RETURN OF TULLAMORE CLUB SESSIONS
Fans of traditional and folk music in the midlands will be glad to learn of the end of the summer hiatus for The Club Sessions which are held in Tullamore. The Sessions which take place in the Tullamore Rugby Club will return on Friday, 28th of September and to keep those impending winter blues away, there will be an explosive double header, certain to deliver the musical goods, as has always been the case at The Club Sessions.
Two very different acts will take to the stage on the night and the first of those will be Ye Vagabonds, a young dynamic duo made up of brothers Diarmuid and Brían Mac Gloinn. Ye Vagabonds are a newly emerged and highly respected act within folk and blues circles. They are an integral part of a lively music scene in Dublin, where they are based, which celebrates and takes influence from folk traditions around the world. Ye Vagabonds in particular draw inspiration from the music and sounds of the Irish/English folk revival of the 1960s and from the Appalachian singing tradition. They will perform a selection of songs taken from folk repertoire but they are also highly regarded for their own compositions, songs which are lyrically rich and dense yet open and inviting to the listener in terms of melody and rhythm. Their style, forged on close harmonies and acoustic instrumentation, is a new sound for the stage of The Club Sessions, but one that audience members will be delighted to encounter and explore.
The second act performing on the evening will be the duet of Liam O'Connor and John Blake. Liam O'Connor is one of Ireland's leading fiddle players. He is a previous recipient of the esteemed TG4 Young Musician of the Year accolade and since then he has firmly placed himself to the forefront of fiddle playing within the Irish tradition. Liam's style is one that draws heavily from his native Dublin background; echoes of Tommie Potts and Sean Keane are to be heard, yet he manages to create his own unique voice while maintaining the deepest and most sincere respect for those that have gone before him in a rich and longstanding musical heritage. His playing is ferocious and exciting, a wildness tamed by his exceptional technical mastery, almost unparalleled among contemporary fiddle players. His rhythm is driving and unforgiving but apace with this is a tenderness, a depth of emotion and a variance of tone and colour which makes Liam O'Connor's fiddle playing some of the richest and most dramatic to be heard in Ireland today.
Playing with O'Connor is one of Ireland's most highly sought after accompanists, John Blake. Coming from the rich musical history of the Irish in London John has been involved in countless projects to date both as a guitarist and piano player. His accompaniment is sympathetic and subtle yet rhythmical and unafraid, placing itself comfortably alongside the melody player. He is also highly regarded as a fantastic flute player, his playing being based in the powerful North Connacht style. He is to be heard on Liam's debut album The Loom, which was released last year to rave reviews and also chosen as the Irish Times Traditional Album of the Year 2017.
Fans of live music in the midlands area should make sure not to miss this opportunity to hear the highest quality of traditional and folk music. This outing of The Club Sessions is one not to be missed.
The event takes place at Tullamore Rugby Club on Friday 28th of September. Doors open at 19:30 and music commences at 20:00. Tickets @ 0872661822 and at door. Supported by Offaly Arts Office.