The fourth episode of Siamsaíocht Sessúins airs on Athlone Community radio at noon on Saturday, April 24, with the video to premier on the Athlone Family Resource Centre Youtube and Facebook pages at 9pm that night.
For those of you who have not been following this series, Siamsaíocht Sessúins is an Arts Council and Westmeath County Council funded project that gives a platform to the grassroots musical and poetic talent of the region, while displaying some of the beautiful building and dramatic scenery within the county.
In this episode, Preacher Trevor Parkes, welcomed the audience into the beautiful Gothic Revival Methodist Church on Northgate Street in Athlone.
Well known for its musical inclinations and for hosting a Driftwood Manor concert some years ago, the 19th century church provides a dramatic backdrop for this month’s show.
Guests on the show include Dublin born Christopher Hall. Chrissy, as he is known around the town, is well known as the frontman of Athlone’s own boy band Black Island. Here we see Chrissy in a different, somewhat more celestial light, singing one of his own immaculately crafted original numbers - you would be forgiven for thinking he may be the long-lost love child of Cohen and Dylan.
Bianca Fachel takes the listeners to a sunny hill on the westside of Lough Ree, where she performs her latest composition 'Life' in the dramatic surroundings.
While out in the countryside Lynda McFarland from Lowe & Co who prepares a delicious smoothie from life enhancing wild food.
It is a rare treat for Síle No Gigs to get to play in the current situations, but Kara and Áine take this opportunity to come out from behind the cameras to perform their composition 'Overcome'.
This month's story is delivered with grace and style from fiddle playing Áine O’Regan and no episode of Siamsaíocht would be complete without a gad about with Neil Fitzgibbon.
Here, in the company of fine mandolin player Denis McAuliffe, he pays tribute to Athlone’s greatest son Count John McCormack, with a set of slip gigs, aptly entitled Count John’s Slippers
