Author: Press Officer

The Contemporary Music Centre is delighted to celebrate the Christmas season with two concerts featuring SoundSet, an innovative new ensemble, on 15 December 2010.

Both concerts will take place in the Centre’s new platform for performance space on the ground floor of its building in Fishamble Street. Entitled Winter Variations the concerts feature a selection of contemporary Christmas carols by Irish and International composers.

Irish composers Anne Marie O’Farrell, Jane O’Leary and Nick Roth have all written new works specifically for the ensemble and the occasion. Irish composers Stephen Gardner, Piers Hellawell and Solfa Carlile also feature. A call for contemporary carols by the Contemporary Music Centre, through its international networks, has resulted in an international carol by Pawel Lukaszewski of Poland.

SoundSet, under the direction of Laura Kilty and Emma O’Halloran, aims to put on high quality concerts which feature repertoire from a huge variety of musical genres – contemporary, electronic, Renaissance, Baroque and anything well-written and exciting!

“The Contemporary Music Centre is very pleased to provide SoundSet with their first performance opportunity and for SoundSet to be the first ensemble to perform in the Centre’s new platform for performance. We hope this is a sign of many future collaborations for our new space and continuing opportunities for Irish composers to have their work performed” says Karen Hennessy, Promotion Manager, The Contemporary Music Centre.

The first performance on 15 Dec is at lunchtime, 1pm – 2pm. It is open to the general public and free of charge. Booking is recommended as space is limited. To book tel: 01 6731922 or email info@nullcmc.ie The second performance is for friends, colleagues and supporters of the Contemporary Music Centre and takes place 6pm – 7pm, followed by a reception.

The Contemporary Music Centre is Ireland's national archive, resource centre and promotional body for new music, supporting composers both north and south. The Centre is supported by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

www.cmc.ie
 

Lisburn singer-songwriter, Aaron Shanley, has won the award for Best Male at the Access to Music Awards held in the O2 Arena, Birmingham last week. The award was presented by BBC Radio 1 DJ, Edith Bowman. Aaron also performed at the award ceremony, where he received a standing ovation.

Earlier this year, Aaron was the recipient of the Katherine Brick Young Songwriter of the Year Award.
Aaron has toured extensively in the US, UK and Ireland in 2010, including dates supporting Kiernan McMullan and Ben Glover. He self-released his debut mini-album 'Let The Sun In' through his own label Love Gum Records in October 2010. A bonus five-track EP 'The Nashville Sessions' was made available alongside any copy of the mini-album that was purchased through Aaron's online shop.

www.myspace.com/aaronshanley

Bell X1 close the year with the announcement of 2 prestigious Dublin dates in April which go on sale this Monday 13 December.
 
Bell X1 will play:

Wednesday 6th April ­ Vicar Street, Dublin

Thursday 7th April ­ Vicar Street, Dublin

The live shows will coincide with the release of the band's 5th studio album, Bloodless Coup, which will be in shops on 1st April 2011.
 
Bloodless Coup will be released on the band's own Belly Up label in Ireland.
The album is the follow up to the hugely successful Blue Lights On The Runway which included the massive single "The Great Defector". Paul, David and Dominic worked with Irish Producer Rob Kirwan on the album, which was recorded in Grouse Lodge, West Meath.
 
In October of this year, the band celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the release of their debut album, Neither Am I. To commemorate this they played a special acoustic tour of Ireland which saw them return to some of the intimate venues they played on that first album tour. The tour was fully sold out ­ as were its counterparts in Europe, North America and the United Kingdom.
 
 
Bell X1 Live In Dublin
 
Wednesday 6th April ­ Vicar Street, Dublin Thursday 7th April ­ Vicar Street, Dublin
 
Tickets for the shows go on sale on Monday 13 December through http://www.ticketmaster.ie
 
www.bellx1.com 
 

The submissions period for Glasgowbury 2011 is now officially open.

Acts interested in submitting to be considered for next year’s festival have until the end of January to send through their work.

As a festival which caters for new and emerging talent, each year Glasgowbury opens a submissions period to give interested bands and artists the opportunity to get on the bill.

To be considered for next year’s event, interested applicants should send their press pack, an up to date example of their music, and a copy of a downloadable covering letter available from www.glasgowbury.com

Although hard copy postal entries are preferred, this year artists can also submit to Glasgowbury via email but must still provide all essential criteria.

Postal Submissions:
Send your press pack, CD and the completed covering letter to: Glasgowbury Music Group, Unit B1, The Business Centre,  Tobermore Road, Draperstown, BT45 7AG

Email Submissions:
Email your press pack, a link to your songs (do not send song attachments with your email as this will clog up the email system)  and the completed covering letter to: submissions@nullglasgowbury.com

The deadline for receipt of submissions is Monday 31st January and all successful acts will be informed thereafter.
 

Cork-born, Galway based songwriter, singer and instrumentalist, Adam Murphy, launches his new album, “The Idle Dreamer”, in Kelly’s Bar, Bridge Street, Galway on Saturday 22nd January.

Having worked for periods in Cork, Europe, the US, and UK, Adam now lives in Co. Galway and performs regularly around the area.  Adam's material has been aired on RTE, Galway Bay FM, TnaG, some UK stations, and most recently live on The Saturday Connection with Charlie McGettigan on Shannonside/Northern Sounds.

With an extensive and eclectic repertoire of original material, and a number of recordings with different bands, "The Idle Dreamer" is Adam's second full solo album of original material, following up 2006's "The Lazy Load".
"The Idle Dreamer" can be purchased in the Amnesty International Cafe, Middle Street, Galway where Adam sometimes performs, or online at cdbaby.com

“A Hard Old Station: Christmas with the Popical Island Showband” will be released on free download on Monday, 13th December. This release features the rousing singalong chorus of “The High Line”, the galloping alco-indie-pop Christmas tale “Blotto” and seasonal tracks by members of the Popical Island Collective.

As with all the best ideas for Christmas records, this one sparked in mid June. At the launch of this year’s Popical Island #1 compilation, a Phil Spector-esque Wall of Sound was dreamed up. By mid-November, the Popical Island Showband had convened in a cold North Dublin basement to record two tracks in a day of no musical overdubs, significant hand clapping, sleigh bells and exceptionally good value Chinese food. At least five golden guitarists plucked their way through the tunes, more than fourteen calling Islanders provided backing vocals, three non-French brass players stirred with the strings in another room while two little drummer boys kept it tight in the hallway. One producer kept everyone in check shirts.

2010 has been a very rewarding year for singer-songwriter Danny Carthy. His song, Carlingford, was selected by French singer-songwriter, Renaud, for inclusion in his album, Molly Malone.

The album, made up of Irish folk songs translated into French, was recorded in Dublin last year and released by EMI France.  It reached No. 1 in the French Album Charts last December and has so far sold in excess of 180,000 CDs.

Renaud has sold an amazing 30 million albums in his lifetime and Danny was honoured to have his track chosen for inclusion on the album:

“The fact that Renaud recorded mostly Irish folk songs proves that our culture is still very popular worldwide, and it’s amazing to listen to the songs in French with traditional Irish backing.”

Danny Carthy has been a folk singer for more than thirty years, working for the most part with the group Fiddlers Green as a singer and guitarist. His music has led him to Europe, USA and UK over the years, as well as performing extensively throughout Ireland.

www.dannycarthy.com
 

Cork heroes Fred released their latest single, “Trial by Fire”, today.