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Panarts Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival and Convention
March 6, 2019 - March 10, 2019
£30 – £60
The annual celebration of songs and the people who write them has come around again and Belfast City will come alive to the sound of great new songs, first week in March. It’s the fifteenth year of the Panarts Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival and Convention when Northern Irish songwriters perform in the festival with award winning North American artists.
Making a welcome return to BelNash is an artist who recently toured with Ed Sheeran and Snow Patrol, Portaferry’s Ryan McMullan. In the last two years, Ryan has built a music career that has taken him around the world. Nashville’s Jude Johnstone has written for such greats as Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt and Johnny Cash (Unchained) and she plays Clayton Hotel Belfast on Saturday 9th March with support from Panarts Young Songwriter of The Year 2017, Lucy Bell.
Panarts Director Colin Magee said;
“Fifteen years ago, we set out to put songwriters centre stage and the festival has inspired many to be creative and get involved in the arts. We’re particularly pleased that our partnership with Belmont University Nashville is growing and that several local songwriters can co-write with the students.”
New songs are being launched in March by Ken Haddock, Ursula Burns, Amanda Agnew, Una Clarkin, Joby Fox, Owen Denvir, Anton Glackin and Janet Henry. On Sunday 10th March Brian Houston launches his celebration of Hank Williams songs. His new album ‘Hank’ will be released that night and features many of the songs still being played on radio around the world.
Cork writer John Spillane plays Belnash with special guest Anton Glackin and the wonderful Sarah McQuaid makes the journey from England to perform at the Clayton. American artists Dana Cooper, Beki Hemingway, James Elliot and Grammy Award winning writer Drew Ramsey also take part in the workshops and concerts.
It’s the fifteenth year of the Panarts Song Writing Convention as well with sessions on the art of song writing, Belmont University staff workshops and Irish Music Rights Organisation giving advice on collecting royalties and touring. Nashville’s Jason Blume will be critiquing songs and talking about writing better lyrics and melodies 9th and 10th March at The Clayton on Ormeau Avenue. Jason’s songs have sold on more than fifty million CD’s for artists such as Britney Spears, Gypsy Kings and The Backstreet Boys, so he know a thing or two about writing.
Belnash is featuring the music of John Prine, Steve Earl and Guy Clarke in the special ‘Outlaw Country’ show and six talented young writers will play the final of the 2019 Panarts Young Songwriter of The Year concert on Saturday 9th March.
Tickets for the shows and the conference are available at www.belfastnashville.com and the festival is sponsored by Arts Council NI, Downtown Radio and Forestside.
