This article is from page 21 of the 2012-01-31 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 21 JPG
A NEW dawn in the history of the preservation of traditional Irish music in Clare will be heralded this weekend when Oidhreacht an Chláir plays host to the first in a series of workshops aimed at attracting some of the biggest names in the country.
Oidhreacht spokesperson Barry Taylor has revealed that the masterclass series – featuring Noel Hill this weekend and Martin Hayes the following month – will help begin the process of throwing open the doors of the Miltown Malbay-based organisation to students of the tradition.
“We are mainly concerned with preserving material in our archive and we now want to make that maeterial available to the new generation of musicians that are coming up,” says Taylor, the acclaimed traditional music historian and author of ‘Touchstone for the Tradition: the Willie Clancy Summer School’.
“The masterclass series ties in with our overall aims and objectives. We want to give musicians the opportunity to develop from older generations like Noel Hill and Martin Hayes.
“Both of them are carriers of the tradition – Noel learned from Paddy Murphy, while Martin learned from his father Pat Joe and Paddy Canny and they are now passing on the tradition to a new generation.
“This is an extension of what we do. In the past, we collected material, but this is a way of getting the material out to people.
“By learning from people like Martin Hayes and Noel Hill in the masterclass series, students will also be using the facilities of the Oidhreacht,” he adds.
Oidhreacht an Chláir was launched in 2003 with the aim of conserving and promoting the traditional arts in their native environment and is based next door to the old homestead of Willie Clancy on the Flag Road in Miltown Malbay.
As part of the inaugural masterclass event, Noel Hill will be giving a concert in the Market House in Miltown Malbay on Friday night.
Classes will then get underway on Saturday and will include student recitals at Oidhreacht an Chláir and music sessions in local pubs.