At First Light is a band composed of top notch Irish traditional musicians. John McSherry on uilleann pipes, Donal O' Connor on fiddle, Francis McIlduff (from the famous McPeake clann) and Alan Burke (formerly of the band Afterhours) are a powerful combination. Their latest album Tripswitch received a five star review from World Music Magazine Songlines.
According to WoodieGuthrie.org:
The Borough of Brooklyn has proclaimed that July 25th, 2006 will be Woody Guthrie Day! The proclamation will take place at 6:30pm prior to the Brooklyn Cyclones baseball game in Key Span Park (Ticket Information)
According to the BMI Foundation, Inc,
The 2006 fellowship program will be announced in August 2006, with an application deadline of October 31, 2006. Application materials will be posted on http://www.bmifoundation.org/pages/WGuthrie.asp
Good luck and let us know how you do!
According to the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America, a Hardanger Fiddle is:
The Hardanger fiddle (in Norwegian, hardingfele) is often called the national instrument of Norway. It is similar to the violin and each one is a handmade work of art. A typical hardingfele is beautifully decorated with mother-of-pearl inlay and black pen-and-ink drawings, called rosing. It is topped with a carved head of a maiden or, more frequently, of an animal, usually a lion. Its most distinguishing feature is the four or five sympathetic strings that run underneath the fingerboard and add echoing overtones to the sound. The traditional playing style is heavily polyphonic. A melody voice is accompanied by a moving "drone" voice. Together, the instrument and the playing style create the sound for which the Hardanger fiddle is famous.
Hank Buen will be performing on this beautiful instrument in Madison, Wisconsin on July 23, 2006 and in Northfield, Minnesota on July 25, 2006.
If you are interested in learning more about Finnish Folk Music, please read a wonderful article written for Virtual Finland by Hannu Saha, the director of the Folk Music Institute in Kaustinen. It gives an extensive insight into the Finnish music culture.
Dougie MacLean will be performing on August 24, 2006 in Queens Hall at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh. One of the leading Scottish folk singers, he is also a very talented songwriter who has penned such famous songs as Caledonia. He currently resides in Dunkeld, Scotland, a beautiful town where he owns a shop on Cathedral Street.
According to World Music Central
One of the largest songwriting competitions in the world, International Songwriting Competition (ISC) offers entrants a chance to share in $150,000 in cash and prizes, including an Overall Grand Prize package of $25,000 (US) in cash and more than $20,000 in merchandise, unmatched by any other songwriting competition. Enter early and take advantage of ISC’s Early Bird deadline. For songs entered on or before July 14, the first song entry is $30, and all additional entries are only $20 (save $10 per entry on multiple entries). After July 14, the fee is $30 per song entry with no discount for additional entries. This is a great opportunity to save on entry fees.
All online entrants also receive a complimentary six-month membership to Sonicbids. Go to www.songwritingcompetition.com to enter songs via mail or online
According to Irish network RTE, legendary Irish folk musician Micheal O Domhnaill passed away in his Dublin home on July 7, 2006. In the 1970s, he was a member of one of the most influential bands to ever emerge in Irish music called the Bothy Band. His contribution of brilliant guitar playing with powerful vocals, he went on to continue his career with notable groups such as Relativity, Nightnoise, and a successful collaboration with fiddler Kevin Burke.
New Irish Super group TEADA are sweeping across the US performing at numerous festivals and concerts. They are together about 5 years and already have a very strong following! Be sure and see them at a venue near you!
The long awaited Wooden Flute Obsession 3 has just been released. The dual disk features 41 Artiists and 95 tunes including Seamus Mac Conaonaigh, Kieran O’Hare, Louise Mulcahy, Paddy O’Neill, Conor Byrne, Isaac Alderson, Mick O’Brien, Davy Maguire, Tim Britton, Christy Barry and Ronan Browne among many others. Once again, Keven Krell has done a tremendous job in collecting and producing such a fine recording. You can order your own copy at www.worldtrad.org.
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