Media Release 11 February 2015

The iconic Kilfenora Céilí Band celebrate the launch of new album with concert at National Concert Hall this St. Patrick’s week

The century old Kilfenora Céilí Band bring the best of traditional Irish music and dance to the National Concert Hall stage this St. Patrick’s week (16 March at 8pm) as part of ESB LIVE 2015. The concert, which features special guest dancer Michael Donnellan and his Kickin Crew, together with singer Don Stiffe, coincides with the launch of their new album ‘Now is The Hour’.

Produced by Lúnasa’s Kevin Crawford ‘Now is the Hour’ (due for release on 13 March), showcases a musical gear-change with a more contemporary sound coming from the 13-member traditional group while also staying true to their rich dance music heritage of County Clare. The band will also be undertaking a national tour bringing their music to audiences all around Ireland.

After 105 years in the business, the world-renowned Kilfenora Céilí Band is seen by many aficionados as the quintessential Irish céilí band. Their core repertoire of dance music, punctuated with an incomparable lift and rhythm, defines an unbroken tradition that dates from the beginning of the twentieth century.

Despite this link with the past, their recent recordings and concert performances point to a broadening of the perceived boundaries of their genre. Collaborations with a diverse range of song and dance artists, experimentation with repertoire outside of the dance domain and complex harmonic arrangements speak to an ensemble who are pioneering new and exciting performance contexts for the céilí band genre.

The band has travelled extensively, visiting Britain, Northern Ireland, Europe and the U.S. They have performed at Glastonbury twice and in 2009 headlined on the Acoustic Stage. The band has also performed concerts in Milwaukee, Lincoln Centre New York, Ireland’s National Concert Hall and Cork Opera House to name but a few.

The Kilfenora features fiddles, bass, cello, flutes, banjo, concertina and accordion with what Folk Magazine called ‘one of the tightest rhythm sections in the world’. Fantastic, feel-good, happy, lively music;Irish music lovers all over the world are going to absolutely cherish this album.

The Kilfenora Ceili Band on 16 March at the National Concert Hall is one of four concerts as part of ESB LIVE 2015, supported by the Irish Independent.

Kilfenora Ceili Band at the National Concert Hall
Tickets: €25, €30, €35 (Choir Balcony €20)
10% discount for students, senior citizens & unwaged
20% discount for Friends of the National Concert Hall and Young Maestros
Groups discount available
National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie

ENDS
For further information please contact Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2. Tel: 01 417 00 00/0871775334 or www.nch.ie