Music Generation Laois Presents ‘Music At The Malt House’ 2018
The event kicks off on Friday 13 April at 8pm when Music Generation Laois will present Téada, a traditional Irish band with a truly worldwide reach. Téada has appeared as a frequent headliner at major music festivals across the globe, from the US and Canada to the Middle East and Australia. The band features accomplished musicians Oisín Mac Diarmada (fiddle), Paul Finn (button accordion), Damien Stenson (flutes and various whistles), Seán Mc Elwain (bouzouki and guitar), Seamus Begley (button accordion and singer) and Tristan Rosenstock (bodhrán player).
On Saturday 14 April at 7pm, a line-up of young and professional musicians will take to the stage. The world premiere of Ryan Molloy’s ‘Loinnir Laoise’ will be performed by the Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra. This will be followed by the second-ever performance of Michael Rooney’s ‘Spirit of Laois,’ performed by harpists from the Music Generation Laois Harp Programme, commissioned by Music Generation Laois and funded by the Creative Ireland Laois Programme. The renowned Scottish trad duo Chris Stout (fiddle) and Catriona McKay (harp) will also perform and special guests on the night will include the All Ireland Scor na nÓg Champions from Borris in Ossory/Kilcotton GAA.
Sunday 15 April at 4pm will see the launch of the ‘New Works Series’ album, which has been funded through the Music Generation/Arts Council Partnership. The Music Generation Laois ‘New Works Series’ was commissioned in 2016 to bring young musicians together with three acclaimed professionals to collaborate, write and perform a series of new works for ensembles in the county. The Music Generation Laois National Schools’ Choir, Laois School of Music Youth Orchestra, Music Generation Laois Senior Harp Ensemble and Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra, who each recorded their suites as part of the album, will perform to the audience on the night.
On announcing the event, Rosa Flannery, Coordinator at Music Generation Laois, said: “We’re so excited to host the second annual ‘Music at the Malt House’ event this April, featuring a fantastic line up of young and professional musicians performing new and recent works. It’s also a great pleasure to launch the ‘New Works Series’ album which really showcases the talent and creativity of our young musicians here in County Laois.”
All concerts take place in the restored Malt House building in Stradbally, County Laois.
For tickets and more information about ‘Music at the Malt House’, visit www.dunamaise.ie or phone Dunamaise Arts Centre on 0578663355.
About the Music Generation Laois ‘New Works Series’ Album
Laois Scholl of Music youth Orchestra performing at the premier of the New Work Series 2016. Image by Alf Harvey HRPhoto
The first CD on the album features the Laois School of Music Youth Orchestra and Music Generation Laois National Schools’ Choir performing ‘In My Back Garden’, written by renowned composer Elaine Agnew. Elaine worked with poet Ann Egan, Laois School of Music Youth Orchestra and the Music Generation Laois National Schools’ Choir to create a magical exploration of a back garden, inspired by the imagination of children in their singing programmes. Since its premiere in May 2016, ‘In My Back Garden’ has since been performed on numerous occasions, including the IAYO Festival of Youth Orchestras 2018 in the National Concert Hall, Dublin.
The second CD features the Music Generation Laois Senior Harp Ensemble performing their piece ‘Rising of the Harps’ with Scottish virtuoso harpist Catriona McKay. Catriona worked in intense spurts with the Music Generation Laois Senior Harp Ensemble to create ‘Rising of the Harps,’ a suite of music that draws upon the centenary of the 1916 Rising but also celebrates the recent revival of harping in County Laois. This suite of music has been performed in several manifestations since its premiere, and on every occasion it has changed and grown through experimentation and the addition of new segments.
The third CD features the Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra performing ‘Visions and Voices’ by composer and accordionist Martin Tourish of Altan. Martin developed this suite of music with and for the Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra, reflecting on the events of the Easter Rising, 1916. This suite of music takes the listener on an emotive journey, from the gentle longing of the opening track ‘Pearse’s Oration’ through to the optimism of the final track ‘Into the Future’. This suite has been performed at many concerts and events, for audiences that have included An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Prince Albert of Monaco and Michael Flatley.
About Téada
Téada features Oisín Mac Diarmada (fiddle), Paul Finn (button accordion), Damien Stenson (flutes and various whistles), Seán Mc Elwain (bouzouki and guitar), Seamus Begley (button accordion and singer) and Tristan Rosenstock (bodhrán player). Téada has appeared as a frequent headliner at major music festivals throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Africa, Russia, the Middle East and Australia. Some of their performance highlights include playing a 30,000-capacity stadium concert in Brittany, gigs at the Penang World Music Festival, Malaysia, the Edmonton Folk Festival, Canada, the Harare International Festival of the Arts, Zimbabwe and the Rainforest World Music Festival, Borneo. In 2014, the band performed to 40,000 people during an extensive 7-week tour of Japan and Taiwan, and continues to have a strong touring presence in the United States, where Téada has toured actively since 2001.
Music Generation Laois: Background information
Music Generation Laois is part of Music Generation, Ireland’s national music education programme, initiated by Music Network, co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds and the Department of Education and Skills. Locally Music Generation Laois is managed by Laois Music Education Partnership, led by Laois County Council in partnership with Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board and Laois Partnership Company. www.musicgenerationlaois.ie
