Band culture showcased inrevolutionary Fleadh 2013

KICKING on from the resounding success of the Maiden City Festival last week the Londonderry Bands Forum will be adding a distinctly Ulster Scots tinge to what promises to be a revolutionary Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann over the next few days.
The Burntollet Sons of Ulster Flute Band. INLS3313-192KMThe Burntollet Sons of Ulster Flute Band. INLS3313-192KM
The Burntollet Sons of Ulster Flute Band. INLS3313-192KM

It started on Monday. Jonathan Burgess’ intimate portrayal of Protestant band culture, ‘The Pride,’ received a standing ovation in CultÚrlann Uí Chanáin.

Tomorrow (Thursday) Maiden City Beat and the Churchill Flute Band will both showcase their varied repertoire in Victoria Market. And on Saturday, they’ll be joined by the Pride of Orange and Blue, Burntollet Sons of Ulster and the Caw Flute Band for a celebration of the fife, flute and drum in Ebrington.

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Fleadh 2013 signals unprecedented engagement with Protestant band culture. There’s already talk of this continuing when the Fleadh heads to Sligo next year.

Kenny McFarland of the Forum said: “We’ve been working with the organisers of the Fleadh behind the scenes for quite a while. We see this as an opportunity to take part in a musical festival to do what we do best, which is play music.”

Mr McFarland said the ongoing engagement is going to be captured on film and broadcast as a six part documentary this Autumn. The film makers will be in Claudy tonight to film the Burntollet Sons of Ulster’s Annual Band Parade.

He added: “This is allowing us to showcase our culture to a wider audience that wouldn’t see it depicted in this light. On Monday there were people up from Limerick and looking at the set of ‘The Pride’ which is just a living room, they were saying ‘that’s us.’ Only in their case it would have been a céilí band. There are 600 odd bands here with 30,000 members. This is a chance to showcase that.”

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