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The Northern Ireland Music Prize | Shortlist and Live Performers Announced

Written by Press Officer on . Posted in Industry News.

Twelve albums have been shortlisted for the Northern Ireland Music Prize In Association With Blue Moon 2016. The winner will be announced at this special awards night on November 11, in the Mandela Hall, Belfast.

More than 70 judges were contacted from the NI music industry and music media. They were invited to cast their votes for the best album of the last 12 months. There will be a second round of voting and the winning album will be announced at the November 11 event.

The shortlisted acts are: 

The Bonnevilles – Arrow Pierce My Heart
Ciaran Lavery – Let Bad In
David C Clements – The Longest Day In History
Documenta – Drone Pop #1
exmagician – Scan The Blue
Foy Vance – The Wild Swan
Girls Names – Arms Around A Vision
Jealous of the Birds – Parma Violets
Michael Mormecha – LOFi LiFE
Ports – The Devil Is A Songbird
Ryan Vail – For Every Silence
The NI Music Prize In Association With Blue Moon is produced by the Oh Yeah music centre and is also supported by The Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

The event will feature live music on the night from Ports, Jealous Of The Birds and Girls Names.

Previous winners are:

2015: SOAK – Before We Forgot How To Dream
2014: Robyn G Shiels – The Blood Of The Innocents
2013: Foy Vance – Joy Of Nothing

Charlotte Dryden, CEO of the Oh Yeah Music Centre says:

“The last 12 months have seen so many outstanding records from Northern Ireland. Some of our favourite acts are in there but importantly there are quite a few debut albums also. Our music community is clearly in good health and this is set to be another rousing celebration.”

Online ticket sales link

This event will feature during the closing weekend of the Sound of Belfast, programme, November 3-12.

 

 

European Commission Publishes Copyright Reform Plans

Written by Press Officer on . Posted in Featured Articles, Industry News.

On the occasion of President Juncker’s 2016 State of the Union address, the Commission today set out proposals on the modernisation of copyright to increase cultural diversity in Europe and content available online, while bringing clearer rules for all online players. The proposals will also bring tools for innovation to education, research and cultural heritage institutions.

Digital technologies are changing the way music, films, TV, radio, books and the press are produced, distributed and accessed. New online services such as music streaming, video-on-demand platforms and news aggregators have become very popular, while consumers increasingly expect to access cultural content on the move and across borders. The new digital landscape will create opportunities for European creators as long as the rules offer legal certainty and clarity to all players. As a key part of its Digital Single Market Strategy, the Commission has adopted proposals today to allow:

• The Copyright Directive aims to reinforce the position of right holders to negotiate and be remunerated for the online exploitation of their content on video-sharing platforms such as YouTube or Dailymotion. Such platforms will have an obligation to deploy effective means such as technology to automatically detect songs or audiovisual works which right holders have identified and agreed with the platforms either to authorise or remove.
• Better choice and access to content online and across borders.
• Improved copyright rules on education, research, cultural heritage and inclusion of disabled people.

Despite requiring further steps, this proposed suite of legislative measures is a step in the right direction to preserve the value of creative works in the face of wide scale use by platform services. These services too must play by the rules so that the integrity of the Digital Single Market for creative content can be maintained.

Transfer of value

Platform services are currently making large profits thanks to the cultural and creative works that they provide access to. Little or none of these profits find their way to the creators of the works. This transfer of value seriously harms creators, puts European cultural creativity and diversity at risk, and creates a competitive disadvantage for legitimate businesses.

Irish composer Bill Whelan comments: “The nourishing effects of creative activities are essential to our understanding of ourselves and our society. By removing the income sources which previously sustained these, we have, in a startlingly short time, reduced these careers to being essentially “amateur” or part-time (…). The Commission should be forcefully aware of the organic effect that this is having culturally and take swift and radical action to respond to this alarming and culturally damaging situation.”

IMRO Chief Executive Victor Finn said: “It is in everyone’s interests, the creative community and online platforms, that we have a system in place that fairly rewards creativity. It is these creative works that are fundamental to the attraction and popularity of online platform services. Clear rules allowing easy access to creativity will allow consumers enjoy their favourite services whilst ensuring our creators get a fair reward”.

GESAC General Manager Véronique Desbrosses said: “we look forward to working with the EU institutions to further build on the Commission’s encouraging proposal. I am confident that most of us can agree that we are looking to obtain a more level playing field for platforms and innovators, a flourishing creative sector, and more diversity and accessibility for consumers. This is a message that was echoed this summer by over 22.000 creators from all artistic fields (including over 800 IMRO members) in a letter to the Commission. We trust MEPs and Member States will heed this message and aim for this common goal.”

HWCH Festival Lineup Announced

Written by Press Officer on . Posted in Featured Articles, Industry News.

 

HWCH made the annual call for bands to apply in June and were overwhelmed with the response. Close to 700 bands applied via First Music Contact’s platform Breaking Tunes and 100 bands were chosen independently by top Irish and international music industry professionals.

In March 2016 an alumni and friend of the festival, Conor Walsh from Mayo, died suddenly. At HWCH this year all 100 bands participating will be asked to vote for the act who most embodies Conor’s talent and bravery among their number. That act will be awarded the Conor Walsh Memorial Bursary (€2,500) to be used toward a recording or tour bill.

The HWCH well-attended Industry Convention will continue it’s programme of events and activities for 2016 with conferences, mentor sessions, workshops and more. The convention is an opportunity for international delegates, Irish bands and domestic music industry professionals to meet face to face and make important first contacts. Agents, festival bookers, record labels, publishers, managers, event curators, journalists, editors, radio DJs and taste-makers have HWCH in their diaries because it’s an unique and eclectic snapshot of the current state of Irish music. All of this is possible due to valued support from The Arts Council and Culture Ireland, with added assistance from Failte Ireland/Tourism Ireland and IMRO.

There are many reasons why Hard Working Class Heroes is regarded as one of Europe’s leading festivals for new music. Since its inception in 2003, the festival has showcased many of Ireland’s best known acts including recent Ivor Novello winner Villagers, 2013’s breakthrough act Hozier along with Girl Band, Delorentos, Fight Like Apes, Jape, Coronas, Pleasure Beach, Le Galaxie, The Strypes, Otherkin and many more.

LINEUP HWCH 2016

A.S. Fanning / Adultrock / AikJ / Ailbhe Reddy / Alana Henderson / BARQ / Basciville / Beach / Birds of Olympus / Bitch Falcon / Black Wing Bird / BlueMusic / Brian Casey / Buffalo Woman / Callum Stewart / Chris Kabs / Clarence & The Winters / Comrade Hat / Cormac O Caoimh / Craig Gallagher / Cult Called Man / Dammy Ari / Damola / Daniel McDermott / Davina and the Messengers / ELE / Elephant / Ella Naseeb / Elm / Eoin Dolan / Erica-Cody / Evvol / Exiles / EXPLODING EYES / Fangclub / Fontaines / Galants / Ger Fox Sailing / HAIL THE GHOST / Half Of Me / handsome eric / Harbouring Oceans / HAWK / Hiva Oa / JAFARIS / Jealous of the Birds / Junk Drawer / Kid Karate / Le Boom / Loah / Maija Sofia / Maria Kelly / Miles Graham / moossmann / Naoise Roo / New Pope / New Portals / New Valley Wolves / Nocturnes / Oh Boland / Oh Joy / Orchid Collective / Paddy Dennehy & The Red Herring / Paddy Mulcahy / PALE RIVERS / Participant / Patrick Freeman / Paul Creane / Peppy / Petty Youth / R.S.A.G. / Rocstrong / Rosie Carney / Rusangano Family / Samyel / SARAMAI / Search Party Animal / Slow Riot / Soule / Stephen Robinson / Strength / Super Silly / swords / Tablets / Talos / Tara Lee / Tebi Rex / The Blizzards / The Ocelots / The Shaker Hymn / Tiz McNamara / TOUTS / Train Room / Tuath / Video Blue / Vulpynes / Wake America / Wastefellow / We, the Oceanographers / whenyoung / Whim / WOLFF / Wyvern Lingo / Yonen / Young Earth

HWCH ’16 Venues | The Workman’s Club, Wigwam, The Chocolate Factory, Odessa, Tengu, The Mezz with more to be added soon.

Tickets on sale now via Dice
Catch 100 emerging acts in venues across the city and learn valuable tips from the leaders of the music industry and tech world.
Weekend Tickets €45.00, Nightly Tickets €20, Individual Venue Tickets €10

See festival website hwch.net for updates on the weekend in the lead up to 6-8 October.

John Gibson | One of Ireland’s leading composer-pianists Dies

Written by Press Officer on . Posted in Featured Articles, News.

IMRO was saddened to hear about the recent death of one Ireland’s leading composer-pianists John Gibson.

Speaking on news of John’s passing, IMRO Chairman Keith Donald said, “I was saddened to read of John Gibson’s death. As well as being a very talented composer and educator, he was a gentleman and a valued member of the board of IMRO”.

Pianist and composer John Gibson was born in Dublin in 1951. He studied piano with Rhona Marshall, and became a theory teacher at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. He lived and worked in Cork since 1982, and was a Lecturer in Piano at the CIT Cork School of Music for 29 years, until his retirement in 2012. John has performed extensively over the past 45 years with the National Symphony Orchestra, the RTE Concert Orchestra and the RTE Vanbrugh String Quartet and as a soloist and a chamber musician. His 90 compositions include a Chamber Opera, Songs, Orchestral works and much Piano music along with three String Quartets.

Commissions included a test piece for the AXA Dublin International Piano Competition, which received its premiere performance in Cork at the Piano Portraits series in 2007. A new String Quartet, “IKON”, written for the RTE Vanbrugh String Quartet, was premiered at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival in 2006. In 2007 he was commissioned by Ian Fox to write a Nocturne for the right hand for the leading Irish pianist John O’Conor. In the same year he wrote a Lament for Voice, Cor Anglais and Piano. This was a private commission and the work is included in his new CD, The John Gibson Collection Vol 2, which was issued in 2011 to celebrate his 60th birthday. Another private commission was Proverbs 13:12 for Piano and SOLO for Violin, both from an American patron Tom Ayers. In 2009 he wrote a psalm setting for Madrigal 75, the distinguished choral group from Cork, and in 2010 received a commission from Cork City Council for “Christ Church Music”, which was performed at the official opening of Christ Church Triskel in April 2011. 7 CDs of his music have been issued, many with Arts Council funding. In 2012 he was invited to perform in the Kremlin and commissioned to compose Nocturne á la Russe for the anniversary of John Field.

The first staged performance of his Chamber Opera, “Judith and Holofernes”, was sponsored by Cork 2005-European Capital of Culture. Much of John’s music is played regularly on RTÉ lyric fm, and his works have also been performed and heard in China, Brazil, America, Russia and throughout Europe and Japan. In 1997 John was awarded the prestigious Nijinsky Medal for his piano piece Nijinsky, by the Polish Ministry of Arts and Culture and the International Society of the Friends of Vaclav Nijinsky. He is the first composer to receive this honour.

In 2015, John Gibson’s music has been used for two documentary films by director Padraig Treahy, entitled “Tadhg Barry Remembered” and “The Quiet Revolution”, about the sculptor Séamas Murphy.

Gibson’s death came days before his composition of children’s songs will be performed at the National Concert Hall in the 29 concert series “Composing the Island”, showcasing music written by 90 Irish composers between 1916 and 2016.

Composing the Island | A Century of Music In Ireland 1916 – 2016

Written by Press Officer on . Posted in Featured Articles, Industry News.

The first week of Composing the Island: A century of music in Ireland 1916 – 2016 commences this evening, Wednesday 7th September at 8pm with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra under the baton of Kenneth Montgomery performing orchestral works inspired by Irish history and landscape.

These include Ina Boyle’s Symphony No. 1 Glencree from 1927, a symphony that received its only previous complete performance in 1945; Norman Hay’s Dunluce from 1921 which was inspired by the dramatic ruined castle on the north Antrim coast and Charles Villiers Stanford’s Irish Rhapsody No. 4, sometimes known as the Ulster Rhapsody. Tickets Available Here

Thursday evening sees the Vanbrugh Quartet and guests performing early 20th century chamber music and songs by English and Irish composers who were inspired by Irish landscape, language and folk traditions. These composers include Hamilton Harty, Frederick May, Ernest John Moeran and Arnold Bax. Tickets Available Here

Our Friday lunchtime concert is by tenor Robin Tritschler with pianist Peter Tuite who will perform original compositions and folk song arrangements from the first decades of the 20th century in a programme entitled Songs of Erin: An Irish Songbook (Volume 1). Tickets Available Here

Assistant organist and director of the cathedral girl choristers at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, David Leigh will perform organ music from 1916 – 1945 by three influential teachers – Percy Buck, Charles Kitson & Charles Villiers Stanford. Tickets Available Here
Composing the Island

Our Friday evening concert features orchestral music from the 1930s performed by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra with conductor Gavin Maloney & soprano Máire Flavin. The programme includes Howard Ferguson’s Partita for Orchestra, Hamilton Harty’s last major completed work, The Children of Lir and Aloys Fleischmann’s The Four Masters – a concert overture drawing inpsiration from the annals of Celtic Ireland. Tickets Available Here

The Band of the Defence Forces School of Music treat us to an afternoon of music by Col. Wilhelm Fritz Brase, A.J. Potter, Gerard Victory & more on Saturday with Lieutenant Colonel Mark Armstrong as conductor. Tickets Available Here

On Saturday evening in the Kevin Barry Recital Room, the Fidelio Trio perform a selection of piano trios and sonatas by influential composers including Stanford, one of the most important figures in the musical life of Dublin, Michele Esposito and Joan Trimble. Tickets Available Here

Week One draws to a close on Sunday afternoon with the Vanbrugh Quartet perfomring chamber music composed between the wars. They will be joined by the Chiral Quartet and oboeist Matthew Manning for works by Ina Boyle, Brian Boydell, Frederick May & Aloys Fleischmann. Tickets Available Here

VP Ansip receives petition signed by 20,000 creators urging Commission to tackle transfer of value

Written by Press Officer on . Posted in Industry News.

  • An author delegation led by renowned French visual artist Daniel Buren presented a petition to Commission Vice-President Ansip today.
  • The petition, signed by some 20,000 creators, calls on the Commission to end the economic and legal loophole that platforms like YouTube have been wrongfully taking advantage of these past years.
  • The loophole results in a transfer of value from creators to tech giants, draining Europe of its creative potential.

As the Commission finalises its work on the copyright reform, authors are active throughout Europe and the world to ensure that their biggest concern is addressed. The petition, signed by Pedro Almodóvar, Charles Aznavour, Imogen Heap, Agnieszka Holland, Hooverphonic, Ennio Morricone, Mikis Theodorakis, and another 20,000 creators from all creative horizons (composers, authors, directors, screenwriters, photographers, sculptors, painters, etc.) and all over the European Union, is one of many signals to the European institutions that the current state of play is unacceptable.

Irish composer Bill Whelan comments: “The nourishing effects of creative activities are essential to our understanding of ourselves and our society. By removing the income sources which previously sustained these, we have, in a startlingly short time, reduced these careers to being essentially “amateur” or part-time (…). The Commission should be forcefully aware of the organic effect that this is having culturally and take swift and radical action to respond to this alarming and culturally damaging situation.”
Today, Internet giants argue that copyright obligations do not apply to them and hide behind safe harbour exemptions to avoid paying creators and rights holders fairly. The petition argues that “This is an unprecedented opportunity for Europe to lead a movement that rebalances the market so that creators, consumers and smaller businesses alike get the best possible deal.”

The meeting with Commission VP Ansip was attended by Daniel Buren, visual artist C215, architect Aymeric Zublena, painter Paul De Gobert and representatives of authors’ societies GESAC and EVA (European Visual Artists). The Panorama exception was discussed; an exception that the Commission thought unnecessary to address in its legislative proposal. This is a decision that GESAC and EVA applaud.

  • Read the text of the petition here.
  • Find the list of signatories here.
  • Read more about transfer of value here and here.
  • Read more about the Panorama exception here.

Moira Calling Next Week – September 10th 2016

Written by Press Officer on . Posted in Industry News.

Headlined by Hudson Taylor, the one-day event features a host of indigenous artists performing on Saturday, September 10th 2016 at The Demesne, Moira, Co Armagh, including; Ex Magician Pleasure Beach, Ports, David C Clements, Arborist, Callum Stewart, Hannah McPhillimy and many others. ‘Moira Calling’ is a celebration of Music, Food, and Drink, featuring 14 artists across two stages, with a key focus on local food, ales, and ciders. Local events company, Brown Lemonade Ltd, brings ‘Moira Calling’ to you.

More information www.moiracalling.com

Tickets available now at www.ticketmaster.ie

More Than A Barbershop | Abner Brown

Written by Press Officer on . Posted in Featured Articles, Industry News.

Documentary of famous Dublin barbershop in International Film Festivals

Abner Brown Barbershop has become one of the main and most interesting music venues in Ireland. The documentary “More than a Barbershop” tells the story of this famous Dublin barbershop, where renowned international bands and musicians have performed. This documentary will be shown at a few international film festivals in Ireland and the USA in the next coming weeks.

The documentary has been selected to take part in the following International Film Festivals:
• 7th Underground Cinema Film Festival – Dun Laoghaire – 09th September – http://www.ucff.ie/
• Fingal Film Festival – Swords, Dublin – 02nd October – http://www.fingalfilmfest.com/
• Sunnyside Short Film Festival -Queens, New York – 8th October – http://www.sunnysideshorts.com

“1844 Times Projects” has created a documentary which captures what is happening in this small corner of Dublin. Hundreds of acts have already performed at Abner Brown, such as Ash, Gavin Glass, Duke Special, David Geraghty (of Bell X1 fame), Molly Sterling, Mundy, The Hot Sprockets and many more. Even Michael Stipe, REM singer, was a visitor to this alternative spot last time he was in Dublin. “More than a Barbershop” tells how a passion for music turned a local old-school barbershop into an icon of the Irish music scene.

• Dave Judge (Barber / Owner of Abner Brown Barbershop): “It just exploded on the Irish music scene, I can’t believe what’s happening. I have gone from being a barber into… well, they keep telling me I am one of the main promoters around town now”.
• Aaron Bayham (Co-Chairman 2016 Baton Rouge Irish Film Festival): “An intimate look at a really unique place”.
• Sherry Gamlin (Festival Director of Sunnyside Shorts Film Festival – New York): “It is a wonderful documentary. Original. Humorous”.

Hugh Doolan Takes Us To A Promised Land

Written by Press Officer on . Posted in News.

A Promised Land is the latest album release from Hugh Doolan. Nearly 5 years in the making, it’s a collection of folk, blues and soulfully contemporary songs, with a host of guest artists adding to the acoustically driven musical fabric – check out Derek Cornett’s fantastic guitar solo on Cats & Dogs @1m58s. Hugh’s voice is tinged with folk-soul velvetiness with lyrics that cover the earnest, the everyday and the poetic, from one song to the next.

Out now on iTunes, Spotify and Bandcamp

HughDoolan is a singer-songwriter and Soundtrack artist living in Dublin, Ireland. In addition to releasing albums of his songs (Swiggin’ the Jig – 1994, Slopey – 2010, A Promised Land – 2016) Hugh composes and produces folk-infused and genre-diverse soundtracks, e.g. IFTA award-winning feature documentary Bernadette: Notes on a Political Journey and a host of short films and YouTube content.

His music is often aired on RTE LyricFM’s The Blue of the Night and Movies & Musicals. In the 90’s Hugh played and toured a lot around Europe, e.g. with Christy Moore at Berlin’s Quasimodo club in 1991, and now plays the occasional gig/open mic to road-test new material.

The Annual IMRO Other Room Open Call is Now Open!

Written by Press Officer on . Posted in Featured Articles, Industry News.

The IMRO Other Room is all about shining a light on exciting, fresh music and in previous years it has offered acts such as James Vincent McMorrow, Villagers and Rusangano Family a platform at Other Voices to showcase their music in the early days of their careers.

In December 2015, for the first time, the IMRO Other Room was filmed in front of a live audience as part of the Other Voices Music Trail. In July 2016 an hour long special on the Other Room aired on RTÉ 2, featuring performances from Saint Sister, Talos, Gavin Glass, Bitch Falcon, HAWK and 2015 Open Call winner Saramai.

If you would like to be in with a chance to play the IMRO Other Room in December 2016 visit http://www.othervoices.ie/content/open-call for full details.

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