Mayo County Council Arts Office Summer Music Series drew to a rapturous close in the spectacular setting of the Friary in Ballyhaunis. Matt Molloy, John Carty and Arty McGlynn treated the audience to a feast of traditional music.
This concert was the last of eight that have taken place during July in towns throughout Mayo. The series started with the Irish Baroque Orchestra who gave a memorable concert in the beautiful setting of Holy Trinity Church Westport. Combining the famed wildness of spirit of west Mayo music with the jazz and swing rhythms of New York in the 1920s, The David Munnelly Band gave the audience in St Micheal’s Church Ballina an evening to remember. Emer Mayock, Donal Siggins, and Jean Michel Veillon entertained an enthusiastic Louisburgh Parish Hall audience in an intimate concert. The Sick and Indigent Song Club, a collection of talented musicians who play old time music dipping into a diverse range of styles, played The Town Hall Arts centre Charlestown, to a great reception. Elizabeth Cooney and Redmond O’Toole gave a wonderfully moving concert in the idyllic setting of St Thomas’s Church, Dugort. Ebony Steelband from London performed an outdoor concert in Market Square, bringing the sound of the Caribbean to a sunny Castlebar. Áras Inis Gluaire, the arts centre in Belmullet, hosted Meteor award winning Mick Flannery who shared his songs in an understated but powerful manner. The series finale was in Ballyhaunis with three giants of traditional music, Matt Molloy, John Carty and Arty McGlynn.
The Summer Music Series catered for many tastes with a diverse programme featuring some of the finest local, national and international musicians. The Summer Music Series traversed many musical genres, from folk to classical, from old time country to traditional, from Jamaican steelpan to rock. Venues ranged from parish halls to churches and each venue drew an eager audience, some following the beat of music to each event.
