Criticism

Avoiding Convention Avoiding Convention Mark Fitzgerald The first CD devoted entirely to the work of Irish composer John McLachlan has recently been released on Farpoint Recordings. Mark Fitzgerald reviews.
Through the Darkness Through the Darkness Don O'Mahony Cork house music duo Fish Go Deep have recently released a new album, 'This Bit of Earth'. Don O'Mahony reviews.
A Modern Tour of Ancient Music A Modern Tour of Ancient Music Brendan Finan The 25th Galway Early Music Festival took place on 21–23 May, featuring Enea Sorini and Peppe Frana, the Irish Consort and Siobhán Armstrong, Aisling Kenny, Róisín Elsafty, Resurgam and more. Brendan Finan reviews.
Exciting Scene Let Down by Stagnant Staging Exciting Scene Let Down by Stagnant Staging Andrea Cleary Andrea Cleary reviews 'Extraterrestrial' – an evening of music and spoken word at the National Concert Hall celebrating Black Irish artists.
A European Tour Under Lockdown A European Tour Under Lockdown James Camien McGuiggan The Sligo International Chamber Music Festival took place online this year with four concerts and three new commissions from Irish composers. James Camien McGuiggan reviews.
Airs for an Ocean Under Duress Airs for an Ocean Under Duress Adrian Scahill Máirtín O’Connor's new climate-emergency-inspired suite of music 'The Mighty Ocean' recently aired on TG4. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Is Music Timeless? Is Music Timeless? James Camien McGuiggan Presented as part of the MusicTown festival this year, 'A Weldon Kane Report – Joe Heaney Is a Time Traveller' explores the revelation that there exists a secret society of time-travelling Irish traditional musicians. James Camien McGuiggan reviews.
Music Worth Making Music Worth Making Adrian Smith The 8th edition of New Music Dublin, Ireland's largest festival of contemporary music, took place on 23–26 April, this time online. With 33 world premieres and a weekend full of concerts, did it manage to maintain the momentum of recent years? Adrian Smith reviews.
A Festival of Different Futures A Festival of Different Futures Brendan Finan On 14–18 April, Louth Contemporary Music Society presented a five-day online festival featuring work by Sarah Hennies, Kevin Volans, Cornelius Cardew, Leo Brouwer and more. Brendan Finan reviews.
When We Think of a Loved One When We Think of a Loved One Don O'Mahony Filmmaker and musician Myles O'Reilly has been releasing music under the title of [Indistinct Chatter] since shortly after the pandemic began. His third record of ambient electronica, 'My Mother's Star' was released last month. Don O'Mahony reviews.

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