Harpers to celebrate St Brigid's Day in collaboration with Birr Festival of Music

Cruit Éireann|Harp Ireland will present a concert of Irish Harp music to mark the feast of St Brigid and the Festival of Imbolc in Birr next month.

Featuring world renowned harpers Siobhán Armstrong on Early Irish Harp, Triona Marshall on Irish Harp with composer and accordionist Martin Tourish, the concert also brings together over 50 young harpers from across Ireland. The Music Generation Harp Collective will perform Cláirseoireacht, a work especially composed for them by Sligo-based harper-composer Michael Rooney.

The concert will take place in St Brendan’s Church of Ireland in Birr on Sunday, February 12 at 7.30pm

One of the concert organisers and secretary to the Trench Trust, Michael Hanna, said: “St Brendan’s Church of Ireland Church, Birr is delighted to host this exciting Harp concert in its two-hundred-year-old church as a celebration of St Brigid. Many have remarked on the wonderful acoustics in the church, so we are looking forward to an exceptional concert, which supports and promotes music in Birr and the surrounding areas.

"Patrick and Julia Trench were great lovers of the harp, which Patrick played all his life. We warmly welcome Harp Ireland to Birr, and especially the artists and ensembles who will perform."

Heralding the coming of Spring and new life, the theme of the concert focuses on Imbolc or rebirth and marks the significant resurgence of interest in harping in Ireland in the past ten years. Siobhán’s early harp performance harks back to the ancient harping tradition, while Triona and Martin's sparkling duo and the more contemporary overview of harping in Michael’s composition provides an insight to the future direction of harping.

Harp Ireland’s newly appointed CEO, Lauren O’Neill, stated: "Cruit Éireann|Harp Ireland is delighted to be performing here in Birr. We were established to promote and develop the harp in Ireland, and it is wonderful to see St Brigid’s philosophy of empowerment emerging through the passing of the tradition to our younger harpers. Our thanks to The Arts Council for its support.”