Month: March 2014

This afternoon, Paul Roe and Bill Dowdall kick off the second season in the Association of Irish Composers’ Irish Canon concert series with a recital and masterclasses as part of Waterford New Music Week. This season sees concerts taking place in Dublin, Waterford, Limerick and Cork, and with partners such as the Cork Orchestral Society, Waterford IT and Mary Immaculate College, with more to be confirmed over the coming weeks.

The Irish Canon sees some of Ireland’s top performers bringing specially selected programmes of Irish works to universities and venues across the country. With this series, the Association of Irish Composers seeks to create a new canon of Irish works by ensuring multiple performances of music by Irish composers, and taking the first steps toward making them repertoire standards, redefining what it means to have a musical ‘canon’. Each programme is carefully chosen by the performer from the current repertoire of music by Irish composers for their instrument.

Listen to past programmes here: www.soundcloud.com/irishcomposers

Performers:

Kate Ellis (cello); David Bremner (organ); Isabelle O’Connell (piano); Cora Venus Lunny (violin); Bill Dowdall (flute); Paul Roe (clarinet); Michelle O’Rourke (voice); David Bremner/Elizabeth Hilliard (piano/voice)

For more information, please contact Anna Murray, Concerts Secretary, The Association of Irish Composers at aicconcerts@nullgmail.com

‘The Acoustic Yard’, a monthly IMRO supported showcase event that features singer/songwriters from around the world will hold it’s next original collection of songs on Tuesday March 25th in Matt Molloy’s, Westport. After last months successful launch hosted by David Dee Moore and filmed by Irishtv.ie, ‘The Acoustic Yard’ presents three exciting contemporary songwriters in Kate O’Callaghan from Donegal, Jim McKee a Tyrone native based in the Burren and Mayo resident Paul Kirwan.

Kate O’Callaghan’s recent CD ‘The Still Beyond’ manages to combine evocative melodies with intelligent considered lyrics. She has a very distinctive writing style that compliments her beautiful vocal delivery. She has sung at numerous festivals including the Galway Arts Festival and Glastonbury in the UK.

Another hidden gem is the multi talented Jim McKee whose new CD ‘Goodness comes from the heart’ is full of catchy tunes and emotive lyrics. Some of his songs appear in the award winning film ‘Songs for Amy’ which will be globally released this year. Jim is also an actor and a professional artist with his paintings displayed extensively in Ireland and France.

Paul Kirwan is known around Ireland as front man with his Mayo based Paul K Band. With his smooth and atmospheric vocal and his virtuoso fast piano blues playing, his original songwriting can make you both dance and clutch at your heart strings. Paul has shared the stage with Duke Special, Arlo Guthrie, Deacon Blue, Imelda May and he recently appeared on BalconyTV.

Doors open at 8.30pm and any singer/songwriters wishing to be considered for ‘The Acoustic Yard’ or require more information please contact David Dee at theacousticyard@nullgmail.com

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Fair Remuneration for Audiovisual, Dramatic and Literary Creators Ensures Their Vital Contribution to the World’s Economy and Culture.

The newly relaunched “Writers and Directors Worldwide” authors’ council has called for a simplified debate on creators’ rights as latest reports put the economic contribution of the creative sector at record levels. The group that dates back to 1966 and was previously known as the International Council of Dramatic, Literary and Audiovisual Creators (CIADLV) has streamlined both its name and message.

“The authors in these repertoires entertain millions across the world by creating films, TV series, books or theatre plays and simply need to receive a fair remuneration for their work:” said Yves Nilly, French author, screenwriter and newly re-appointed chair of Writers and Directors Worldwide. “Unfortunately, the reality is that the overwhelming majority of creators in this sector ­— individuals, often self-employed ­— cannot make a living from being an author. Authors’ rights are the key; without it they have to find other jobs and their creative contribution to culture, diversity and the economy is lost.”

This contribution takes two equally significant forms. In economic terms, the work done by writers and directors is usually the first step in launching productions that the British Film Institute for example, estimates has contributed over €5 billion last year to the UK economy alone. The second contribution is to the world’s culture, described in the recent United Nations Creative Economy Report as “both a driver and an enabler of human and sustainable development”.

The next generation of creators, those struggling to launch new projects today, especially need to be supported. The nature of writers and directors’ work also often encompasses long, single and sometimes speculative projects with the flow of income neither constant nor assured. “The only way to maintain a sustainable creative industry is to guarantee a fair remuneration to authors for every use and re-use of their back catalogue,” said Nilly.

Writers and Directors Worldwide has a full agenda for the coming months beginning with a new international action plan to support the struggle of directors and screenwriters for recognition in national copyright laws of fair remuneration rights for every use of their work. It will liaise with authors’ unions in countries such as Colombia, Brazil, India or China to share best practice and provide support in protecting rights in these fast growing regions.