Age no bar to genius as piper Potts goes solo at 80 -
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“Traditional music legend Sean Potts has proven that age is no barrier to productivity by releasing his first solo recording of music on the tin whistle entitled, Number Six, months before his 80th birthday.

Mr Potts, who will receive the TG4 Gradam Ceoil lifetime achievement award at a ceremony in Wexford next week, is celebrating the launch of his CD, which is a fundraiser for uilleann pipes organisation Na Piobairi Uilleann.

The founder member of The Chieftains and Ceoltoiri Chualann was joined by fellow Dubliners — film star and keen trad musician Brendan Gleeson and singer-songwriter Damien Dempsey — to mark the launch of the record, which he hopes will generate much-needed funds to help promote the manufacture of the uilleann pipes and the further development of the piping headquarters in historic Henrietta Street.

Since retiring from touring as a professional musician, Mr Potts has dedicated over 30 years of his life to the promotion of the uilleann pipes in his role as chairman and now honorary president of NPU.

However, it is Mr Potts’ whistle playing, described by his former Chieftains colleague Paddy Moloney as ‘the greatest he as ever heard’, that made him famous all over the world and Number Six is a celebration of his rich musical legacy.

Number Six refers to the house of Sean’s grandfather John Potts, situated in the Coombe in Dublin’s Liberties. John Potts was a prominent piper and his house was an important centre forIrish music.”

(Via Music, Entertainment – Independent.ie – Read Full Article.)

Around the block 111209 – The Augusta Chronicle: “An Irish evening

An Evening of Irish Music and Storytelling with Silent Auction Featuring Solstice will be held at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 1501 Monte Sano Ave.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Augusta State University 2010 Ireland Study Abroad Program. Lillie Morris will be performing on the fiddle and vocals and Mike Hay will perform on the uilleann pipes, tin whistle and guitar.’

There will also be a variety of auction items available, some from Ireland.
Tickets are $10 at the door.

For more information, contact Debbie Van Tuyll at dvantuyl@aug.edu or Mariam Tafazoli at mtafazol@aug.edu.”

(Via The Augusta Chronicle.)

Media-Newswire.com – Press Release Distribution – PR Agency: “The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute kicks off the annual Williamstown Holiday Walk with an Irish flair by welcoming the story-telling, music, and dance of Tomáseen Foley’s ‘A Celtic Christmas’ on Friday, December 4, at 8 pm. Tickets are $28 ( $25 for members and children ) and can be purchased by calling 413-458-0524 or online at clarkart.edu. Advanced ticket purchase is recommended as this event will sell out.

Now in its eleventh year of touring nationwide, ‘A Celtic Christmas’ is an exciting exploration of Ireland’s rich cultural history that highlights the innocence and joy of the night before Christmas through story-telling, music, and dance. The performers recreate the warmth of Foley’s childhood Christmases in western Ireland with carols, reels, jigs, and stories.

‘Foley…is doing what his ancestors have done for years long before The Nutcracker or It’s a Wonderful Life. He is carrying on an ancient tradition…for the audiences that pack theaters across the United States every winter to see it,’ wrote the Mail Tribune.

Foley was born on a small farm in the remote parish of Teampall an Ghleanntáin in the West of Ireland. He is considered a master of the Irish narrative and a keeper of the flame for a priceless piece of Irish culture. ‘A Celtic Christmas’ also features Grammy Award-winning guitarist William Coulter, traditional sean-nós singer and harpist Sile Denvir, and world-champion level Irish dancer Brian Bigley on Irish fiddle, uilleann pipes, whistles, and flute.

The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm ( open daily in July and August ). Admission is free November through May. Admission June 1 through October 31 is $12.50 for adults, free for children 18 and younger, members, and students with valid ID. For more information, call 413-458-2303 or visit clarkart.edu.”

(Via News Wire.)