Visionaries and their Words, finishes its Easter tour with a visit to Belfast.

From the pens of Pearse, Connolly, and Plunkett; the acclaimed ART:2016 sponsored visionaries and their words echoes the deep interest in music, culture, and art, held by Ireland’s most inspired cultural and political leaders on its road to independence.

Created by sean-nós singer, Lorcán Mac Mathúna, Visionaries and their words contains exquisite songs and inspiring writing from Plunkett, Connolly, Ceannt and Pearse, which reveals an artistic brilliance and beauty which is overlooked in the analysis of their political revolutionary life. A different side of the architects of The Rising is revealed in visionaries; a side with gives a most intriguing insight into their most intimate thoughts. 

Visionaries celebrates, the creative genius; the cultural achievements and vision of the leaders of the rising through newly composed settings of their poetry; powerful spoken words extracts of their writings; and beautifully animated projected archive imagery. A uniquely creative interpretation of their words, It is a feast for the visual and aural senses.

In Visionaries the character of these four signatories shines through in the music. Lorcán Mac Mathúna, draws from their poetry to reflect the musical influence that touched on their lives, and uncovers the Sean-Nós of Pearse, the 

The first Show of 2017 was staged in Wexford and was described by the Wexford Echo as “a truly tantalising melange of music, songs and readings based on the writings of Pearse, Plunkett, Connolly and Ceannt and those texts proved not only how concerned they were about culture, art and education but they expressed their views with a vivacity and articulation rare in today’s political landscape”

Featuring: 
Lorcán Mac Mathúna (voice)
Íde Nic Mhathúna (voice and concertina); 
Martin Tourish (accordion), 
Daire Bracken (fiddle, guitar), 
Eamonn Galdubh (uillean pipes, saxophone, flute, bodhrán); 
Elaine O’Dea (spoken word)

“Remarkable, there is no other word to describe this exceptional evening” –Bretagne Presse

“There’s a remarkeable empathy evident in the musical settings of the poetry. Voices and fiddles rise and soar skywards in Joseph Plunkett’s The Cloud… startlingly original” -FROOTS

“The mood ranges from the atmospheric idealism and love poetry of Joseph Plunkett through James Connolly’s literal demand for the earth of Ireland, Éamonn Ceannt’s piping legacy and Pearse’s brooding, inspirational rallying calls” -The Living Tradition