/or the musical heritage of County Sligo. This year is no exception and the committee are delighted to be honouring piper Brian Gallahar. Brian has been teaching the uilleann pipes at the South Sligo Summer School since the school was established in 1987 and it is with great pride and pleasure that the committee look forward to honouring him at this year’s summer school.

Further details and information Tel: 00-353-71-9120912,
Tel: 00-353-71-9182151, email southsligosummerschool@eircom.net
or www.sssschool.org