The St. Columcille United Gaelic Pipe Band from the Scots-Irish stronghold of Kearny, New Jersey made history when they became the first band outside of Ireland or the U.K. to win an All-Ireland Pipe Band Championship. In early July, the band competed in New Ross, County Wexford, against the best of the best in the 73rd annual All- Ireland Pipe Band Championship, and won out in … [Read more...] about U.S. Pipe Band Win All-Ireland Title
Music Archives
Our Steps, Our Story: An Irish Dance Legacy
For 10 days in July, the New York Public Library (N.Y.P.L.) partnered with choreographer and original Riverdance star dancer Jean Butler to lead a workshop celebrating the history and variety of Irish dance. Titled “Our Steps, Our Story: An Irish Dance Legacy,” the program took the form of live discussion and performance, and was filmed in what will be the first of four … [Read more...] about Our Steps, Our Story: An Irish Dance Legacy
Poets-PatriotsConcert Now on CD
San Francisco-based DW Productions is releasing a 2-CD set of Ireland’s Poet-Patriots, A Musical History, commemorating the 1916 rebellion, which was recorded live in concert at the Washington National Cathedral late last year. Conductor Scott Tucker helmed the production that combined classical and traditional Irish music. Irish and Irish-American leaders also acted as … [Read more...] about Poets-PatriotsConcert Now on CD
Wild Irish Women: Touched by Fire
Sinéad rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra. She will release a new album under a new name, Magda Davitt, in 2019. In between she has battled mental illness and controversy – she was one of the first to speak out about the abuses by the Catholic Church – but hers remains one of the purest voices in music. Whenever her name comes up these … [Read more...] about Wild Irish Women: Touched by Fire
Turlough O’Carolan: The Irish Vivaldi
In 1691, a poor, blind, twenty-one year old son of a blacksmith and his guide set out on a journey from a backwater estate, Alderford, near the town of Balyfarnon, County Roscommon, hoping to make a living as an itinerant harper. He seemed an unlikely figure to leave a lasting stamp on Ireland’s musical culture, yet Turlough O’Carolan would become a great composer, creating … [Read more...] about Turlough O’Carolan: The Irish Vivaldi