Music documentary made by Dundalk students premiered
A TV documentary, The Road to Speyfest, an entertaining music documentary made by students on the BA (Hons) Film and Television Production and featuring performances by students from the DkIT Ceol Oirghialla Traditional Music Ensemble was premiered at DkIT last week. Co-produced with Hannah Conroy and John McCallig from the BA (Hons) Film and Television Production programme, the documentary features six students from the BA (Hons) Applied Music programme – Martha Guiney (flute), Brianna Madden (button accordion, vocals), Conor Bogue (banjo), Mike Waters (guitar), Ciara Brannigan (tin whistle, dance), and Jane Meehan (fiddle). The group also featured flute player Maurice Mullen who was a student on the MA Traditional Music Studies, an innovative online programme with students spread throughout the country. An album of newly composed traditional music by lecturers and performers Dr Adèle Commins and Dr Daithí Kearney and co-produced with DkIT graduate Kial Wallace was also launched on the night. A Louth Lilt is inspired by people and places in Louth and further afield. From Norway to Brazil, the legends of the Táin to aspects of everyday life, the music draws on Irish musical traditions with an ear to the wider world. Encompassing influences from the artists’ rich musical experiences, the pieces reflect a lifetime of engaging with musical cultures and personalities. A collection of the tunes featured on the album has also been published, which will be a useful educational resource for students of the music.