manx celtic music and dance

Harp weekend with Fiana Ni Chonaill - REPORT

30 Sep 2015


All-Ireland Harp Champion Fiana  Ní Chonaill from Castleconnel, Co. Limerick performed in concert to a very appreciative audience at St Paul's Church in Ramsey on Friday, September 25th.

The Mactullagh Vannin sponsored event featured Fiana, local young musicians Share Na Veg, based at Scoill Ree Gorree under the tutelage of Mike Boulton, and Ramsey Grammar School Students Amy Stoutt and Mera Royle in an entrancing evening of harp music.

The concert kicked off with Share Na Veg accompanied by Mike Boulton performing a traditional Manx tune "Arrane ny Guilley Hesheree" (The Ploughboy's Song).  Amy and Mera followed on by playing a variety of music from the Celtic world both as a duet and as soloists. They were joined by Fiana at the end of their set in which all three played the hornpipe "Bonaparte Crossing The Rhine" a piece that Fiana had arranged for the three harps. Fiana then took centre stage for the main part of the concert where she enthralled the audience with her renditions of the famous blind early Irish harper, composer and singer Turlough O' Carolan’s tunes. Her sets were also interspersed with lilting jigs, dazzling dexterity in the playing of reels, haunting slow airs and bouncy hornpipes. At the end of Fiana’s 40 minute set she was then joined by Peddyr Cubberley on flute and Kirsty Lawrence on cello in a collaboration of Manx and Irish tunes that are common to both countries. Ambryn Richards of the northern based dance group Ny Fennee also danced the Manx Girl’s Jig at the start of the trio’s final sets.

In addition to Friday’s concert, both Fiana and Peddyr visited schools on Thursday and Friday and some 500 students were treated to demonstrations of Manx and Irish traditional music. “Both countries’ traditional music are basically one and the same thing in many respects, and we share many a tune which makes for a natural collaboration between both our traditional musics” said Peddyr Cubberley. “The idea was to expose our young people to traditional music in a way that would hopefully inspire some to take up an instrument, and also encourage the many children who are already engaging with Manx traditional music. There are a good few young harpers on the Island now and more wishing to take up the harp and the demand as such is outstripping current resources to a degree, hence bringing Fiana to the Island to help in a small way those already working to bring on local harpers such as Mike Boulton, and Rachel Hair who visits regularly to teach [for Culture Vannin]”.

Fiana also gave workshops and lessons to over 15 harpers during her 5 days on the Island and said “It was so encouraging to see the amount of people playing and engaging with the harp on Island, which is a testament to the sterling work being done by those on the Island!”

Fiana’s visit ended with a ceili at Sulby on the evening of Saturday 26th where she guested with the Tarroo Marroo Ceili Band, and played some of her own sets between dances.

Mactullagh Vannin wishes to thank all those who came along and supported the various events during Fiana’s visit, and especially those who helped out and facilitated her visit. We wish Fiana well as she undertakes her PhD at the University of Limerick, and in all her future endeavours and hope to see her return to our shores again soon.

[Peddyr Cubberley, Mactullagh Vannin]

Photo of Fiana teaching some Ramsey harp students.

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