Six For Your Radar: Big Thief, Cork Choral Fest, Italian films...
(Clockwise, from top left) The Kidnapping of Arabella, Carsie Blanton and participants in the Cork International Choral Festival.
Philadelphia-based pop-folk songwriter Carsie Blanton has been releasing music since her teenage years. A frequent visitor to these shores, she released her latest record — a collaboration with the DIY band the Burning Hell — on April 1. A taster of the opener’s lyrics: “Everybody knows that the president's insane.” She kicks off her Irish tour in Whelan’s in Dublin and comes to Cyprus Avenue in Cork on April 25 and Dolan’s in Limerick the following night.
Organised by the Italian Institute of Culture with the support of the Embassy of Italy in Ireland, the Italian Film Festival offers a selection of contemporary films celebrating the diversity of modern filmmaking from the country. , and are among the titles that will be screened.
To mark the release of her latest novel Clonakilty author Louise O’Neill will be in conversation with the comedian, writer, and activist Maeve Higgins in local venue De Barra’s on Sunday evening. A Q&A session and book signing will follow. Marian Keyes has hailed O'Neill's mystery novel, which arrives 12 years after her debut, as "a glamorous, sexy, fascinating read about damaged people and what really happens to child stars".
It’s 10 years since Big Thief released their debut album . They’ve barely slowed down since, garnering critical acclaim and amassing a devoted fanbase. Led by Adrianne Lenker, they are bringing fifth album on the road for a pair of shows in Ireland next week. The 3Arena gig had been long heralded, but the intimate Dolan’s Warehouse in Limerick was only announced a week beforehand. For the lucky few hundred in attendance, it will be incredibly special.
Choirs from across the world arrive in Cork for a programme of gala concerts, schools performances, national and international competitions, and world-class performances, as thousands of participants celebrate choral music in all its many forms. The free choral trail stretches from the library on Grand Parade to St Luke’s while the opening gala is at City Hall, featuring tenor Conor Prendiville, conductor Blánaid Murphy, and choristers from St Mary’s Cathedral, Dublin, and St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork.
The 20th edition of Ballydehob Jazz Festival promises music, street performances, dance, circus, puppetry, and creativity. Run largely by a volunteers, it has been dubbed “the biggest small jazz and arts festival in the world". As well as a village-wide music trail featuring over 40 free live performances across pubs, cafés, and outdoor spaces, five special concerts will take place in the village hall. The Paul Dunlea Quintet kick things off on Thursday with the Loch Trasna Suite.
