Arts Events Archive 2015
Descendents of 1916 Sought for Traditional Music Project - Open Call for Traditional Musicians and Singers
Date Released: 17 September 2015
Descendents of 1916 Sought for Traditional Music Project
Children of the Revolution is a national research and performance project being devised and produced by
Michael Fortune and Aileen Lambert and will feature an ensemble of traditional musicians and singers from throughout
the island of Ireland for the 2016 Commemorations. While some musicians have already been identified, Lambert and Fortune
are putting out an open call to all traditional musicians and singers with a 1916 Rising connection to contact them.
The newly formed ensemble will be brought together for the first time ever, to arrange a collection of music from their
own existing repertoire as well as well researching tunes and songs from the 1916 period and perform them at series of
concerts will take place throughout 2016 in venues throughout the country.
The title of the project, ‘Children of the Revolution’, borrows from the 1972 T-Rex hit, with the “children” in this being
direct descendants of people involved in The 1916 Rising.
Music, song and dance were central in the lives of those involved in the Rising and there is an abundance of accounts
detailing songs and music which the men and women sang and played during this period. From Fingal, we hear how the
volunteers had a singing session to while away the time before the attack on Ashbourne RIC Barracks in Co. Meath,
while we can get insights into life in Frongoch jail through the self-penned songs of Seán Etchingham. His fellow Wexfordman,
John Coady of Enniscorthy even had his bagpipes sent to Frongoch so he could lead his fellow prisoners on marches in the Welsh jail.
The accounts are endless and they are aware of many more untold stories and connections out there.
If you would like to find out more or recommend yourself or someone you know, please contact Michael on 087 6470247
or Aileen on 087 7552593 by Friday the 9th of October. However small you may feel the connection is, they are interested in your story.
Alternatively you can email them at aileenlambert@gmail.com or find out more information at www.childrenoftherevolution.ie
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Lambert and Fortune have extensive experience of devising, facilitating and producing all aspects of traditional music research and performance projects.
The project develops from the long running song projects which they have conducted with the support of The Arts Council, the National Library of Ireland,
the Irish Traditional Music Archive and the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. They are currently working on a separate traditional song project for 1916
called www.the1916songproject.com and have completed similar traditional song projects in the past, most recently The Bird Song Project (www.thebirdsongproject.com)
commissioned by Age and Opportunity for Bealtaine 2015 and Man, Woman and Child (www.manwomanandchild.ie) with the support of above partners.
