Return to Camden Town Festival 2014
The 16th Return to Camden Town Festival will be a 6 day extravaganza of the finest in traditional Irish music, song and dance, all packed into one very long weekend. Featuring concerts, sessions, album launches, set dancing céilís, workshops and more, the Festival will run from Wednesday 22nd until Monday 27th October 2014.
This year will see Return to Camden Town hosting events collaboratively for the first time with the prestigious music and arts venue, King’s Place – see www.kingsplace.co.uk. On Friday 24th October, the Brock McGuire Band will headline, supported by CrossHarbour. Sunday 25th October will feature Macalla (in their 30th anniversary year), supported by The London Lasses and Chris O’Malley. Tickets are on sale now for these concerts at www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on-book-tickets.
Other events featured in the Festival’s new multi-venue format include the Saturday 25th October headline concert at the Crown Moran Hotel, Cricklewood, with Frankie Gavin and De Dannan, supported by Peter Coughlan (of Céiluradh fame). Tickets are available at www.musicglue.co.uk. The Green Note, on Camden’s Parkway – see www.greennote.co.uk- will host a concert on Wednesday 22nd October with new quartet, Artisan Row, featuring Conor Doherty, Elma McElligott, Pete Quinn and Karen Ryan. On Thursday 23rd October, academic, musician and historian of Irish music in England, Reg Hall, will speak about and launch the album, ‘The Flax in Bloom: The Traditional Music of Ulster in the 1950s’, at The Auld Triangle – see www.auldtriangle.co.uk - in Finsbury Park.
The London Irish Centre – see www.londonirishcentre.org – will be filled over the weekend by a comprehensive programme of sessions, workshops, album launches, singing events and set dancing céilís. From West Limerick, Donal Murphy and his band (Breaking Trad) will delight set dancers in the Centre’s McNamara Hall, while a host of musicians and singers will feature at the Centre itself, the Musical Traditions Club – see www.mustradclub.co.uk - and a variety of Camden venues.
The line-up so far includes Frankie Gavin and De Dannan, The Brock McGuire Band, Macalla, The Donal Murphy Band, Harry Bradley (TG4 Musician of the Year), The London Lasses and Chris O’Malley, Maggie Boyle, CrossHarbour, Tony Ryan, Patsy Maloney and John Regan. There will be album launches from Tommy McCarthy and Louise Costello, Neansaí Ní Choisdealbha, Conor Doherty, Mary McNamara and Kevin Madden – with more still to be confirmed.
The concentration of all Festival events for the first time into one extended weekend will make for a great atmosphere across all venues as the Irish community and friends gather in the Camden area for London’s ultimate celebration of Irish music, song and dance.
Full programme information is at www.returntocamden.org. See us also on www.facebook.com/returntocamdentown and Twitter -@Returntocamden.
