[Harp-L] Galway Session's Tin Sandwich Festival! June 13th to 17th.

[Cathal Johnson]

Hello all Harp L members,

I recently read a post here on festivals going on involving harmonica.
Myself and others have organised a wonderful harmonica event in Galway,
Ireland. This promises to be a great event. Please find below a press
release, links to Galway Sessions and Harmonicas Ireland and a programme of
events. Hope to see some of you there in June!


http://www.galwaysessions.com


http://harmonicasireland.com/blog/


http://www.galwaysessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Galway_Sessions_Broch.pdf


Patrick Bergin launches Galway Session’s Tin Sandwich Festival!

An Eastender in the West End!

The launch of the Galway Session’s Tin Sandwich Festival Programme 2018
will take place this Friday, May 4th at 6pm in the Crane Bar, Galway. It
will be launched by renowned actor and harmonica player Patrick Bergin.

The Festival, which will run from June 13th to 17th will focus on the
wonderfully versatile instrument, the harmonica, known in the Irish
tradition as ‘The Tin Sandwich.”

It’s versatility allows it to adapt to a wide range of music genres
including roots, folk, jazz, blues and traditional. The festival will
feature a sample of all the above.

According to the Festival Director Mick Crehan, the playing of the
harmonica, a deceptively simple looking but quite complicated and powerful
instrument, has experienced a strong revival in the past decade.

‘This is due mainly to the efforts of some great practitioners such as the
Murphy Brothers from Wexford, Carlow’s Mick Kinsella and one of Ireland’s
greatest imports, Rick Epping from the US.

‘We are proud indeed to present these greats and many more wonderful
artists in what promises to be a memorable week of music, song and dance,’
Mick Said.

Highlights of the Galway Session’s 2018 will include the explosive
combination of TG4 musician of the year Frankie Gavin, the fiddle maestro
of De Dannan with the remarkable Rick Epping on harmonica and concertina in
the Roisin Dubh. Many will remember Rick as a member of Pumkinhead, one of
the great pioneer folk groups of the ’70s.

Another legend, the Planxty and Patrick Street star Andy Irvine will bring
his unique voice and talent to the stage, also in the Roisin Dubh.

For a more contemporary feel watch out for The Spook of the 13th Lock and
Landless, also at the Roisin Dubh.

A series of early afternoon and evening recitals will also take place in
the King’s Head and Saint Nicholas Collegiate Church as well as night time
gigs in the Crane Bar, including a launch of ‘Up She Flew’ a new album by
flautist and singer Stephie Geremia.

There will be a great sessions and gatherings daily at Tigh Choilli,
Taaffes and Tigh Neachtains.

Workshops will be available on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th with Mick
Kinsella focusing on Irish Traditional music, Maciek Zaworonek from Polands
on jazz and blues. Harmonica Tech, Cathal Johnson will be on hand to cover
technical aspects, repairs and harmonica maintenance too.

A Gala Festival gig will take place in Monroe’s live on Saturday 16th
featuring John and Pip Murphy, widely regarded as the foremost exponents of
the Irish Traditional Harmonica. The Murphy brothers feature in the group
Tin Sandwich, with Danú members Benny Mc Carthy on accordion and John
Clancy, son of the late Liam Clancy, on guitar. Also performing at the
concert will be Mick Kinsella on harmonica and concertina, fiddler Thierry
Masure from Belgium and Les Trois Blondes, a bal musette group playing
French cafè music of the 1940s.

Special guests on the might will be Patrick Bergin, who is also launching
the festival. Best known as an actor, Patrick Bergin is also a very fine
singer/songwriter, guitarist and harmonica player. He is most famous for
his roles in ‘Sleeping with the Enemy’ with Julia Roberts, ‘To the
Mountains and the Moon’ with Ian Glenn of Jack Taylor fame and most
recently Patrick has starred as a particularly nasty villain Aiden Maguire
in ‘Eastenders.’

Following Patrick’s launch of the festival in the Crane Bar on Friday 4th
May, there will be music by Cathal Johnson of Harmonicas Ireland and Cian
Mulligan and friends.


-- 
Cathal Johnson

www.cathaljohnson.com