Niamh Parsons & Graham Dunne, Sinéad McKenna @ Belfast TradFest 2022
Niamh Parsons has come to be known as one of the most distinctive voices in Irish music. Her voice has drawn comparisons with such venerated singers as Dolores Keane, June Tabor and Sandy Denny. Described in the Boston Herald as both ‘emotionally haunting’ and ‘tonally as clear as crystal’, Niamh's albums have been 'must-have' collector's items for any lover of songs and singing. She has recorded seven solo studio albums and two live albums to date, and has been a guest on numerous other albums. Niamh duets with her partner, fellow Dubliner, Graham Dunne—there is a spiritual bond between the two when they perform, which draws out the essence of the songs. We are delighted to welcome one time Belfast resident Niamh back to the city for this very special performance.
Sinead McKenna is a fiddler from County Tyrone and a recent recipient of the TG4/Belfast City Council Bursary Award. To recognise five successful years of Belfast hosting TG4’s prestigious Gradam Ceoil awards, Belfast City Council along with TG4 have created a bursary scheme (2022 -2027) for young emerging traditional musicians in the city. Each year, three new recipients will receive support from the scheme. The objectives of the scheme are to enhance traditional music in Belfast, support creativity and cultural expression, professional development and to help promote Belfast as a UNESCO city of music. In partnership with Red Shoe Media, The Duncairn Arts Centre will provide support, media training and mentorship as well as producing a broadcast-quality music video for each recipient. We at Belfast TradFest are delighted to programme the current recipients; Sinéad McKenna, Sorcha Stockman & Brendan Kerr in our festival programme. Keep an eye out for these exciting young musicians over the course of our festival and in the years to come.