Music of Mayo Festival - a convening of county's traditional artists

THE second Music of Mayo Festival - a convening of traditional artists from around the county- will take place in Castlebar from June 14 to 16 in Bridge St. Bar & Venue in Castebar. It is organised and curated by the cultural organisation Music of Mayo which explores and promotes the rich traditional arts of the county.

Artistic director of the festival, Emer Mayock, has continued to develop the organisation since she founded the initiative in 2017 as part of an artist in residence period at the Linenhall Arts Centre. This produced a CD of field recordings entitled Music of Mayo and the web resource https://musicofmayo.ie/.

Among many other projects, the festival is the annual flagship event for the work of the organisation which continues to collect, preserve and support the traditional arts in Co. Mayo.

The core aim of the festival is to bring the traditional arts community of Co. Mayo together in a relaxed, inclusive environment, inviting contributions from artists of all ages, from the well-known established artist to the artist who plays, sings or dances only in their own community or sometimes only in their own homes. The festival offers artists and audiences the opportunity to immerse in the traditional arts of their own place.

June 14 is Flute Night/Oíche Fliúit, which celebrates the best of traditional flute playing from around the county, featuring traditional artists who bring a diverse range of influences, repertoire and style to their playing.

June 15 will be a night of song, storytelling and poetry. With One Voice/Guth Amháin, the Music of Mayo Festival offers artists and audiences the opportunity to experience the art of sean nós, traditional songs sung in Irish and English, new songs, and the spoken word in a relaxed, inclusive atmosphere.

On June 16 audiences will be treated to The Next Generation/An Chéad Ghlúin Eile, providing a platform for the rich traditional arts among the emerging generation of musicians, singers and dancers from across Co. Mayo.

All events take place upstairs at Bridge St Bar, Bridge Street, Castlebar, F23PN20.

Tickets can be purchased from https://musicofmayofestival2024.eventbrite.com or on the door.