visionaries and their words tour easter 2017

"startlingly original" -fROOTS

The critically acclaimed show, Visionaries and their Words, continues its successful Irish tour in March and April 2017 in Dundalk, Dublin, Cork and Belfast. This show is a new musical rendering of the words of Plunkett, Connolly, Ceannt and Pearse, which reveals the artistic brilliance and vision in their writings.

31st March 8pm : Dundalk -An Táin Arts Centre,

2nd April 5pm : Dublin -Sean O’Casey Theatre, East Wall, (Five Lamps Arts Festival)

14th April 8pm : Cork Triskel Christchurch.

29th April 8pm : Belfast Culturlann Mac Adam O Fiaich.

A taste of Visionaries live

The tour follows the release of a new album Visionaries 1916,. An album which was described as "startlingly original" byfROOTS, and “the unsurpassed album of last year and the best that Ireland has produced since Planxty” by New Folk Sounds.

Created by sean- nós singer, composer and “song archaeologist”, Lorcán Mac Mathúna, for the Rising centenary program ARTS:2016, Visionareis and Their Words visited Dublin, Derry, Ennis, Monaghan and Lorient in 2016 to widespread acclaim. It has been to Wexford in January and continues with four more dates around Easter.

The concert features male, female, and children's voices including Lorcán Mac Mathúna (voice), Íde Nic Mhathúna (voice and concertina),Martin Tourish (accordion), Daire Bracken (fiddle, guitar), Eamonn Galdubh (uillean pipes, saxophone, flute, bodhrán) and Elaine O’Dea (spoken word).

Described by the Bretagne Presse as “remarkable, there is no other word to describe this exceptional evening”, fROOTS, said "There's a remarkable empathy evident in the musical settings of the poetry. Voices and fiddles rise and soar skywards in Joseph Plunkett's The Cloud,"

The first Show of 2017 was staged in Wexford and was described by the Wexford Echo as “a truly tantalising melange of music, songs and readings based on the writings of Pearse, Plunkett, Connolly and Ceannt, and those texts proved not only how concerned they were about culture, art and education but they expressed their views with a vivacity and articulation rare in today’s political landscape”

fROOTS said “the songs possess a powerful immediacy due to their being crafted directly from the words and music of four of the seven signatories to the Proclamation of the Republic”

A riveting show of original and uplifting music, It will change the way you see the Leaders of 1916.

Download a high res image from Flickr

Featuring

Lorcán Mac Mathúna (voice)
Íde Nic Mhathúna (voice and concertina);
Martin Tourish (accordion),
Daire Bracken (fiddle, guitar),
Eamonn Galdubh (uillean pipes, saxophone, flute, bodhrán);
Elaine O’Dea (spoken word)

Praise for Visionaries

“Remarkable, there is no other word to describe this exceptional evening” –Bretagne Presse

"There's a remarkeable empathy evident in the musical settings of the poetry. Voices and fiddles rise and soar skywards in Joseph Plunkett's The Cloud... startlingly original" -fROOTS

“The mood ranges from the atmospheric idealism and love poetry of Joseph Plunkett through James Connolly’s literal demand for the earth of Ireland, Éamonn Ceannt’s piping legacy and Pearse’s brooding, inspirational rallying calls” -The Living Tradition

Show promo

biographies

Lorcán Mac Mathúna

Lorcán Mac Mathúna is a singer, writer, and arranger whose work confounds categorisation. Working extensively in the realm of improvised music, with many stylistic inspiration derived of sean-nós techniques and philosophy, his music is tonally rich, nuanced, and dynamic. He has specialised in compositions based on Old-Irish texts, such as An Táin and the Battle of Clontarf and has produced 4 major cycles from ancient Irish texts as well as a collaboration with Daire Bracken which created new tune typologies from Ancient Irish meters.

Martin Tourish PhD

Accordionist, Composer, and Producer Martin Tourish was named as being in the top 3 piano accordionists in Irish music in The Rough Guide to Ireland, he has brought his instrument to a new level by being the first piano accordionist to win TG4's prestigious "Young Musician of the Year" in 2008.

Martin holds a PhD and plays with numerous bands including Altan.

Íde Nic Mhathúna

Íde is a twelve time all-Ireland singing champion, and a concertina player. She has performed and toured with many bands and Comhaltas productions throughout Europe and has collaborated with Ireland's top folk artists. She was the featured voice on Céili Dé Hyms of Passion and Resurrection, which reached No.1 in the Irish independent charts in Easter 2014. She is a former winner of the Corn Mháire Nic Dhonnachadha at An tOireachtas, the Irish language festival and premier Sean-Nós competition platform. She has toured throughout Europe and has played and sang extensively, from Tanzania to Tampa.

Daire Bracken

Daire is a composer, bi-lingual songwriter and fiddler. As a founding member of the successful bands Slide & Danú, Daire he has wowed audiences around the world with his exuberant creative playing and stage presence.

Hailing from a musical family close to the pulse of traditional music in Dublin, from a very young age he has learned from some of the country’s finest musicians. This musical curiosity’s exploratory style has intrigued listeners and brought about many musical collaborations; from electronica to jazz, sean-nós to modern.

Eamonn Galldubh

Uilleann Piper and composer Eamonn Galldubh has toured and recorded with artists including Clannad, Riverdance, Moya Brennan, Cara Dillon, Damien Dempsey, Ragus, Niamh ni Charra, Celtic Woman, Hazel O Connor, Rua, Druid Theatre and the RTE Concert Orchestra.

Elaine O'Dea

A graduate of The Gaiety School of Acting, Elaine O'Dea is the director of saor drama music school. Leading roles on stage include: Classic Stage Ireland’s “As You Like It” ; The Town Hall Theatre/Cork Opera House production of “Lieutenant of Inishmore”; Mikel Murfi’s “Falling out of love”; Galloglass’s production of “The Sanctuary Lamp”.

1916 - visionaries and Their words