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Month: July 2013

Top BBC show predicts big things for Miles Graham as he debuts his new single ‘All So Innocent’ on Weekend Wogan with Richard Madeley

It has been an incredible week for Miles Graham, a week which has seen his debut single, ‘All So Innocent’, get playlisted in Ireland and acquire mass attention whilst also creating a stir with British media moguls. Quite a feat for a relatively unknown artist. Sunday morning saw BBC show Weekend Wogan give Miles a great plug to some 2 million listeners with shows presenter, Richard Madelely, commenting that, “’Very promising, very good start to what will be an excellent Career” and later tweeting about how much he enjoyed Miles’ new single, All So Innocent’.

Career momentum has been growing apace for this most talented singer songwriter, whose material has been raising eyebrows within this most cynical of industries. His debut album, due for release in early 2014, is almost completed, and industry insiders, are tipping Graham for very big things indeed..

An interesting development, reflective of changing critical and consumer behavior was Miles’ adoption by MSN, potentially exposing him to an audience of 2.5 million. The coming weeks shall provide a hectic schedule for the Sligo-based Dubliner, as he heads for the UK to showcase his material to industry nabobs and public alike.

Miles Graham is an all round musician with a talent rarely found. With a warm, magnetic voice that compares to none and a songwriting talent possessed of something of the quality of a younger Van Morrison, what sets Miles apart is that he marries this with the commercial appeal of James Morrison and Ray LaMontagne.

His songs are real and authentic, bringing to mind Bono’s idea about
“eternal melodies”: ‘You can’t imagine that melody not existing’. Miles Graham’s songs are like that.

The introductory release from the talented Irishman, All So Innocent, perfectly showcases his songwriting talent. Whilst the opening is reminiscent of Paolo Nutini, Graham’s vocals soon transfer the song into the soul-pop realms of James Morrison, lifted by syncopated piano and soaring strings that make this an irresistible laid-back summer track.

After being born into a large family in Dublin, Miles grew up writing music and when he moved to County Sligo as a young adult he found his artistic home. Today, Graham remains based in Sligo, nestling in the landscape that inspired and nourished the genius of Yeats, a region inexorably on the rise to take its rightful place as Ireland’s capital of music and creativity.

Miles came to the attention of the renowned producer Richard Causon (Tom Jones, Rufus Wainright, Ryan Adams) and nowadays spends a lot of time in London co-writing, recording and honing his craft.

To keep up to date with Miles Graham’s musical journey and other adventures, visit:

Website: www.milesgraham.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/milesgrahamfans

Facebook:www.facebook.com/milesgrahammusic   

https://soundcloud.com/gmiley/sets/debutsingle

MSN:http://music.uk.msn.com/video/

 

The Promenade | Solo Piano Album From Niall Byrne

The debut solo piano album by one of Ireland’s leading film composers, ‘The Promenade’ was recorded on an old upright piano using vintage microphones. The theme of the music is that of a promenade and the character and charm of an upright piano is celebrated on an album of 13 simple, tuneful piano pieces. The Irish Arts Council supported the omposition of this project with a Music Bursary Award.Audrey-Pic-Umbrellas-Soundcloud

Niall studied Piano and Composition at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. He was awarded first prize at the 1992 Dublin Film Festival’s music competition, chaired by composer Michael Nyman. Since then he has composed music for feature films and television dramas both in Ireland and abroad. In 2011 he scored the classic Irish sIlent film ‘Guests of the Nation’ for full orchestra.

The score has been performed to sold out concerts and rave reviews in Dublin (National Concert Hall), New York (Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center) and London (The Barbican). He has received several IFTA (Irish Film and Television Award) nominations and won an IFTA for Best Original Score this year for his score to the BBC film ‘Loving Miss Hatto’

WWW.NIALLBYRNECOMPOSER.COM

(Album Release Date: July 19th, 2013)

Queen of neon nightlife VEDA drops a starry eyed double-A side – Love You Bitch

In an age where there’s an app for everything, when finding casual sex is easy but finding love is tough, Veda takes a mischievous pop at modern relationships with her made-for-the-club, Love You Bitch.

https://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/love-you-bitch-single/id672228545

Inspired by gay dating phenomenon Grindr, the dark and deep double A side single was produced by dance music powerhouse Ian Henderson with a remix featuring a performed-at-gun-point rap by bingo queen and national treasure Shirley Temple Bar. Love You Bitch will lure you to the dance floor before seducing you in front of your mates. Get laid with every listen!

Following the release of her debut album Stars Edge, and the delicious follow up EP Transphibian, Drag superstar and former Alternative Miss Ireland Veda has emerged as a cult sensation. With unapologetic lyrics, incomparable edgy looks and a sparkling euro dance pop sound; Veda is Queen of the Club, and Love You Bitch signals a golden age.

Check this bitch out at her one woman 3D drag show Space N Veda, Wednesdays at The George Dublin.

“Veda is a narcotic -a Class A, classy-assed Bitch and if you don’t love her you need rehab because you’re dead inside.”  Mx Justin Vivian Bond.

“You scratch a drag queen and I give you a freedom fighter. 

Veda has been a huge inspiration to me and it’s thrilling to know that I have inspired Veda. 

Love is a two way street.”  David Hoyle.

Mark Geary Announces Irish Tour

gearyMark Geary will taking a break from working on his 5th studio album and touring Ireland this autumn. He is delighted to announce the dates in Dublin, Galway, Cork & Sligo.

Mark emigrated to New York City at the age of nineteen. He found himself in the middle of a thriving music scene, centered around the East Village and the legendary Sin-é Cafe.  The creative atmosphere was exactly what Mark needed to jump-start his career. Here Mark garnered respect and attention from both audiences and fellow artists. He was soon featured on bills with the likes of Jeff Buckley, Joe Strummer, and Elvis Costello.

Mark’s debut album 33 1/3 Grand Street, released in 2002, was recorded with a talented group of musicians and an eclectic selection of instruments that grabbed the attention of new fans in the U.S. and abroad. Mark’s next album, Ghosts, brought him critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic and was voted 2005′s Album of the Year by the Irish Voice.  2008′s Opium continued the trend of showcasing Mark’s considerable talents.

In 2009, Mark’s recording, Live, Love, Lost It, NYC, took him back to his New York roots and features songs from all three studio albums recorded live throughout NYC.

Mark has composed the score to several films; 2005’s Loggerheads, 2006’s Steel City, and 2010′s Sons of Perdition. His songs have been featured on various television shows including One Tree Hill and Bones.

Mark’s 4th studio album, ”songs about love, songs about leaving”, on sonaBLAST! Records, was recorded in New York City and features guests including Glen Hansard and Jenna
Nichols.

Thurs 12th Sept
 – Coughlan’s – Cork
Fri 13th Sept
 – Roisin Dubh – Galway
Sat 14th Sept
 – Grand Social – Dublin
Sat 5th Oct

 – 5th on Teeling – Sligo

For more information please visit www.markgeary.com

CMC & Walled City Music Festival to Host Concerts & Composer Opportunities in Derry

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The Contemporary Music Centre is once again collaborating with Walled City Music on a number of new music events throughout the Walled City Music

Festival (WCMF), Derry. The festival runs from 19 to 26 July and CMC will be in attendance at new music events across 21 and 22 July.

Irish composer Frank Lyons’ new work, The River Still Sings, is performed by the Fidelio Trio, 7:30pm, 21 July. As part of this concert, CMC will host an interval discussion with Frank Lyons, Paul Moore, who collaborated with the composer on the sound design and visuals, and Mary Dullea of the Fidelio Trio. The River Still Sings is a multimedia project that features text by Derry writer Seamus Deane, narration by actor James Nesbitt, sound design and visuals by Paul Moore and a score to be performed by the Fidelio Trio. It was commissioned by the City of London Festival with the Walled City Music

Festival, part of the Derry-Londonderry City of Culture 2013, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of links between the two cities. Admission is free to the interval discussion for concert ticket holders. The event takes place in The Great Hall, University of Ulster, Magee Campus.

The Contemporary Music Centre in conjunction with Walled City Music is also offering a unique opportunity to work with composer Brian Irvine and leading new music ensemble Fidelio Trio, producing new music for piano trio in a two-day residency in Derry. Six places are available for composers to write a 3-5 minute piece from scratch on Sunday, 21 July. Pieces will be based upon the news, using a newspaper from that particular morning.

All materials will be work-shopped with the Fidelio Trio on Monday afternoon, 22 July and performed at a special concert that evening, which is open to the public and has free admission. This residency will take place in the Foyle Arts Building, Magee Campus, University of Ulster, Derry. Facilities and overnight accommodation on 21 July are kindly provided by the University of Ulster. The closing date for applications from composers is 16 July. Applications should be sent to Yulin Zheng atyzheng@nullcmc.ie, c/o The Contemporary Music Centre, 19 Fishamble Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 8. Further details can be found on www.cmc.ie/opportunities

The Contemporary Music Centre at the Walled City Music Festival
7:30pm, 21 July 2013
Great Hall, University of Ulster, Magee Campus
Fidelio Trio
Darragh Morgan (violin), Mary Dullea (piano) Robin Michael (cello)
with James Nesbit narrator

Frank Lyons The River still Runs
Osborne The Piano Turner
Ravel Piano Trio

Interval Discussion | Chaired by Evonne Ferguson, Director, The Contemporary Music Centre with panellists Frank Lyons, Paul Moore and Mary Dullea

Booking Recommended | www.walledcitymusic.com

First Edition/News Today
Foyle Arts Building, Magee Campus, University of Ulster, Derry.

21 July

First Edition/News Today composer workshops

Six selected composers work with composer Brian Irvine on 3 – 5 minute pieces

22 July

First Edition/News Today performer workshop with composers

Six composers and Brian Irvine work with Fidelio Trio on the newly created 3 – 5 minute pieces

First Edition/ News Today concert
6pm, Foyle Arts Building
Open to the public. Free Admission. No booking required
Concert featuring the new work from the performer and composer workshops led by Brian Irvine and facilitated by the Fidelio Trio

 

Sinéad McNally ‘Ballad Of The Tiger’

sineadmcnally‘Ballad of the Tiger’, a song by Dundalk singer/songwriter and musician Sinéad McNally is capturing the attention and hearts of Irish people all over the world and has been released ahead of schedule due to the incredible response.

Lyrics such as “two clocks ticking on the wall telling times abroad” and “all we own for sale on the cheap just to make ends meet”, are hitting home with listeners as Sinéad discovered when performing it live at her gigs this Summer.

Sinéad, who has already had fantastic success with songs such as ‘Dance With Me’ and ‘Moody Blues’ as well as a performance at the Olympic Games last Summer and winning ‘Best Female’ at the MRU awards last December, describes the song as “simple and honest”.

“Ballad of the Tiger is a song not only about my own experiences over the last five years since the collapse of the economy but also the experience of most Irish people, those who have stayed here and those who have had to emigrate for work.  As well as recalling some of the darkest moments we have experienced, it also describes the hope we all have to recover and move on.”

Dave O’Connor radio presenter with iRadio said “this song actually reminds me of a modern day ‘Ordinary Man’ by Christy Moore, a song that will strike a chord with everyone on this island. I can’t remember the last time I played a song and genuinely was stopped in my tracks.”

To listen to the track, visit www.soundcloud.com/sineadmcnally

www.sineadmcnally.ie

Arts Council Music Recording Scheme

The Arts Council Music Recording Scheme is funded by the Arts Council and managed classicalimage2by Music Network. The scheme provides support for performers and composers working primarily in non-commercial genres through awarding funding for music recording. The aim of this scheme is to ensure that the work of Irish composers and performers is available other than in live performance, and to ensure that important or neglected materials of Irish music are preserved and disseminated to the highest professional standard.

The Arts Council Music Recording Scheme is open to musicians and ensembles of all genres that are of Irish nationality or resident in Ireland.

For further details visit http://www.musicnetwork.ie/musicians/funding/recordingscheme/

THE CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS IS 5:00 PM ON THURSDAY 3RD OCTOBER 2013.

The Carnival Brothers release debut single “The Sun is Gonna Shine”

The Carnival Brothers are a brand new Irish band just recently formed by Composer and Songwriter John Walsh and featuring ex members of Bell X 1, The Frames and Las Vegas Basement. The debut single entitled “The Sun Is Gonna Shine” has been garnering significant prime time radio airplay in the run up to it’s release this week and also boasts a truly cinematic video directed by Simon Eustace.

The song was written and produced by John Walsh with additional lyrics by his brother Barry and it is available now as a download on iTunes and other digital stores.

Glasgowbury Team Announce Exciting New Beginnings

GlasgowburyThe organisers behind Northern Ireland’s premiere celebration of homegrown musical talent have just announced that this year’s showcase will be the final full-scale event at its home at Eagle’s Rock, Draperstown. From next year, Glasgowbury will be moving in a new direction, relocating to an expanded creative hub in Draperstown’s Cornstore, where the continued promotion of local talent and expansion of new educational and creative enterprises will thrive.

The not-for-profit festival and charitable social enterprise started back in 2000  and since then has spearheaded Northern Ireland’s live music culture whilst working closely with various local groups and enterprises to bring the arts to the heart of rural communities. Progressing to the next stage of its forward-thinking development, the organisation aims to conquer exciting new territories and develop new audiences. The new hub will allow Glasgowbury to deliver a wider more varied programme of arts and community development continuing to provide tuition programmes and performance opportunities.

This year for the first time ever, Glasgowbury will expand to a two day festival across the weekend of July 19th to 21st, staging a County Derry showcase at Eagle’s Rock, Draperstown on Friday 19th in support of Derry~Londonderry’s City Of Culture celebrations. And So I Watch You From Afar, Japanese Popstars and The Answer are among the bands who will be gracing the main stage over the course of the weekend.

Don’t miss the opportunity to see this really special festival for the last time high in the Sperrin Mountains. For info, ticket outlets, travel info and all the latest announcements see www.glasgowbury.com

Fergus Sheil appointed artisitic director of ‘Opera Theatre Company’

WOOWide Open Opera welcomes appointment of Fergus Sheil as artistic director of Opera Theatre Company

The board of Wide Open Opera warmly welcomes the appointment of WOO founder and Artistic Director Fergus Sheil as Artistic Director of Opera Theatre Company. Yesterday’s announcement of Sheil’s appointment together with Rosemary Collier as Executive Director of Opera Theatre Company is a great step forward for opera in Ireland.

Fergus Sheil retains his role as Artistic Director of Wide Open Opera in conjunction with his new position at Opera Theatre Company.

Commenting on the appointment, Wide Open Opera’s Chairman Michael Wall said: “It’s no surprise that somebody with Fergus’s drive, ambition and energy would be appointed to lead the artistic output of Opera Theatre Company. Fergus has an enviable ability to devise highly ambitious yet achievable opera projects. Wide Open Opera’s Tristan und Isolde in 2012 was a personal triumph for Fergus as well as the large team of artists that he led. He has followed this initial production with a wide range of innovative plans that will see this young company develop into one of the cornerstones for opera provision in Ireland in the future. Wide Open Opera’s work is complimentary to that of Opera Theatre Company and the output of both companies will amount to a very serious contribution to Irish operatic provision in the years ahead. We wish Fergus, Rosemary and all at OTC well as they move into their next exciting phase.”

Fergus Sheil commented:

“I’m tremendously honoured to have been offered the position of Artistic Director of Opera Theatre Company. This is a company whose work I have followed and at times participated in for over twenty years. I admire the company’s commitment to bringing opera to new and diverse audiences. In many of its productions, OTC has captured the public’s imagination in ways that have been innovative and unexpected. I hope to contribute to a future of artistic vibrancy and look forward to working with the OTC board and staff as well as many different partners to make this happen. Working with both Wide Open Opera and Opera Theatre Company makes it possible to create a hugely diverse range of opera productions from well known titles to new and creative repertoire, to appear in venues large and small, throughout all of the country and internationally, to work with major artists and to nurture the development of new generations of opera practitioners.”

http://wideopenopera.com/

 

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