Event: The 30th William Kennedy Piping Festival
Date: Thursday 14th - Sunday 17th November 2024
Time: See Below
Location: See Below
Price: See Below
The 30th William Kennedy Piping Festival, an international festival of mainly bagpipe-based traditional music, takes place in Armagh from 14th-17th November 2024.
The 30th edition of the WKPF includes five public concerts, a schools concert, the Mark Donnelly Piping Academy, the 2024 William Kennedy Lecture, instrument workshops for beginners and improvers, and a number of free sessions in pubs and other venues.
Artists taking part this year include: Paddi Benson, Colm Broderick, John Carty, Peter Coyle, Éamonn Curran, Tom Delany, David Doocey, Patrick Doocey, James Patrick Gavin, Matt Griffin, Jarlath Henderson, Marco Iamele, Caroline Keane, Sébastien Lagrange, Grace Lemon, Angus MacKenzie, Kenneth MacKenzie, Calum Alex MacMillan, Conor Mallon, Ross Martin, Michael McGoldrick, Pádraig McGovern, Peter McKenna, Eric Montbel, Máire Ní Ghráda, Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn, Caoimhín Ó Fearghail, Maeve O’Donnell, Conal O’Kane, Giorgio Pinai, Toner Quinn, Mark Redmond, Gaël Rutkowski, Aoife Smyth, Cadhla Tohill, Marco Tomassi, Cillian Vallely and Robert Watt.
First organised as a one-off event by Armagh Pipers Club in 1994, as part of a cross-community “Armagh Together” series of events, the Festival was such a success that it was reprised in 1995, and then became a regular annual fixture. A total of 26 festivals took place up to 2019, drawing into Armagh a vast array of internationally renowned musicians, and aficionados from all over the world. It is one of the longest-running festivals of its kind in the world of piping.
The Festival had to take a break in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, but returned in 2021 – on a smaller scale than in previous years, to ensure public safety. The 2022 and 2023 editions were considerably larger, with over 40 musicians taking part, and the 2024 Festival has a similar number: we aim to bring in a number of previous Festival favourites and a few first-timers who have caught our attention over recent years. Eleven of those named above are making their first WKPF appearance, while the others have racked up 179 between them! Over its 30 years the Festival has featured – we think – 1,146 individuals, making a total of 2,304 appearances.
For further information on the 2024 Festival artists, see here.
William Kennedy, after whom the Festival is named, was a blind craftsman from Tandragee, near Armagh, who lived from 1768 to 1834. He made several important innovations in the design of uilleann pipes.
Programme…
Festival Launch
Date: Thursday 14th November 2024
Time: 6.00pm
Location: The Market Place Theatre, 9 Market St, Armagh BT61 7BW
Price: Free
Opening Concert
Date: Thursday 14th November 2024
Time: 8.00pm
Location: The Market Place Theatre, 9 Market St, Armagh BT61 7BW
Price: £14.00 - Book Here
The first concert of the 29th William Kennedy Piping Festival takes place in the Studio Theatre in the Market Place Theatre & Arts Centre, at 7.30pm on Thursday 14th November. It features Calum Alex MacMillan & Ross Martin (Scotland); Conor Mallon – “Unearthed”; Duo Lagrange Rutkowski (France), and Pádraig McGovern.
Note: if you book online your name will be on the door list – you will not need a physical or electronic ticket.
Schools Concert
Date: Friday 15th November 2024
Time: 11.00am
Location: Armagh First Presbyterian Church, Mall West, Armagh BT61 9AP
Price: £2.00 - Book Here
Armagh First Presbyterian Church, on The Mall, is the venue for a special concert for primary and secondary schools on Friday 15th November at 11am. It features Cape Breton pipe-and-fiddle duo Angus and Kenneth MacKenzie, Armagh uilleann piper Aoife Smyth, the French duo of Seb Lagrange (accordion) and Gaël Rutkowski (pipes), and other(s) to be confirmed. Admission: £2 or €2 per student and free for accompanying staff. Bookings must be made through schools (or home-schooling groups).
The William Kennedy Lecture
Date: Friday 15th November 2024
Time: 6.00pm
Location: Aonach Mhacha, 74 - 76 English Street, Armagh BT61 7LG
Price: FREE
Toner Quinn (editor, The Journal of Music): “How Ireland thinks about music”
Friday Evening Concert - “Bringing It All Back Home”
Date: Friday 15th November 2024
Time: 8.00pm
Location: Armagh First Presbyterian Church, Mall West, Armagh BT61 9AP
Price: £14.00 - Book Here
Armagh First Presbyterian Church, on The Mall, has provided the spectacular backdrop for several Festival concerts, with its great acoustics and impressive seating capacity. This year it hosts the “Bringing it all back home” concert featuring former students of Armagh Pipers Club who have gone on to make their mark in the world of uilleann piping as performers, teachers and recording artists: Aoife Smyth, Cadhla Tohill, Cillian Vallely, Conor Mallon, Éamonn Curran, Jarlath Henderson, Peter Coyle, Peter McKenna and Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn. Doors open at 7:30 for 8:00pm, Friday 15th November.
Note: if you book online your name will be on the door list – you will not need a physical or electronic ticket.
Instrument Workshops
Date: Saturday 16th November 2024
Time: 10.00am
Location: Aonach Mhacha, 74 - 76 English Street, Armagh BT61 7LG
Price: £12.00 - Book Below
Concertina Workshop
A two-hour workshop will take place in Aonach Mhacha on Saturday 16th November from 10.00am.
Tutor: Caroline Keane
Cost: £12.00 - Book Here
Fiddle Workshop
A two-hour workshop will take place in Aonach Mhacha on Saturday 16th November from 10.00am.
Tutor: Maeve Donnelly
Cost: £12.00 - Book Here
Flute Workshop
A two-hour workshop will take place in Aonach Mhacha on Saturday 16th November from 10.00am.
Tutor: Caoimhín Ó Fearghail
Cost: £12.00 - Book Here
Accompaniment Workshop
A two-hour workshop will take place in Aonach Mhacha on Saturday 16th November from 10.00am.
Tutor: Multi-instrumentalist Conal O’Kane
Cost: £12.00 - Book Here
Uilleann Pipes Workshops
Two-hour workshops will take place in Aonach Mhacha on Saturday 16th November from 10.00am. There will be separate sessions for beginners (including first-timers wanting to try the pipes (tutor to be confirmed) and for intermediate/advanced learners.
Tutor: Conor Mallon
Cost: £12.00 - Book Here
🟥 Advance booking for the workshps is recommended to help us assign tutors. Note: no physical tickets – if you book online, your name will be on on the class list.
The Celtic Arts Foundation Concert
Date: Saturday 16th November 2024
Time: 3.00pm
Location: Armagh City Hotel, 2 Friary Rd, Armagh BT60 4FR
Price: £14.00 - Book Here
Armagh City Hotel is the venue for the Saturday afternoon concert, opening with the Cape Breton sounds of Angus and Kenneth MacKenzie with Ross Martin – Festival favourites with more than 20 appearances between them. Next is the young uilleann piper Colm Broderick, now the custodian of the pipes of Liam O’Flynn. After fiddler Maeve Donnelly duetted brilliantly with piper Máire Ní Ghráda in the 2019 Festival, a return invitation was inevitable. Next up, piper Mark Redmond, who also performed in 2019, and the concert concludes with the long-established duo of concertina player Caroline Keane and piper Tom Delaney, accompanied by guitarist Conal O’Kane.
This concert is generously sponsored by the Celtic Arts Foundation, a non-profit organisation based in Mount Vernon, Washington state, USA. The CAF promotes and organises music and other Celtic arts events across the state.
Note: If you have booked online your name will be on the door list – you will not need a physical or electronic ticket.
Festival Concert
Date: Saturday 16th November 2024
Time: 8.00pm
Location: Armagh City Hotel, 2 Friary Rd, Armagh BT60 4FR
Price: £15.00 - Book Here
Armagh City Hotel is the venue for this concert on Saturday 17th November at 8pm, featuring fourteen great musicians. Cillian Vallely (of Lúnasa fame) plays with fiddler David Doocey, with whom he has rececently released the album “The Yew and the Orchard”, and award-winning guitarist Patrick Doocey. Having wowed Festival audiences in 2022, London-based pipers Grace Lemon and Paddi Benson return with fiddler James Patrick Gavin. Uilleann piper Michael McGoldrick makes his eighth WKPF appearance, accompanied by fiddler John Carty and guitarist Matt Griffin. Italian trio ZampogneriA present the sordellina, zampogna and cromhorn alongside French piper Eric Montbel.
Note: if you book online your name will be on the door list – you will not need a physical or electronic ticket.
Final Concert
Date: Sunday 17th November 2024
Time: 4.00pm
Location: Armagh City Hotel, 2 Friary Rd, Armagh BT60 4FR
Price: £13.00 - Book Here
At the time of writing, the only definites in the line-up for the final concert of WKPF30 are Caoimhín Ó Fearghail; Sébastien Lagrange, Gaël Rutkowski and guests; Jarlath Henderson; Robert Watt; ZampogneriA with Eric Montbel, and an ensemble of current Pipers Club tutors and students. However there is a long tradition of rounding up other artists who have appeared in, or just shown up at, the previous days of the Festival, so a great afternoon’s entertainment is guaranteed!
Note: if you book online your name will be on the door list – you will not need a physical or electronic ticket.
Festival Pass
Date: Thursday 14th - Sunday 17th November 2024
Time: See Above
Location: See Above
Price: £55.00 - Book Here
Save £15.00 on the cost of admission to the five public concerts in the 2024 William Kennedy Piping Festival by opting for a Festival Pass for just £55.00. Not bad value for four days of great music! Covers the Welcome Concert on Thursday evening, the church concert on Friday, the lunchtime and evening concerts on Saturday and the closing concert on Sunday. In between, and on Sunday evening, there will be lots of free pub sessions, an expert lecture and the opportunity to mix with great musicians and fellow enthusiasts.
Note: if you book online your name will be on the door list – you will not need a physical or electronic ticket.
Mark Donnelly Piping Academy
Date: Friday 15th - Sunday 17th November 2024
Time: See Below
Location: Armagh City Hotel, 2 Friary Rd, Armagh BT60 4FR
Price: £85.00 - Book Here
The Piping Academy has become a popular feature of the William Kennedy Piping Festival. It has brought a new dimension to the teaching and appreciation of uilleann piping through a comprehensive and immersive tutorial programme, covering all aspects of performance as well as the making and maintenance of uilleann pipes under the direction of universally respected tutors. Since 2022, the Piping Academy has been named in honour of the late Mark Donnelly, an excellent and much-loved piper from Armagh who died on 28 December 1999, aged just 33.
The Academy is primarily designed for musicians over the age of 18. Students under 18 will be considered with parental consent and on a case-by-case basis.
The course is aimed at those who have a good grasp of uilleann pipes already – intermediate to advanced students only. Students should be comfortable learning by ear. Ideally students will also be able to read and write music, but this is less important. A sound recording device can be used by students in classes.
We hope to create a friendly and supportive environment for learning, but it is up to the individual to ensure they turn up to classes on time and make full use of the unique opportunities the Academy provides. Students are responsible for organising their own accommodation and meals.
🟥 Participation on the course is by online application only at this link.
The course in 2024 costs just £85. The programme includes the following:
ACADEMY TUITION: 8 hours tuition divided into 4 x 2 hour sessions on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th November. This year’s tutors are Caoimhín Ó Fearghail, Cillian Vallely, Colm Broderick, Éamonn Curran, Grace Lemon, Máire Ní Ghráda, Mark Redmond, Paddi Benson, Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn and Tom Delany.
REED MAKING WORKSHOPS: Friday 15th November afternoon and Sunday 17th morning, including one-to-one advice and tuition with pipemaker Éamonn Curran.
THE WILLIAM KENNEDY LECTURE – Friday 15th November at 6.00pm, Toner Quinn, title to follow.
PIPERS AND THEIR PIPES – Saturday 16th November at 5.30pm, Festival founder Brian Vallely in conversation with a renowned piper, details to follow.
FESTIVAL PASS – your Academy place includes free entry to all five public concerts over the Festival.
INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPANTS: after registering for the Academy you will receive a mailing including the teaching schedule, the Festival programme and other information. Please be at Armagh City Hotel for 9:30am on Saturday 16th November for grading and assignment to a tutorial group.
AN ALTERNATIVE: If you can’t commit to participation in the Academy, there will be workshops for beginner and intermediate/advanced pipers at another venue on Saturday morning, 10am-noon, for just £10. Details to follow…
External links are provided as a convenience and for informational / entertainment purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by Armagh Today of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation or organization or individual. Armagh Today bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.