A CELEBRATION OF BILL
WHELAN with the RTÉ CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Friday 27 August, 8pm - National Concert Hall
Ellen Cranitch presenter. Featuring Bill Whelan piano, Julie
Feeney & Morgan Crowley vocalists, Zoë Conway fiddle,
Declan Masterson uilleann pipes, Rodrigo Romani Galician
harp, Mel Mercier bodhrán, Mia Cooper violin, Éilís
Egan accordion, dancers including Yolanda Gonzalez Sobrado
and Alan Kenefick, David Brophy conductor.
Bill Whelan, Grammy-winning composer of Riverdance, is the
very special guest for this celebration of his music. An
exciting line-up of the best Irish and international singers,
dancers and instrumentalists joins the orchestra and its
Principal Conductor David Brophy to pay tribute to one of
Ireland's musical treasures.
At the 1994 Eurovision, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra
gave the electrifying first performance of the original
Riverdance music, the genesis of what went on to become
an entire show and a worldwide phenomenon. Experience the
thrill live again this evening as the orchestra builds to
the irresistible, unforgettable climax of that famous piece
- as breathtaking a musical experience as ever.
With a programme also including Inishlacken, Dan do Lara,
Timedance, The Seville Suite and more, this evening will
be a fitting celebration of Bill Whelan's powerful, moving
and exhilarating music.
Charity concert in aid of
the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre. Featuring Rita Connolly
& Liam O'Flynn at the Dublin's National
Concert Hall on 12th Sept 2010. Also appearing will be Sean
Keane (Chieftains), Arty McGlynn,
Seamus Begley, Neil Martin,
Rod McVey, Shaun Davey, and Noel
Eccles.
Rita Connolly
& Shaun Davey
will appear at the Clifden Arts Festival
on Sept 18th in company with Gerry O'Beirne and Eóin
Ó Beaglaoich.
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**
A number of Tara titles are once again available to
buy by download. Click Here
for more details**
Tara Music (formerly known as Tara Records) have,
since the 1970's, been regarded by many as the leading
traditional Irish music label.
Their first release was anú album called 'Prosperous'
by a young Irish folk Singer Christy Moore,
at that stage a lowly cult figure. Then in the early
eighties there were two albums from Irish traditional
music stars Planxty and two further
solo albums from Christy. These were followed two
albums from traditional Irish groups Clannad
' and the first of numerous albums from a promising
new Irish group called Stockton's Wing.
All four acts above are now legendary names in Irish
music.
In the late seventies, Tara recorded Shaun
Davey's 'The Brendan Voyage' a ground-breaking
album which featured Liam O'Flynn
on uilleann (Irish) pipes and a full orchestra. The
Brendan Voyage launched Shaun Davey as a contemporary
Irish orchestral composer of international standard
and led to several further albums on the Tara Music
label. Most of Shaun's works feature the truly exceptional
vocalist Rita Connolly and the Irish
piping ledgend Liam O'Flynn - both of whom have also
recorded numerous solo albums for the Tara label under
Shaun's supervision as producer.
Although the Riverdance show and
its music appeared to be an overnight success, elements
of the music had been developing over many years prior
to the Riverdance event. Andy Irvine
together with Davy Spillane introduced
Eastern European music and time signatures to Irish
traditional for the first time on the EastWind album
which was produced by Riverdance composer Bill
Whelan this album is now widely regarded
as first seeds of what later became Riverdance. While
albums such as Davy Spillane's 'Out of the Air' and
'Pipedreams' as well as 'The Storm' by Moving
Hearts feature some of the musical elements
and instruments that are easily recognisable in their
influence on the Riverdance music.
In recent years Tara Music's releases have included
the cream of Irish traditional music artists including,
The Voice Squad, Zoe Conway,
Alan Kelly, Emma Kate Tobia,
Mairtin O'Connor, Frankie
Gavin, Beal Tuinne and Michelle
Lally.
You will find a wealth of information on these artists
and albums through this site.
The full Tara Music CD Catalogue now available online
from Backstreetmerch.com.
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EastWind
Andy Irvine & Davy Spillane
 EastWind has justifiably
been described as the precursor album to Riverdance. Produced
and arranged by Bill Whelan the album includes
the multi-instrumentalist Nikola Parov
who contributed the Bulgarian element together with Marta
Sebestyen giving her wonderful vocal talent to
the project. The lead Irish players featured Davy
Spillane, Máirtín O’Connor
and of course Andy Irvine. When Andy Irvine
first visited the Balkans in the late 60s the music had
such impact and influence on him that he returned to Ireland
with new musical ideas, soon to be introduced and played
by the ground breaking band Planxty. This
innovative music had an immediate and positive audience
response and thus found its way on to virtually all the
Planxty recordings.
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