The Goo 1
CHRISTIAN WETHERED Scene News FOLK Harpist Alanna
h Thornburgh releases her second single, 'Away with the Fairies' – a gorgeous folky instrumental with Lorcan Byrne on percussion – from her album Shapeshifter on January 15th. Can't wait for the album in February. Otherwise, there are more events than releases this month – a chance to get out and source the good vibes. One event that looks hard to miss is 'Hi, How Are You' Day at the Grand Social on 26th January, where Jerry Fish et al. are set to play tribute to the late great Daniel Johnson. Ireland's folk conference Your Roots Are Showing (YRAS) is on 17th to the 21st January, and will be in Gleneagle Hotel/INEC, Killarney. The conference serves as an excellent introduction to a host of folk acts, both in Ireland and elsewhere. The keynote speaker is two-time GRAMMY Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning singer and instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens, and is set to be quite an event. Also be sure to check out showcases from Billow Wood, Lorraine Nash, Rodney Owl and Tadhg Williams – all of whom are class. TradFest is also kicking off with a number of folksy Irish artists to boot, most notably The Scratch, Wallis Bird & Spark, KILA, Macdara Yeates, Peggy Seeger and Emma Langford. The festival takes place across a range of Dublin venues from 22nd to 26th January. Also, don't forget Nollaig na mBan, aka Women's Christmas, on the 6th PAGE 36 Accompanying Your Roots Are Showing will be Folk N Fusion at the Gleneagle INEC Arena on 14th January. This will bring together some of the most revered names in folk and roots music, promising a night that honours both tradition and innovation. The evening’s lineup is headlined by the incomparable Rhiannon Giddens, a Grammy and Pulitzer Prize winner renowned for her deep connection to roots January, which will see a number of acts performing across the island of Ireland. Most notably in Dublin, North Inner City are celebrating inspirational women. Mary Coughlan will play St Columbia's Church on North Strand; North Strand Parish Church will host Muireann Bradley and Mary Stokes Trio; and while Annesley House will showcase Leslie Dowdall and Aoife Bridget. music. Joining her is Liam Ó Maonlaí, the massive voice of Hothouse Flowers. IMBOLC is on 26th January, and an IMBOLC festival in Derry will run from 26th January to 4th February. This will host a number of music and dance workshops as well as concerts. Legendary Irish Folk music band Dervish, bring their acclaimed show ‘The Great Irish Songbook’ to The National Concert Hall, Dublin on Thursday, 30th January. The event features a stunning line up of well-known artists performing iconic Irish folk songs with Dervish from their critically acclaimed album of the same name released in 2019. The band will also preview new materials from their forthcoming follow up album, The Great Irish Songbook Chapter 2 poets and storytellers, which has a contemporary edge. Special guests of Dervish for the evening will be The Indigo girls, Moya Brennan from Clannad and more to be announced. ‘Passage West’ the new single from Dervish featuring ‘The Indigo Girls’ will be released on Friday, 10th January 2025.