Renowned musicians confirmed for Connacht Fleadh in Ballina
Two of Ireland greatest musicians, Bríd Harper and Dermot Byrne, will give master classes at the Connacht Fleadh in Ballina.
The classes, on June 29 next, will be followed by a memorial night for the late accordion player Peter Gallagher in The Merry Monk.
Bríd, a native of Castlefin in Co. Donegal, is hailed as one of the finest exponents of traditional fiddle playing of our time. She has won numerous underage All-Ireland titles and other prestigious fiddle awards, including the senior All-Ireland, Oireachtas na Gaeilge and Fiddler of Dooney.
An MA graduate of the Irish World Academy at the University of Limerick, Bríd has toured extensively and performed with many great musicians, including Steve Cooney, Donogh Hennessey, Arty McGlynn and the James Last Orchestra.
Bríd is highly respected and much sought after as a teacher. She has tutored at summer schools and workshops throughout Ireland, the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, and she has appeared on every major broadcast channel on the island of Ireland as well as BBC Alba Scotland. She has featured on local radio stations in France, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
Her much anticipated solo recording (Bríd Harper), released in 2015, was described by Tradconnect.com as 'solo fiddle of the most exquisite kind' and one of the year’s best traditional albums.
She is a member of UAINE, which was formed in 2019 with Tony O’Connell, Lisa Butler and Paul Meehan. Their debut album, released in November of the same year, was described by Daniel Neely of the Irish Echo as an album of extraordinary and beautifully rendered music.
Bríd is also a member of the SíFiddlers, formed in 2018, which is made up of 13 female Donegal fiddlers. They released a recording in 2020 showcasing some of the most popular and better known Donegal repertoire.
Bríd, who resides near Dungannon in Co. Tyrone, teaches fiddle on a one-on-one basis from her home and in recent times has begun composing tunes in her spare time. She is a visiting tutor and performer at the Irish World Academy in Limerick University.
Dermot Byrne hails from Buncrana in the Inishowen peninsula, the most northerly part of Donegal, and has played accordion since a very young age. He had the good fortune to meet all the greats of Donegal music, including Johnny Doherty, Con Cassidy, Tommy Peoples, Danny Meehan and many more, and they made a great impact on the young Dermot, who went on to develop a unique style.
His seemingly effortless playing combined with great subtlety and a faultless ear makes him one of the great accordion players of his generation. As well as his mastery of the Donegal style and repertoire, Dermot can turn with ease to other styles and traditions, such as French musette or South American choro music.
Dermot guested on two Altan recordings (The Red Crow and Island Angel) before joining the band in 1994. He has guested on collaborations with many great musicians, including Seamus and Manus McGuire, Sharon Shannon, Salsa Celtica, Steeve Cooney, Dezi Donelly, Brid Harper, Frankie Gavin, Tommy Peoples, Pierre Schryer, Tim O’Brien and the late jazz violinist, Stephane Grappelli. He was the recipient of TG4 Gradam Traditional Musician of the Year in 2013.
According to Siobhan Long (Irish Times), his solo recording in 1995 (re-released in 2015) is 'a timeless delight that stradles centuries with the agility and ease that Byrne's fingers ricochet across the reeds'.
Anybody who wishes to attend the master classes is advised to book early as places are limited. For more information, contact (087) 2775317 or email vippiper@eircom.net.