Shannon leads festival line-up

Shannon leads festival line-up

27 June 2012 - by BY CIARA COLHOUN

CELTIC Fusion festival promises to be a spectacular affair when it kicks off on Friday.

The 11th annual festival is likely to be bigger and better than ever with the fantastically talented Sharon Shannon and her band headlining the three-day event.

On Saturday evening,Shannon and her band will make their return to Castlewellan for what is expected to be a sell-out concert.

The Irish accordionist, who has gained legendary status with her skill on her instrument by putting her instrument on the world map, is renowned for her collaborations, not just in Irish traditional music, but through all musical genres including hip-hop, Cajun, Country, classical and rap.

Tickets for the Saturday night concert are selling fast and are available at the box office on 02844 610747 or from the Newcastle Tourist Information Centre or JRs Discount store in Castlewellan.

The Celtic Fusion festival also boasts a number of other top class acts including Guidewires, Viper Central, Ioscaid and many more.

Guidewires will kick-start the weekend of Canadian, American and Irish music and song on Friday evening in The Lodge, Castlewellan, promising high-energy performances, breathtaking arrangements and infectious melodies, which have led to them being described as “the freshest sound in Irish music.”

With four members from Ireland and one from Brittany their mix of music is not just Irish but also Breton, Middle Eastern, Galician and newly composed. Guidewires have an all-star line up with Irish music’s most famous concertina player Pádraig Rynne, Breton music’s hottest name Sylvain Barou on flute, one of Ireland’s most recognisable names Tóla Custy on fiddle, top producer and performer Paul McSherry on guitar and one of the fastest growing stars in Irish music, Karol Lynch on Bouzouki.

Visitors to Castlewellan will also be invited to enjoy the best in free traditional sessions with concerts in Mulhollands, Maginns Bar and Kings Inn Bars just up the street from The Lodge.

Young and old musicians from Ards, Warrenpoint and Newcastle Comhaltas branches will entertain the late night revellers in a family atmosphere.

Canada day is on Sunday and organisers of Celtic Fusion are incorporating several events to mark the occasion with marching bands leaving The Lodge at 1.30pm where they will perform and compete for prizes until around 4pm.

There will also be an open air stage at Upper Square where performers will include local singer/songwriter Matt Maginn, I See Hawks In LA, Ashley Fayth and Ioscaid.

Viper Central from Canada will perform Celtic Fusion’s closing concert on Sunday at 8pm at the Lodge.

At the forefront of a rising wave of new local talent in the bluegrass and old-time music genres, Viper Central appeal to audiences both young and old. Hailing from Vancouver, Canada, they approach their music with the sense of creativity and adventure found in the earliest bluegrass and old time recordings.

For full details of the festival visit www.celticfusion.co.uk