Worldwide visitors will attend summer school
FINAL PLANS are now in place for the 31st Year of the South Sligo Summer School of Traditional Music, Song and Dance in Tubbercurry which runs from Sunday 9th to Saturday, 15th July 2017. This year newly elected Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council Seamus Kilgannon will officially open the 31st Summer School. Following the official opening in St. Brigid’s Hall at 7.30 pm on Sunday, 9th, to which everyone is invited.
With people attending from almost every county in Ireland as well as from countries worldwide including New Zealand, USA, Australia, Hong Kong and Japan, the people of South Sligo are really looking forward to once again welcoming visitors, students and musicians from all over to Tubbercurry.
This year there will be a group of school children from Switzerland who will be attending the summer school classes. Young Spanish students who attend the summer school every year as part of their month long summer course in Tubbercurry will also be going along.
Pre- registration for all classes and workshops is available online www.sssschool.org Registration takes place on Monday morning, 10th July from 8.30 – 10 am in St. Brigid’s Hall. The courses are recognized by the Department of Education & Skills as C. P. D. for primary teachers. Further details from 087- 9556468. Limited places still available.
Set dancing is a major part of the South Sligo Summer School under the expert guidance of Pat Murphy. This year the stellar line up of céilí bands in St. Brigid’s Hall includes Sligo’s own Dartry Céilí Band, playing on Wednesday, 12th and the Swallows Tail Céilí Band on Sunday, 9th & Thursday, 13th.
Registered students have free entry into the céilí on Thursday night. Other bands playing during the week include Matt Cunningham & Glenside Céili Band, both big favourites in Tubbercurry down the years, as well as Long Note, Taylors Cross and Rise the Dust. All céilís start at 8.30 pm nightly with the exception of one extra céilí on Saturday 15th from 3 – 6 pm.
Sean nós dancing classes take place on Monday- Friday afternoons from 4 - 6 pm. Edwina Guckian will be teaching these workshops, suited to all ages and abilities. Edwina teaches a great variety of steps and will also introduce the dancers to chair, barrel and brush dancing.
Daily workshops in a wide variety of traditional instruments will take place all week in St. Attracta’s Community School and in a number of other venues around town.
The very successful Mixed Instruments Workshop for adults will be available again this year, facilitated by Fiona Doherty and Michael Hurley. The ‘ Introduction to Irish Music on Harmonica’ with Rick Epping was a big hit last year andthe class is now being extended. Rick will teach harmonica ( Key of G) from 10 am – 1 pm on Tuesday, 11th to Saturday 15th inclusive – all levels welcome.
A course in Audio Production for Irish Traditional Music with Jack Talty is available again this year. This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone interested in learning more about the recording and production aspects of the world of traditional music and Jack will have a recording studio set up in Tubbercurry for the week to facilitate this course.
There is a fantastic line- up of tutors in all instruments once again this year. Singing tuition by Connemara’s Caitríona Ni Cheannabháin and Sligo’s Caoimhe Kearins will cater for all levels of ability. Interested participants will also have some tuition in lilting during the week’s singing classes. The very popular singing sessions take place in Murphy’s Hotel again this year on Tuesday and Thursday from 9.30 pm.
For beginners and improvers, there will be afternoon Junior and Adult ‘ Slow Sessions’ led by our tutors. Details of times and venues will be available to registered students on Monday morning in their classes.
This year there will be half price entry to the two concerts on Monday and Friday nights to young people under 18 and half price fees for our series of afternoon masterclasses during the week. This is in conjunction with Music Generation Sligo.
Masterclasses are open to experienced players in the following instruments: fiddle, flute, button accordion, banjo and concertina. Places are filling up fast. Masterclass tutors for 2017 are Angelina Carberry, Catherine McEvoy, Derek Hickey, David Doocey, John McEvoy, Liam O’Connor, John Wynne & Tony O’Connell.
Nightly concerts and recitals featuring tutors, local and visiting musicians are a hugely popular part of the summer school and open to everyone to come along and listen to the very best in traditional music and song in an intimate acoustic setting. Pure magic awaits each and every member of our audiences for the week.
This year’s Monday night concert in St. Attracta’s Community School is in honour of John McHugh. John, from Foxford, Co. Mayo, is a fine traditional fiddle player, music teacher and mentor and longstanding member of the Swallows Tail Céili Band.
He has a long association with the South Sligo Summer School. Tickets will be available at the door and the concert starts at 8 pm sharp. Then on Tuesday, 10th, North Roscommon flute player Tommy Guihen will launch his new CD, ‘ The Torn Jacket’ at the Recital at 8 pm. Tommy’s album showcases his love for the old, local music of his native Roscommon.
Rounding off the week on Saturday, 15th July, everyone is invited to gather on the Square in Tubbercurry after lunch at 2 pm for a final Farewell Session.
The organising committee of the South Sligo Summer School are very grateful to all the local musicians who give of their time and talent generously year in year out during the week of the summer school, to the local business community for financial support and to the people of Tubbercurry and the surrounding areas for their ongoing support of the school in so many ways.
The school could not survive without this local support and it is a testament to the value placed on our traditional music, song and dance here in South Sligo that we are still to the fore, running a very successful and important event in the traditional music calendar annually since 1987. The South Sligo playing style is unique to our area and something for us all to be proud of and work hard to ensure it flourishes into the future.
For a full list of tutors, instruments taught and other details of this year’s programme please check out our website www.sssschool.org or ring 071- 9182151, 071- 9120912, 086- 0566383.