MATT CRANITCH AND SLIABH NOTES RETURN TO THE VILLAGE ARTS CENTRE

Matt Cranitch, a man with many connections in the Fermoy area has, in his time, played with groups such as ‘Na Fili’ and ‘Any Old Time’ and is currently the driving force behind Sliabh Notes. Matt is also the author of The Irish Fiddle Book, now in its fourth edition. It is one of the most useful and comprehensive instructional texts available to beginning students of the music.

Matt grew up speaking Gaelic as his first language. Both his parents were teachers, his father Micheal played the accordion and the fiddle and his grandfather on his father’s side, whose name was also Matt, was a melodeon player and a stepdancer.

The music rubbed off on all the family, Matt’s sister is also a violinist, another sister plays piano and fiddle and he has a brother who plays the tin whistle, the flute and church organ.

It was while he was in college that Matt met Tomas O Canainn, who was teaching in the department of electrical engineering, and it was there that Na Fili were formed in 1969. He continued playing with Na Fili until 1979 and a few years later started playing with Mick Daly and Dave Hennessy in Any Old Time.

Ossian Publications approached him to write the Fiddle Book and this was launched in March, 1988. Matt is a regular contributor to radio and television programmes as a performer and commentator on matters relating to traditional music. He is traditional music consultant for TG4, the Irish-language television service.

“An exceptional musician and an authority on Irish fiddle-playing, Matt Cranitch has been a major force in Irish music since the early 1970s.” – The Rough Guide to Irish Music.

In 2003, he received the ‘University College Cork Hall of Fame Award’ in recognition of the contribution he had made to Irish traditional music. His current band, Sliabh Notes, includes Donal Murphy and Tommy O’Sullivan and, in the words of Paul Dromey, Folk Columnist of the Evening Echo, Tommy and Matt ‘have proved themselves to be one of the finest and most electrifying Sliabh Luachra-style box and fiddle duos you could wish to hear’.

Added to this is the versatile guitar-playing and unique singing of Tommy O’Sullivan. The result is a dynamic mix of exciting traditional music that is vibrant, powerful and compelling.

Nuala O’Connor has said in the Irish Times; “It is difficult not to be carried away by this music.”

See Sliabh Notes in Kilworth on Sunday night, August 16 at 8.15pm. Tickets now on sale (€15/12.50) from The Avondhu office, MacCurtain St., Fermoy (025-32227); Hyland’s Bookshop, Mitchelstown (025-24528); Cotter’s Bar, Kilworth (025-27109 after 5.30pm) and on 087-6492514.

GREAT IRISH WRITERS WITH NEIL O’SHEA FOR KILWORTH

A one-man stand-up performance featuring the words of such writers as Swift, Wilde, Yeats, Shaw, Synge and for added colour, Christy Browne promises to be an evening full of humour, wit and emotion.

Neil O’Shea, actor and radio and TV performer, brings us on a journey through the writings of some of Ireland’s most famous writers when he visits The Village Arts Centre, Kilworth on Thursday, August 20 at 8.15pm.

These short extracts are performed in a simple stylish presentation without the need for either specific costume or set— rather like a stand up routine but with material by some of the best ever writers!

The main emphasis is on humour, in the form of Oscar Wilde’s hilarious creations such as Lady Bracknell from his most famous play ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, or Oscar himself in his description of his trip to America, or in Jonathan Swift’s (the author of ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, famous satirist and Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin) ‘Resolutions When I Come to Be Old’ in which, in 1699, Jonathan makes a rather comical list of new year’s type resolutions for his future.

Then there is the humour in Percy French’s hilarious parody of Queen Elizabeth I of England and Lord Essex (who she sends to Ireland to control the troublesome Irish), or Oliver Goldsmith’s humorous moral tale ‘An Elegy Written on the Death of a Mad Dog’ from ‘The Vicar of Wakefield’.

Then there is George Bernard Shaw’s view of the Irish character and the Irish imagination as outlined by his character Doyle in the play, ‘John Bull’s Other Island’.

There are also a few gems of poetry by two of Ireland’s most renowned poets William Butler Yeats and Seamus Heaney, (both of whom won the Nobel Prize for Literature, Yeats in 1923 and Heaney in 1995).

Other writers featured include Sean O’Casey with an extract from ‘Shadow of a Gunman’, J. M. Synge from ‘The Playboy of the Western World’ and Christy Browne from ‘Down All the Days’.

This show pays tribute to the extraordinary wealth of literature in English that has come out of Ireland without even beginning to cover the more recent writers. There are so many more who could be included in such a show but they will have to wait until another time.

OLD MARKET HOUSE ARTS CENTRE, DUNGARVAN

The Old Market House Arts Centre, Lower Main St., Dungarvan is currently in the final week of the ‘Colour of Life’ exhibition by Gosia & Luke Lawnicki.

‘Market 09’ has a variety of art and craft work on show from local and national artists.

These exhibitions will be open Tuesday to Friday 11am to 5pm (lunch 12.30 – 1pm) and the final opportunity to see them is on Saturday, 8th August 2009 from 1pm to 5pm.

The arts centre will re-open after its summer break on Wednesday, 26th August with recent paintings from Co. Waterford artist Gerry Harrington and an exciting Group Show by local artists, plus ‘Market 09’ featuring various artists and craft workers.

NORTH CORK CLASSICAL MUSIC PRESENTS THE COLOGNE NEW PHILHARMONIC

Following their memorable recital last year as part of the North Cork Classical Music series in, the Cologne New Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra pay a return visit to Kilworth’s Village Arts Centre on Tuesday night, August 25 at 8.15pm.

And what a line-up they’ve got for us - Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons’ (4 concertos for violin, strings and basso continuo); Bach’s ‘Concerto in C Minor’ for violin, oboe and orchestra BWV 1060; Handel’s ‘Hence Iris, Hence Away’ for oboe and orchestra HWV 58, Mozart’s ‘Divertimento in D Major KV 136 ‘Salzburg Symphone’ and Tchaokovsky’s ‘Nocturne’ for violoncello and strings.

Tickets €15 from Jane on 022-26145; Liam on 025-24858; from usual Arts Centre outlets and from 087-6492514.

MORE HILARITY AS ‘DIRTY DUSTING’ RETURNS TO CORK OPERA HOUSE

‘Dirty Dusting’, the record-breaking show returns to Cork Opera House from Monday, August 31 to Saturday, September 5.

It comes with the original cast that includes Irish entertainment legend Adele King (“Twink”) as one of a trio of little old ladies who are facing the axe from their cleaning jobs.

They might be past their best, beyond their sell-by date and over the hill but they certainly won’t take threats of redundancy lying down. These game ‘girls’ set up a phone sex service, known as ‘The Telephone Belles’, and that’s when the fun really begins.

Their bosses don’t know about it, their families would never guess and their very willing customers are none the wiser! They’re the only chat-line girls with dusters, attitude and their very own bus passes!

Don’t miss the original old-timers who become good-time girls in this year’s must-see comedy, ‘Dirty Dusting’.

Book online: www.corkoperahouse.ie or by phone on 021-4270022 (booking fee may apply).

HEAVY BOOKING FOR CARA AND TOMMY

Booking has been very busy over the past week since the dates for Tommy Fleming (September 10 and 11) and Cara O’Sullivan (Sept 26) were announced by The Village Arts Centre, Kilworth.

Patrons are reminded that all Tommy Fleming tickets must be picked up and paid for once booked. Details from 087-6492514.