Cork Folk Festival twins with Warwick Folk Festival
The Twinning of these two 35 year old festivals began last year when a group of musicians and singers from Cork travelled to the Warwick and in return a delegation from Warwick visited Cork. The twinning came about when Jim Walsh and William Hammond met the Warwick organisers Dick and Tash Dixon at the Celtic Connections Festival in January.
Jim Walsh, Cork Folk Festival Chairman believes that ‘the twinning will promote the two festivals in the UK and Ireland bringing new audiences to the events and will create new opportunities for Musicians.’
The Cork visiting Group will take part in a range of events during their 4 day stay at Warwick, including a set dance workshop, singer’s club session and a concert.
William Hammond Cork Folk Festival Organiser said ‘The idea is to bring a real sense of Cork to Warwick with traditional tunes, real Cork stories and traditional and folk songs and dances from the real capital’.
The visit is organised by William Hammond and will include Singer Songwriter Barry Tierney from Kinsale who will play on the main stage to an audience of 3,000 people. Also travelling will be two members of the Cork Singers Club, Tom Long and Bill Daly and musicians John Mitchell, Garry Cronin and Padraig Buckley. When the visiting group returns from Warwick they will be featuring in the Cork Mother Jones Festival in Shandon 29th July-1st August.
Each year the Warwick Folk Festival includes a packed programme of 130 events on a festival site at Warwick School and on the streets, in the pubs and restaurants of the town centre. The programme includes a mix of English folk music and dance with blues, country and rock, as well as
talents from overseas. Featured groups intentional songwriter Richard Thompson, Breabach from Scotland and Gordie MacKeeman and his Rhythm Boys from Canada.
The full line up for the Cork Folk Festival 2nd-5th October will be announced in 3rd of September. Highlights include the super group Mozaik spearheaded by Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny plus Bruce Molsky, Rens Van Der Zalm and Nicola Parov. And a concert entitled A Stór Mo Chroí with Karan Casey, Éilís Kennedy, Pauline Scanlon, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, John Spillane, Donogh Hennessy, Dónal O’Connor and John McSherry. The 2014 line up continues with Ace accordionist Alan Kelly and Scotland’s internationally acclaimed songstress, Eddi Reader. Plus; We Banjo 3 featuring virtuosos Enda and Fergal Scahill ; Frankie Gavin and De Dannan; New Road with Conor Byrne, Rick Epping, Leonard Barry, Andy Morrow and Seamie O’Dowd ; Dick Gaughan, many many more.
Booking is at tickets.ie Special Early Bird Season ticket €98 covering all events over the 4 days.
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