After a two year break we are delighted to be back and to present the full program for Music Under The Mountains 2022, which promises to be a great weekend of music.
We kick off the festival on Culture Night (Friday, Sept. 23rd) with “The Dublin Trio” (Kevin Conneff, Joe McKenna, Tony Byrne) in St. Kevin’s Church of Ireland.
Kevin Conneff is probably best known as the bodhrán player and vocalist with The Chieftains since 1976. For many years, he and friends ran the prestigious Tradition Club in Slattery’s of Capel Street, where singers and musicians from all over Ireland and the U.K. performed. These included Willie Clancy, Séamus Ennis, Joe Heaney, Treasa Ní Mhiolláin, Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger and Anne Briggs. Apart from touring and recording with The Chieftains, he has performed with Mary Bergin, Tim Edey, Redmond O’Toole, and from Nashville, Jeff White, Laura Cash and Deanie Richardson.
A pupil of Leo Rowsome, Joe McKenna has been a touring musician all his life. Joe is known for his mastery of the Uilleann pipes and his fearlessness in taking his playing to the edge. His playing retains much of the character of Uilleann piping from the past but it is very much alive to the present. His music is big hearted, playful and fiery.
Tony Byrne, Dublin guitarist, has been involved in music from a young age. Following family holidays in West Kerry, Tony developed an Interest in Irish traditional music and has been involved in the performance, recording and teaching of it since leaving college in 1999. Past performances include concerts with acts such as Danu, Sharon Shannon, Michael mc Goldrick, Gerry o Connor, David Munnelly Band, Matt Molloy, Paul Brady, Julie Fowlis, Lunasa and many more.
This is a free event made possible by the kind support of Creative Ireland and Wicklow County Council, advance booking is advised to avoid disappointment!
Saturday kicks off with a return to our workshops with Paul Bradley (Fiddle) and Tim Doyle (Uilleann Pipes).
Paul Bradley is a fiddler, fiddle maker and poet. He obtained a diploma in violin making, restoration and repair from the renowned Newark School of Violin Making in Nottingham, England, in addition, his 1998 album Atlantic Roar (Tuaim na Fairraige) gained a 5 star review from the Irish Times. Paul is no stranger to Music Under The Mountains or Hollywood, playing here on several occasions and tutoring in the music school and also having lived locally for many years before moving back to his native Armagh last year, we are delighted to welcome him back to Hollywood!
Tim Doyle is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist (Fiddle, Concertina, Uillean pipes) and is a double All-Ireland winner on Uilleann Pipes, more recently he has been a tutor for Music Generation Wicklow and indeed has been an advanced tutor and band coordinator for the music school in Hollywood the last two years.
Saturdays festival session takes place in Tutty’s at 4.30pm with Michelle O’Brien (Fiddle) and Aogán Lynch (Concertina). Michelle is also no stranger to Music Under The Mountains having performed here on many occasions. Both are integral member of the Dublin Trad scene and we are delighted to have them with us for a great afternoon of tunes!
Saturday Evening sees our feature concert in St. Kevin’s Church with Andy Irvine! Andy needs little introduction, with his impressive repertoire of Irish traditional songs and dexterous Balkan dance tunes, he creates an exciting new fusion of Irish and World Music not to be missed. Having travelled the world with bands such as Sweeney’s Men, Patrick Street, Planxty, and more recently Mozaik, he continues to pursue new combinations and styles of music. He has broadened his musical horizons over the course of his forty-year career to encompass the musical styles of countries he visits, such as the Balkan folk style of playing. Between the achievements of his solo, group work and collaborations, he is a highly revered troubadour of the Irish music world. Andy Irvine never fails to deliver a pulsating, heartfelt performance! This will be a spectacular, intimate concert and tickets are strictly limited, advance booking is advised!
Sunday begins with our annual singing session in Tutty’s, hosted this year by Ger Fitzgerald. From early years Ger has been noted as a gifted traditional singer. She performs easily in different genres, from the Traditional ballads of Ireland to Sean Nós, and is also comfortable with the songs of contemporary artists. Until; last year Ger lived just outside the village so we are delighted to welcome her back to Hollywood!
We conclude the scheduled events on a high with a session in The Hollywood Inn at 4pm with Joe McHugh (Uilleann Pipe & Whistles), joined by Barry Carroll (Hammer Dulcimer) and Emer Casey (Fiddle).
Like many, Joe McHugh, originally from Derry became fascinated with music at an early ages and was taught to play the piano by his mother and later taught himself to play the guitar and mandolin. He started to learn the pipes from local pipers in the Derry area such as Brendan Saunders and Finbar McLaughlin. Early influences were the music of Planxty and the Bothy Band especially the piping of Paddy Keenan. Later Joe met pipers such as Joe McKenna who also influenced Joe’s music. In 1990/1991 Joe recorded “The Long Finger. An Mhéar Fhada” with Barry Carroll (Hammer Dulcimer). Joe curates “The Tutty’s Session” every second Thursday evening in Tutty’s Bar, Hollywood, which has become established as one of West Wicklow’s premier sessions, with a steady stream of quality regular and guest musicians!
Barry Carroll is regarded as the finest Hammer Dulcimer player in Ireland today and regularly plays in a duo with Joe McHugh, recording the album “The Long Finger. An Mhéar Fhada” together in the early 90’s.
Emer Casey is a fiddle player originally from Donard, Co. Wicklow, whom has established herself firmly in the Trad scene in Wicklow and beyond. She is a regular contributor to “The Tutty’s Session” every second Thursday in Hollywood and has been a regular contributor to Music Under The Mountains these past years.
As always there are bound to be sessions galore throughout the weekend and we encourage all to come along and enjoy the music. As always the primary focus of the weekend is to raise funds for the continuation of the Music School in Hollywood.
Full festival program is available at musicunderthemountains.com
