Teen trad masterclass with Lunny planned for Glór

A DYNAMIC weekend of musical activities for young traditional and folk composers and songwriters is on the cards for Glór next month.

The event, taking place from March 11 to 13, is part of a national series of Masterclass & Concert Programmes with Dónal Lunny.

The legendary musician will be in Ennis with his nine-piece traditional music ensemble, Atlantic Arc. Young musicians between the ages of 14-18 who live in Clare are now invited to make an application for this innovative programme.

The event will include a Friday evening and Saturday daytime masterclass.

On Sunday, there will be a ‘behind the scenes’ technical experience, followed by the evening concert with Atlantic Arc.

The masterclasses are facilitated by Music Generation Clare via SoundWaves, a new annual programme of nationwide masterclasses and concerts for young musicians.

“The members of Atlantic Arc are excited to meet upcoming young composers/songwriters in County Clare, we are inspired by the energy of young people and the creation of new compositions, so this masterclass promises to be a fantastic experience for all involved,” said Dónal.

Pádraig Rynne, Music Development Officer, Music Generation Clare descried the weekend as a “once in a lifetime” opportunity.

“We are lucky to have a great reputation with our young learners having success in competitions, as well as many well-known performers and composers coming from the area,” he said.

“This project will help our young musicians in progressing on their musical journeys by spending a weekend working with Dónal and company watching them write and arrange music.

“Their participation in this masterclass will culminate in them joining the band on stage for their performance in Glór theatre on the Sunday night.

“It will give them a broad view of what a full musical production looks like from the ground up. Having Dónal and his band come to work with young traditional players is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our emerging young traditional musicians.”

This series of masterclasses and concerts has been developed by Music Generation Clare and is supported by the Arts Council Traditional Arts and Young People, Children and Education.

Applications to participate in the Ennis masterclass should be submitted to Soundwavesmusicspace.com by Sunday, February 13.

Tickets for the Sunday concert are available on Glor.ie.