Floriane Blancke and Dermot Byrne.
THE Trad Tráthnóna summer concert series in West Donegal, Tionscnamh Lugh is delighted to present Altan’s Dermot Byrne, Floriane Blancke and special guests as part of this year’s Earagail Arts Festival.
This year’s TG4 Gradam Ceoil Traditional Musician Of The Year, Donegal’s own Dermot Byrne and French harpist Floriane Blancke will be playing at Ionad Coise Locha, Dunlewey, on Tuesday, July 9.
Buncrana native Dermot Byrne is of course known as a member of Altan, but also renowned as a solo artist on his instrument of choice, the accordion.
In 2011, Dermot and Floriane recorded a duet album which displays his eclectic taste combining French waltzes with newly-composed pieces, a tune by Turlough O’Carolan and some traditional tunes from Donegal and other counties.
“Tionscnamh Lugh and Earagail Arts Festival celebrating 20 years of working together during the arts festival is a perfect example of what can be achieved when arts organisations work hand in hand to bring the best in Trad Music to Donegal during the festival.
“One of the most memorable of these collaborations was the Tionscnamh Lugh commissioned work involving Donal Lunny and the locally based Cór Thaobh a’ Leithid which involved three separate concerts with such outstanding musicians as, Andy Irvine, Liam O’Flynn, Paddy Glackin Maighread and Triona Ni Dhomhnaill, Altan among others, which culminated in a fabulous concert that was televised and went out on RTE the Following Christmas and has been seen all over the world,” said Ian Smith of Tionscnamh Lugh.
The beauty of the Trad Tráthnóna concerts in Dunlewey is, you never know which special guests may turn up on the night and get up on stage with the hosting musicians, especially not when it’s during the Earagail Arts Festival.
Tickets priced €8 available in person and over the phone at the festival box office at An Grianán Theatre, Letterkenny tel. +353 (0) 74 9120777 or via the website www.eaf.ie (Booking fees apply).