Focus

Bringing the Absent Party Bringing the Absent Party Andrea Cleary Dublin four-piece The Scratch blend metal and folk with boisterous performances. Andrea Cleary reviews their debut album, 'Couldn't Give a Rats'.
There is No Going Back Now: Live Music and the Pandemic There is No Going Back Now: Live Music and the Pandemic Toner Quinn The COVID-19 pandemic means we are going to witness another radical shift in music in the digital age, writes Toner Quinn.
Arc of the Seasons Arc of the Seasons Shannon McNamee Galway songwriter Anna Mullarkey has recently released her debut album 'Spéir', commissioned by Galway 2020. Shannon McNamee reviews.
The More Things Change The More Things Change Andrea Cleary Dublin rap artist Lethal Dialect has recently released 'LD50 Part 3', the third release in his LD50 project documenting the split in modern Ireland's social fabric. Andrea Cleary reviews.
Sweet Siblings Sweet Siblings Tara Broderick Irish National Opera's most recent production was a version of 'Hansel and Gretel' directed by Louis Lovett and Muireann Ahern. Tara Broderick reviews the Galway performance.
New Music Up a Notch New Music Up a Notch Adrian Smith Ireland's largest contemporary music festival New Music Dublin took place at the National Concert Hall and nearby venues last weekend and featured twenty concerts and twenty-two world premieres. Adrian Smith reviews.
The Land From Which it Came The Land From Which it Came Moya Sweeney In the fourth review from our new Traditional Music Writer Mentoring Scheme, supported by the Arts Council, Moya Sweeney reviews the latest recording from the Donegal traditional group Fidil.
Can Anyone But Artists Themselves Solve Their Money Problems? Can Anyone But Artists Themselves Solve Their Money Problems? Toner Quinn If artists and musicians are ever going to solve their perennial financial issues then it is time for a different approach, writes Toner Quinn.
Transforming the Traditional Sound Transforming the Traditional Sound Ciara O'Leary Fitzpatrick In the third review from our new Traditional Music Writer Mentoring Scheme, supported by the Arts Council, Ciara O'Leary Fitzpatrick reviews a Music Network concert in Cork featuring Galician piper Anxo Lorenzo, Dónal O’Connor, Jim Murray and Jack Talty.
A New Time for the Irish Language and Classical Music A New Time for the Irish Language and Classical Music Brendan Finan A new collection of Irish-language art songs, written by a range of Irish and international composers, is being premiered in three concerts at the National Concert Hall. Brendan Finan reviews the first concert which took place on 15 February.

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