Co Tyrone fiddle player Eugene McKenna will be performing as part of the Harps Alive│An Chruit Bheo│Harps Leevin festival in Belfast this weekend.
Eugene and Harper Lauren O’Neill are joining forces to provide an incredible night of traditional music and Irish heritage.
Hosted by The Deer’s Head, the Strike up the Harp performance will take place on Friday, July 15 at 8pm in The Deer’s Head Music Hall.
This harp and fiddle collaboration will celebrate the pioneering work of Edward Bunting, exploring the wealth of music held within his iconic manuscripts. The mini concert will see Eugene and Lauren perform incredibly as a duo serving both music and heritage in this unique event.
Augher born artist Eugene was raised listening to traditional Irish music in his household, establishing his passion for music-playing and subsequently, the fiddle.
As a traditional fiddle player, his talents have led him to perform throughout the world in China, Canada, France, Germany and the UK.
As both a fiddle player with the award-winning Blackwater Céilí Band and as a soloist, he has had numerous TV and radio performances on BBC NI, RTÉ 1 and TG4. Eugene has featured as a performing artist at Celtic Colours (Cape Breton), IMBOLC International Festival and at the Fleadh Ceoil.
Speaking of his part in the festival Eugene said: “Lauren and I are hugely looking forward to our concert in Belfast as part of the Harps Alive festival.
“Our music will take primary inspiration from Edward Bunting’s collections which we have arranged in a contemporary context for harp and fiddle.
“We will also perform our own arrangements of traditional Irish music repertoire influenced by a range of composers spanning Ireland, Scotland and North America.”
Organised by the Harps Alive partnership, the festival is bringing together the finest musicians from across the island to recognise the landmark event that collected music more than two centuries ago for future Irish musicians to learn from and perform.
The partnership between Harp Ireland and Reclaim The Enlightenment is to mark 230 years since the Belfast Harpers’ Assembly in Belfast. In 1792 the Harpers’ Assembly in Belfast brought together 11 harpers, seven of which were blind and the eldest Denis Hempson was 97 at the time.
Aibhlín McCrann, Chair of Cruit Éireann Harp Ireland, said that celebrating the anniversary presented a unique musical opportunity for the harping community.
“We are delighted to bring harpers from all over Ireland together to mark 230 years since the Belfast Harpers’ Assembly in Belfast” she said.
“Our harping heritage transcends boundaries and has really connected the partners, north and south.
“It is wonderful to hear the harpers’ music reflecting our living tradition and to see that there is so much interest in it. We are looking forward to welcoming audiences across the city of Belfast to our concerts, talks and exhibitions and in Dublin later in the month.”
John Gray, Chair of Reclaim the Enlightenment said the Harps Alive│An Chruit Bheo│Harps Leevin festival is rooted in musical history.
“In bringing more than 50 harpers to Belfast, the festival will create the largest ever such assembly in the city,” he said.
“It will be a celebration of the heritage of the harp and the contemporary revival of harp playing, and when it concludes we hope to have created more awareness of the harp tradition with the public and leave a lasting legacy.”
For tickets to Eugene’s show and for more information about the festival go to http://harpsalive.com