COLLABORATIONS
 
Tobias Kurig & Fraziska Urton
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The bands line-up is fresh and exciting. Enhanced by their driving rhythm section of bouzouki and cajon, these musicians have produced a sound that reflects the subtleties of light and shade, with a mixture of powerful and emotive contemporary Irish and Scottish music, as well as some newly composed tunes. Their style combines depth, texture and energy, which both drives the band and is exhilarating to experience live. more
 

Déirin Dé & Elphin
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The expressive and incomparable singing of native Irish Ann Grealy forms the heart of the six-piece Irish/German band . The wide range of tunes performed by the Dublin-born lead vocalist extends from soulful melancholic ballads to humorous and spirited songs, accompanied by the band’s virtuous instrumentalists.

The five musicians, lost to Irish music with body and soul, inspire with a mixture of grooving fantasy and skilfully arranged Irish dances such as jigs, reels, hornpipes and polkas. Beautiful waltzes and airs, moodfully laid back compositions and sometimes extraordinary interpretations of currently heard tunes round off the their program.
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Siansa
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Siansa is a London based band playing Traditional Irish music and Song. The band play a variety of instruments including Uilleann Pipes, Harp, Bouzouki, Guitar, Fiddle, Flute and Bodhrán.

The blend of instruments lend themselves to a very traditional “feel” and their exciting playing style draws heavily on the combined musical backgrounds of the individual group members. While the band consider their music to be primarily "Irish Traditional", they can also play a wide variety of European music - which can be described, under the generic term, "Celtic". Tunes and Dance rhythms from places as diverse as Spain, Brittany and Scotland form an integral part of the band's musical repertoire. This heady mix provides a repertoire of traditional music, rich in melody, underpinned with a strong rhythm section, and held together by a tight chord structure. In short, their music is fresh, exciting, nostalgic and yet still remains true to its origin.
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 Jonny Dyer and Vicki Swan
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Vicki and Jonny have been carving out a reputation for delivering innovative new slants on traditional tunes and fascinating originals in festivals and folk clubs around the country over the last number of years.

Vicki’s unique style of playing the Scottish Smallpipes; that is at once spell-bindingly beautiful and haunting is perfectly complimented by Jonny’s driving guitar playing. On stage the two create a performance that is skilled, funny and never dull!
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Helen Roche
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Helen grew up in England and Mid Wales, and inherited her singing from her father Jules and grandfather Bill, both of Liverpool.

Eclectic musical tastes led to a spell performing as a singer-songwriter, and as a bass player in a rock band. She also pursued an interest in the Bosnian, Sephardic and Yiddish song traditions, before returning to her roots in the Irish tradition.

Helen is a magnificent performer whose warm, versatile voice and emotionally satisfying phrasing have enthralled her many audiences, including those at the Ennis Trad Festival, Willie Clancy Week in Miltown Malbay, the Liverpool Irish Festival, and many sessions around London, where she now lives. more
 

Harriet Earis
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The collaboration between these two young traditional musicians, are fast making a name for themselves as a dynamic and innovative duo. Their unusual combination of harp with uilleann pipes, flute and whistles makes for a head-turning alliance. Their music is foot-tapping and infectious.

Together they take a refreshingly modern approach to the two archetypal instruments of Ireland, the harp and the uilleann pipes, developing their own sound that is fun, lively and expressive. By adding new rhythms, harmonies and arrangements to traditional tunes (as well as composing some of their own!), they aim to foster a living tradition, music that is breathing and changing but also in touch with its roots.

Together they create a performance that is tight and polished, full of energy and drive and a total enthusiasm for their music
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