Galway Sessions celebrates harmonica

Actor and harmonica player Patrick Bergin will launch the Galway Sessions Festival programme for 2018 in the City’s Crane Bar this Friday evening.

The Festival, which will run from June 13 to  17, will focus on the harmonica, known in the Irish tradition as ‘The Tin Sandwich’.

Its versatility has allowed it to adapt to a wide range of music genres, including roots, folk, jazz, blues and traditional, according to Festival director, Mick Crehan. The harmonica is “a deceptively simple looking but quite complicated and powerful instrument”, said Mick, and it has experienced a strong revival in the past decade with more people than ever playing it.

“That’s due mainly to the efforts of great practitioners such as the Murphy Brothers from Wexford, Carlow’s Mick Kinsella and one of Ireland’s greatest imports, Rick Epping from the USA. We’re proud to present these greats and many more wonderful artists in what promises to be a memorable week of music, song and dance,” said Mick of the Galway Sessions.

Highlights will see TG4 Musician of the Year and de Dannan co-founder, fiddle player Frankie Gavin, join forces with Rick Epping on harmonica and concertina for a concert the Róisín Dubh. Rick is a former member of Pumpkinhead, one of pioneering folk groups of the 1970s.

Another legend, the Planxty and Patrick Street star Andy Irvine, will bring his unique voice and talent to the Róisín too. A more contemporary sound will be provided by The Spook of the 13th Lock and Landless, at the same venue.

A series of afternoon and evening recitals will take place in the King’s Head and St Nicholas Collegiate Church, and there’ll be night-time gigs in the Crane Bar, including the launch of Up She Flew, a new album by flautist and singer Stephie Geremia. There will also be daily gatherings at Tigh Chóilí, Taaffes and Tigh Neachtain.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.