Cool cats are preparing for another festival of bill toppers

THE dates for this year’s Kilkenny Festival have been announced with a few teaser acts that are also on sale now. Festival Director, Olga Barry has revealed that the festival will run from August 8-18 August.

Entering its second half century, Kilkenny Arts Festival 2024 promises an eclectic mix of cutting edge new work in the magical setting of Ireland’s medieval city.

The first of the teaser acts announced to launch this year is the Irish Premiere of Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Drone Mass which will be performed by two of Ireland’s most virtuosic ensembles, Chamber Choir Ireland and Crash Ensemble, conducted by Paul Hillier. This work will be performed in St. Canice’s Cathedral on Saturday, 10August at 9:30pm. Tickets priced €35/32 are on sale now

Jóhannsson, who died in 2018, wrote for theatre, dance, television and film. His work was mostly stylised by its blending of traditional orchestration with contemporary electronic elements. He was nominated for an Academy award and won a Golden Globe for Best Original Score for the film The Theory of Everything.

Drone Mass was commissioned by the American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME) and premiered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with ACME and the vocal group, Roomful of Teeth in 2015.

In an interview with the New York Times prior to his death, Jóhannsson said one of his early influences for the piece was reading about John Cage’s experience in an anechoic room where the only sound you are left with is the high-pitched drone of your nervous system, and the low-pitched one of the blood pumping.

‘For me, the drone is connected to the body. It’s a fundamental vibration that anchors music and gives you a foundation,’ he said.

Kate Stables, aka This Is The Kit will bring her alt-folk outfit to the festival hot on the heels of her latest album Careful of Your Keepers and her latest single Sensations in the Dark.

She will be bringing her full band of Rozi Plain (bass), Jamie WhitbyColes (drums) and Neil Smith (guitar).

This Is The Kit will play St. Canice’s Cathedral on Wednesday, August 14 and tickets are on sale now priced €35.

Once again the Festival will join forces with the OPW to Light Up The Castle. This year’s project is called Six Sides Sawn and will be created by Fictions Picture Company and directed by Jack Phelan. It will take place from August 14 to 17 at 10.40pm and admission is free. See klkennyarts.ie