WHILE arts venues remain closed to the public the Ardhowen Theatre has been keeping the show on the road with a series of Friday night concerts being streamed online live from the Gallery Bar.
This Friday evening Irish traditional enthusiasts are in for a real treat when a trio of trad artists who have been making a name for themselves in recent years will be getting together for the latest instalment of ‘Friday night Live’.
Traditional fiddler Meabh Kennedy, from Trillick and accordionist and harpist Moya Sweeney, also from Trillick, will be joined by the Co Derry vocalist and guitarist Jack Warnock who was recently recognised with the Moving on Music Emerging Artist Award for 2020.
The Maghera man is widely regarded as one to look out for in the northern trad scene and has also been nominated in the BBC Young Folk Awards.
Manchester-based Meabh is well known in the Irish traditional circuit in England, collaborating with the likes of Michal McGoldrick and Dezi Donnelly, and recently guested at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival.
She also plays with a Klezmer group specialising in music from the Jewish tradition.
Moya is currently studying music at Ulster University and has performed on Radio Foyle as well as being selected for the Journal of Music’s Traditional Music Writer Mentoring Scheme. The talented young trad exponent has a number of strings to her proverbial bow, and is accomplished not only in accordion and harp but also the bodhran and has excelled at Ulster and All-Ireland fleadhs.
Both Ulster champions in their respective instruments, Meabh and Moya women cut their teeth in traditional music playing from a young age with the Irvinestown Branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann.
talented singer
Like so many other musicians, the trad trio have had their live performances limited by ongoing pandemic restrictions and are looking forward to the Friday night gig online.
“With all that’s going on the opportunities to perform live are limited at the moment so it will be lovely to play at the Ardhowen, even if it’s not in front of a live audience.
“I’m really looking forward to teaming up with my old Comhaltas colleague Moya and playing alongside Jack, who is such a talented singer,” said Meabh.
“Hopefully it won’t be too long until the Ardhowen will be welcoming the crowds again but in the meantime the theatre deserves a lot of credit for putting on this very welcome series of concerts.
“We’re really looking forward to Friday night,” she added.
Friday Night Live kicks off at 9pm this Friday via the Ardhowen’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ardhowentheatre/
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