The West Cork Music Masters of Tradition festival in Bantry House runs this year from Wednesday, 15 to Sunday, 19 August. The programme consists of master classes, mid-morning performances (in St Brendan’s Church), evening concerts and late night gigs.

Master classes take place in the mornings in the Maritime Hotel throughout the festival. These are not instrument specific, but rather an opportunity for advanced students to interact with musicians performing at the festival. This interaction is intended more as a dialogue where the artist giving the workshop shares thoughts on what music means to them, what they consider to be important, as well as sharing information on their backgrounds and careers. These classes – this year given by Toner Quinn and Séamus Connolly (fiddle), Kevin Crawford (flute) and Moya Brennan (singer) – can also be attended by members of the public as observers.

With Martin Hayes as artistic director, performing concerts this year are, the groups the Teetotallers, the Tulla Céilí Band, and Väsen (Olov Johanson on the nyckelharpa, Mikael Marin on viola and Roger Tallroth on guitar; fiddle players Séamus Connolly, Malachy Bourke and Toner Quinn, and Hayes himself; flute players June McCormack, and Kevin Crawford; guitar players Dennis Cahill, John Doyle, and Steve Cooney; harpers Cormac De Barra, Michael Rooney, Tríona Marshall; pianist Geraldine Cotter; sean-nós dancer Stephanie Keane; singers Carmen Ibañez, John Flanagan, Len Graham, Maire Ní Chéileachair, and Moya Brennan; and piper Liam O’Flynn.

The programme is as follows:

Wednesday, 15 August

19.30 CEOLCHOIRM
St. Brendan’s Church, Bantry
Martin Hayes (fiddle) and Dennis Cahill (guitar), Len Graham (singer), Toner Quinn (fiddle) and Malachy Bourke (fiddle)

Thursday, 16 August

10.00 MASTERCLASS
Tutored by Toner Quinn

11.30 COFFEE CONCERT
Maire Ní Chéileachair (singer), Carmen Ibáñez Berbel (singer), John Flanagan (singer), Len Graham (singer)

19.30 CEOLCHOIRM
St. Brendan’s Church, Bantry
John Flanagan (singer), Michael Rooney (harp), June McCormack (flute), Liam O’Flynn (uilleann pipes), Steve Cooney (guitar)

Friday, 17 August

10.00 MASTERCLASS
Tutored by Kevin Crawford (flute)

11.30 COFFEE CONCERT
John Doyle (guitar & singer)

19.30 CEOLCHOIRM
Bantry House
Maire Ní Chéileachair (singer), Carmen Ibáñez Berbel (singer), Séamus Connolly (fiddle), Geraldine Cotter (piano)
The Teetotallers (Martin Hayes, Kevin Crawford and John Doyle)
Stephanie Keane (resident dancer)

22.30 NÍOS DEANAÍ
Bantry House
Tulla Céilí Band
Stephanie Keane (resident dancer)

Saturday, 18 August

10.00 MASTERCLASS
Tutored by Séamus Connolly (fiddle)

11.30 COFFEE CONCERT
Kevin Crawford (flute)

19.30 CEOLCHOIRM
Bantry House
Carmen Ibáñez Berbel (singer), Moya Brennan (singer) and Cormac DeBarra (harp), Väsen (nyckelharpa, viola & guitar)

22.30 NÍOS DEANAÍ
Bantry House
Cormac DeBarra (harp), Tríona Marshall (harp), and Michael Rooney (harp)

Sunday 19 August

10.00 MASTERCLASS
Tutored by Moya Brennan (singer)

19.30 CEOLCHOIRM
Bantry House
Martin Hayes (fiddle) and Dennis Cahill (guitar) with friends

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