The Galway Sessions
June 16th – 22nd, 2014
This year the Galway Sessions festival presents a packed programme of events including concerts, recitals, parades, street entertainment, a singers club, lectures and an extensive pub–session trail at various venues throughout the historic medieval centre of Galway City.
The theme of this year’s festival is composers. Galway is extremely fortunate to be home to a great many contemporary tune–smiths and song–writers who continue to enrich and add to the traditional music repertoire. Those who will perform their compositions at the various concerts and recitals throughout the week include: Mairtin O’Connor, Marcus Hernon, Johnny Óg Connolly, Charlie Lennon, Michael McCauge and singers Don Stiffe, Tim Lyons and Noelie MacDonnell. One full day of events will be devoted to the compositions of the legendary Paddy Fahy one of the most prolific and respected composers of traditional music this era. His music will be performed by Liz and Yvonne Kane, Breda and Claire Keville and Liam Lewis amongst others. Also featuring in the festival will be Scottish composer and accordion player John Burns from Stirling.
The premier event on the afternoon of Saturday 21st will be a pipe band parade featuring Scottish, Irish and American pipe bands led by the famed Irish Thunder Pipe Band from Philadelphia. The parade which will also feature highland dancers will proceed through Galway’s Latin Quarter to Galway’s West End. Other acts performing at the festival include: Solas, We Banjo 3, Cathal Hayden, Jimmy Higgins, Seamie O’Dowd, Donal McCague, Brian McGrath and Kate Purcell.
The festival closes with a special tribute concert to the late Tony Small on Sunday 22nd at Galway’s Town Hall Theatre. Tony Small was one of Galway’s best loved Singers and Songwriters and was acclaimed worldwide. A stellar line–up of singers will perform a selection of Tony’s songs on the night.
Festival venues include some of Galway’s finest traditional pubs and music venues such as Ti Choili, Taffee’s Bar, The King’s Head, Monroe’s, The Roisin Dubh and the Crane Bar.
For further information visit the website www.galwaysessions.com or Tel: 00353 (0)87 2245637
