33 live events, 7 recorded talks and concerts, with international harpists, singers and pipers
New, dedicated festival website online end of February 2021!
The festival runs 25–29 July inclusive Each festival day has LIVE Zoom workshops, hands-on players’ sessions, and communal tea-breaks, plus five pre-recorded talks and two pre-recorded concerts available all day, every day! One-one virtual coaching is also available as an optional extra.
TALK TO A TRADITIONAL MUSIC MASTER
These relaxed, interview-style sessions begin each day. Listen to the playing of a recognised music master in the living tradition: pipers, fiddlers and singers, who often come from generations of music-making in their families. Question them about their background, training, influences, style, and their opinions on what is most important in performing traditional music well. Accessing their deep, embedded knowledge, and their impeccable style is designed to help you make more authentic-sounding music yourself. [Unlimited numbers]
COMMUNAL TEA BREAK
Our communal tea breaks allow you to talk to your friends, and make new friends. Some of the best learning often happens here, funnily enough, with peer-to-peer / more-experienced to less-experienced participant talk, questions, encouragement and community-building. Grab a cup of your favourite brew and join in the chat, or just listen in; you’ll be very welcome.
HANDS-ON PLAYERS’ SESSIONS
4 sessions run simultaneously during this time slot. [N.B. Participation is limited to 12 in each session, on a first come / first served basis. As soon as you decide which sessions you would like to attend, please let us know, to ensure that your first choice is available to you.]
WORKSHOPS
2 sessions will run simultaneously during this time slot. [Unlimited numbers can attend]
One-to-one virtual coaching with some of the world’s great players and scholars of early Irish harp.
ONE-TO-ONE VIRTUAL COACHING *OPTIONAL EXTRA*
Either side of the structured timetable each day, you can avail of one-to-one virtual coaching with some of the world’s great performers and researchers in the field of historical Gaelic harping. We are facilitating this to link you with tutors who can tailor 60-min. private sessions to your specific, individual needs. Each has decades of experience working with players of all levels – post-beginner to professional. They can help you with a wide range of music / performance issues, technical problems, questions about history, and about the early Irish harp.
You are free to book as many sessions as you like, on whatever days work for you, with whatever tutor/s you choose to work with, who have availability. This is also a perfect opportunity to have a trial coaching session with a tutor of your choice if you are looking to have more regular, virtual tuition but are not sure who might suit you best.
N.B. These sessions range in price, depending on the tutor, but are often around €50 per 1-hour private session. The fees are payable in advance, directly to the tutor.
Click here to view or download a PDF of each
tutor’s areas of coaching interest and expertise.
Please contact individual tutors for more details and to book sessions 25–29 July. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Read more
Festival timetable
Festival tutors
Virtual coaching
Photos
Frequently asked questions
Feedback from previous years
Scoil na gCláirseach–Festival of Early Irish Harp is made possible with funding from An Chomhairle Ealaíon (The Arts Council) and Kilkenny County Council. Our wonderful bank of HHSI Student harps has been funded by The Music Capital Scheme, supported by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and managed by Music Network. This year’s video concert series is generously supported by Cruit Éireann / Harp Ireland.
