IT ALL COMES down to a good tune, well played, one final performance in front of the judges and the chance to be crowned All-Ireland champion.
But after battling through the qualifying rounds, will all the hours, months and years of practice pay off?
A new BBC One Northern Ireland documentary goes behind the scenes of the largest gathering of Irish traditional musicians in the world – Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann .
In 2013, this celebrated festival of music crossed the border for the first time in its history and was held in this year’s UK City of Culture, Derry, attracting an estimated 430,000 people to the city.
Fleadh, on Monday, December 2 at 10.35pm, offers viewers backstage access to this historic event as director Sean McGuire follows some of the musicians hoping for All-Ireland glory on the long road to Derry.
‘Fleadh’ features Fermanagh musicians Kieran Leonard and Christopher Maguire and the Knockmore Ceili Band.
The programme also features up and coming composer Lorcán MacMathúna as he works with the people of the city to create a signature piece of music, commissioned to mark the opening of this year’s Fleadh.
Throughout this summer, the programme charts the progress of a number of performers as they compete against hundreds of other hopefuls – first at county level, then at provincial level, in the hope of winning through to the main event – the All-Ireland Fleadh.
In the programme, viewers will meet Una, the young saxophonist who brings her own unique style to the traditional music she loves.
The McKennas, are a family steeped in traditional music whose seven talented children play an extraordinary range of instruments and who are all hoping to qualify for this year’s Fleadh. The programme also follows the progress of banjo player Tomas Quinn, who nearly didn’t make it to this year’s All-Ireland.
Fleadh also follows the ambitious project undertaken by singer and composer Lorcán MacMathúna. ‘From the River to the Sea’, was a new work commissioned to open this year’s event.
The director follows his progress throughout the summer, as Lorcán, a traditional ‘sean-nós’ singer, meets a range of different people and groups from across the city.
Help and inspiration come from many different sources, but will he have time to arrange the music, organise an orchestra and choir of volunteers and rehearse before the opening night in front of packed audience in St Columb’s Cathedral?
Fleadh, is on BBC One Northern Ireland on Monday, December 02 at 10.35pm.