This article is from page 21 of the 2009-07-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 21 JPG
MUSIC lovers from all over the world have turned their attention on Miltown Malbay this week for the Willie Clancy Summer School. As the summer school approaches it’s 5Oth year in operation, thousands of music lovers have descended on west Clare for what is the highlight of many peoples traditional music year.
Almost 1,000 musicians and danc- ers, young and old will attend classes on each day of the school – with mil- lions of euro likely to be generated for local businesses.
Some of the remaining highlights include tonight’s whistle and flute recital featuring Mary Bergin, Paul McGrattan and a host of others, a lecture by Len Graham on the Ulster song tradition in English on Wednes- day night and a night of old style dancing led by Michael Tubridy on Thursday night.
On Friday night Noel Hill and Mar- ty O’Keeffe will host a concertina recital while on Saturday the Ceol- choirm Mhor will feature a top class line-up of traditional musicians, like- ly to be the highlight of the week.
Meanwhile, those not fortunate enough to be able to make it up to Miltown Malbay for the week can still get a flavour of the festivi- ties by tuning into RTE Raidio na
Gaeltachta will be broadcasting live from the festival all week.
Indeed, Raidio na Gaeltachta have a long association with the festival, having broadcast live from Miltown Malbay each year since the festival started back in 1973.
‘There were no live broadcasts in the early days, but that changed in the eighties with improvements in technology,’ said Meaiti Jo Shéa- muis, Music Editor at RTE Raidi6 na EF YOlerel alee
“I remembers broadcasting live from a national school six miles out- side Miltown Malbay, Scoil Naisiun- ta Sliabh na Leice, because it was the most elevated place they could find — which we needed to be able to get a good signal.
“I remember on another occasion recording a traditional singer in out- door toilets, as it was too windy to record in the open air. As technology improved, live broadcasts were pos- sible from the town, and Raidio na Gaeltachta used to broadcast from a caravan situated outside the hall.