This article is from page 40 of the 2008-11-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 40 JPG
A BOOK depicting what is consid- ered the Mecca of Irish traditional musicians was launched in Spanish- point on Thursday.
‘Music and Light – Ceol agus So- las” is a collection of black and white photographs from the Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay.
For photographer Tony Kearns the book is a celebration of the Summer School, as he dedicated 17 years to photographing the comings and go- ings at the world famous weeklong events.
Since it first began in 1973 the Wil- lie Clancy Summer School has been a very important event in the tradi- tional Irish music calendar,
Named after the world renowned and revered uilleann piper, the sum- mer school is held every July in his hometown.
Kearns said he was determined to dedicating himself to documenting the activities and the participant of the Willie Clancy week in a lively and sympathetic way.
An archivist by nature, Tony is also inspired by the visual possibilities and compositions that present them-
selves naturally when people gather to play music together.
Working in formal and spontaneous situations, he attempts to convey the moods, personalities ad complexities of the musicians and their music in the images.
The 130 black and white photo- graphs capture local musicians as well as the thousands that flock to the west Clare town every year to the many classes, lectures and recitals and to play in and listen to the many sessions that spring up in the local- ity.
Tony Kerns s not a local to Mill-
town Malbay although the Dubliner has spent every summer in the town during the festival since 1991.
He has documented all aspects of the summer school in his photo- graphs which he has exhibit over the years and used in calendars.
His latest book was published with the assistance of funding from the Deis Traditional Arts Initiative un- der the aegis of the Arts Council of Tee NaXer