Manchester Tionóls

Autumn 2006

Urgent update 1/12/06: Alan Burton is ill and Allan Moller will be taking the reed making classes.

It is important that you book into the workshops you would like to attend as soon as possible. Email enquiries@nwup.org to let us know.

If you wish to buy your ticket in advance please contact us here: enquiries@nwup.org

There will also be some space available for general piping, sessions, chat, tea, coffee etc.

Locations

Workshop venue are Committee Rooms 1,2 and 3 at Manchester Town Hall.

Click here for Manchester City Council: Town Hall Location

The evening concert will be at St. Catherine's Catholic Club, School Lane, Didsbury, Manchester and features Mikie Smyth and Brian McNamara.

Doors open at 8.15pm for an 8.45pm start.

Brian McNamara

Internationally respected as a performer and tutor, Brian McNamara hails from a musically rich rural region (County Leitrim) of Ireland which has produced notable musicians past and present and which has been prominently associated with the preservation and performance of Irish Traditional Music.

Introduced to the Uilleann pipes in 1979, Brian has become renowned nationally and internationally for his unique musical style and repertoire. As a winner of multiple All-Ireland titles at Junior and Senior level during the 1980s, he became a regular member of concert tour groups and now travels extensively as a solo performer and tutor.

Brian plays a concert D set by Koehler and Quinn and a C set by Geoff Wooff.

Brian has recorded two excellent albums: A Piper's Dream and The Fort of the Jewels

Visit Brian's website here: www.piperbrian.com

For those with broadband see a great video of Brian here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JZPjoySqno

Mikie Smyth

Mikie comes from Stoneybatter in Dublin City. At the age of nine he began attending classes at the Pipers Club on Henrietta Street and was very lucky to meet and receive lessons from the great Andy Conroy as well as many others.

Mikie Has won many All Ireland titles including the senior pipes competition at Fleadh Cheoil na hreann in 2000, and the senior Oireachtas piping competition in 2001 and 2002.
Mikie has recorded on the CCE CD The Mountain Road; he is also a featured piper on The New Dawn, the pipers' club recording of young pipers. In 2002 Mikie recorded with Donal Lunney and Maurice Lennon and others on the album Brian Boru, the High King Of Tara, a composition of Maurice.

Mikie Is highly regarded as a teacher. He has given workshops at the Willie Clancy summer school, the Joe Mooney summer school, The Keadue summer school, The South Sligo summer school, Scoil Aclnd the Scoil Eigse during the week before the All Ireland Competitions. Many of Mikie's younger pupils have competed and won at All Ireland Fleadh competitions up to and including the senior age groups.

Mikie is the proud owner of two Geoff Wooff sets, pitched in D and C#.

Mikie has recorded the excellent album: The Wild Keys

Visit his website here: www.mikiesmyth.com

For those with broadband see some videos of Mikie here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF8uHVu4Res

http://www.nvup.nl/sound/mikie.AVI

Alan Burton

Alan was born in the wilds of West Penwith in Cornwall. He has been playing Uilleann Pipes and making reeds for nearly 20 years. With an evergrowing reputation as one of the few Reedmakers who can just about breath life into any old stick, his skills are recognised globally and many pipers all over the world can be found happily playing away with their 'Burton' reed.

He has learnt his Reedmaking from many great makers, but cites Cillian O'Briain, Dave Hegarty, and Peter Hunter as the most influential, and he continually returns to the source for guidance or updates. He combines techniques absorbed from many styles and recipes. It is this wide base of knowledge that so often gives his reeds that edge.

He has taught alongside Dave Hegarty at the Willie Clancy Summer School and has been resident reedmaking tutor for many years at SWAUPs Tionols. He taught (both Pipes and Reedmaking) at the London Pipers Club in the 90's and was Reedmaker of choice for the newly resurrected Birmingham Pipers Club Weekend in '04. Most recently, Alan demonstrated and taught 'The Reeds' at the recent Dave Williams Memorial Weekend.

Here is a link to Alan's excellent website: Reedshamen

                     Supported by: Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, European Social Fund