Siansa Gael Linn 2013 Finals to be Attended by President

Teaspach, winners of 2012 Siansa Gael Linn finals

Siansa Gael Linn 2013 Finals to be Attended by President

The 2013 Siansa Gael Linn finals will take place on Sunday, 14 April at the National Concert Hall. Having qualified through two preliminiary rounds, the groups performing in this year’s competition are from Corofin, Co. Galway; St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt, Co. Derry; Meánscoil San Nioclás, An Rinn, Co. Waterford; Castletroy College, Limerick; Laurel Hill Coláiste FCJ, Limerick; Coláistí Eoin/Íosagáin, Dublin, who came second last year; Raheny, Dublin, who were in the finals last year; and Sligo Grammar School, who will be trying to follow in the footsteps of last year’s winners, Teaspach (pictured). 

To help with the arrangements, the young musicians were given an opportunity to attend workshops with Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich and Ciarán Ó Maonaigh. Having given the young musicians tips and advice at the workshops, they will now also judge the final alongside Mary Bergin. Each group will play their own ten- to twelve-minute traditional-music arrangement, which must include an Irish song, and will be judged on their overall performance on the night, including choice of music, arrangement, singing and ensemble playing.

With a prize fund of €4,500, and plenty of performance opportunities opened up for the winners, there is bound to be a high standard of music and intense competition on the night. Previous participants have had considerable success in the music world in the last few years. The 2010 winners, Ioscaid, went on to receive the BBC 2 Young Folk Award 2012, while Caoimhín Ó Fearghail, a member of the winning group in 2008, won the TG4 Young Musician of the Year award last year. Jos and Ted Kelly, with Paddy Hazelton, members of the Sligo group who won the Siansa 2009 final, have recorded a debut CD and have been playing professionally as the JPTrio and with Moxie. 

With Gael Linn celebrating its sixtieth anniversary this year, the organisation is delighted that President Michael D. Higgins will attend this year’s final. The concert will be broadcast live from the National Concert Hall on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta on Sunday, 14 April at 7.30pm and will be compered by station presenter, Áine Hensey. This year also, as part of the anniversary celebrations, the television production company Red Shoe will be in the NCH to record a programme about Siansa Gael Linn for future broadcast on TG4

Tickets are for sale from the National Concert Hall on -01-4170000 and nch.ie.

gael-linn.ie.

 

Published on 19 March 2013

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