The Irish Sea Sessions

The fourteen Irish Sea Sessions artists met at The Friary – Liverpool Philharmonic’s rehearsal venue in West Everton – today, and began preparations for the shows on Friday in Liverpool, Saturday in Belfast, and Sunday in Derry/Londonderry. Ace photographer Mark McNulty dropped by and captured the great spirit of the Session …

Please note: The CD  is available exclusively through the Liverpool Philharmonic Online CD Store (£10 + £2.50 p&p), and at the Irish Sea Sessions 2011 concerts (£10 + venue commission fees).

Click here to order

The Irish Sea Sessions 2010
Recorded live at Liverpool Philharmonic
Cat. No. LPISSCD001

Friday 22 October 2010

The first ever Irish Sea Sessions concert recorded live at Liverpool Philharmonic on Friday 22 October 2010, part of Liverpool Irish Festival 2010.

With the atmosphere and attitude of a session, but in a concert hall, the inaugural Irish Sea Sessions brought together musicians from both sides of the Irish Sea to explore the shared music and special bond between Liverpool and Ireland in an electrifying performance of tunes and songs.

Featuring traditional instrumentalists and singers, and other musicians who started out in pop, rock and even punk, but have found themselves inspired by music from the Irish diaspora, this album is a unique collection of contemporary and traditional music that captures brilliantly the incredible atmosphere of the inaugural sessions of 2010.
The Irish Sea Sessions 2010 crew:

Terry Clarke-Coyne flutes,whistles
Eimear McGeown flutes
Lizzie Nunnery vocals, guitar
Damien Dempsey vocals, guitar
Ian Prowse vocals, guitars
David Munnelly button accordion, piano
Becky Taylor uillean pipes,whistles
Bernard O’Neill music director, double bass, piano
Carlene Anglin fiddle
Colette O’Leary piano accordion
Graham Dunne acoustic guitar
Niamh Parsons vocals
Alan Burke vocals, guitar
Gino Lupari bodhran, percussion, vocals

Recorded and mixed by Toby Mills
Executive Producer Simon Glinn
Track listing:

Does This Train Stop On Merseyside / The Red Haired Lass / The Merry Blacksmith
Fear a Bhata
The Other Side / Tripping Down The Stairs
Yaller Girls
I Wish I Was Back In Liverpool
Mangersta Beach / Ostinellis / Captain Sig Of The 2-2-6 / Beoga
England Loves A Poor Boy (The Ballad of Ernest Marke)
The Blackbird Set
The Mountains Of Mourne
Paddy Cronin / Tickle Her Leg / The Chicken That Made The Soup
Sing All Your Cares Away
Newly Mowed Meadows / The Abbey / The Dublin Reel / Noel Hills

On Friday 16th September you can get a sneak preview of the Irish Sea Sessions 2010 CD, and hear some live music and chat from participants in the Irish Sea Sessions 2011 when Stevie Dunne, Niamh Parsons, Ian Prowse and Gino Lupari will be guests on Gerry Anderson’s morning show on BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle. Tune in at 10.30am!

Sean-nós dancer Mary McGuiggan will join the Irish Sea Sessions in Liverpool, Belfast and Derry/Londonderry in October 2011. Welcome, Mary!

Friday 21 October
Liverpool Philharmonic
as part of Liverpool Irish Festival
0151 709 3789
use this link to book online

Saturday 22 October
Belfast Ulster Hall
as part of Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queens
use this link to book online

Sunday 23 October 8pm
Derry/Londonderry Millennium Forum
in association with Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin
028 7126 4455
use this link to book online

Musicians appearing at all of the Irish Sea Sessions 2011 include Dave Munnelly, Terry Clarke-Coyne, John McSherry, Méabh O’Hare, Jennifer John, Damien Dempsey, Alan Burke, Ian Prowse, Graham Dunne, Niamh Parsons, Gino Lupari, Bernard O’Neill, and Stevie Dunne. One further announcement will be made over the summer …

A CD of the live recording of the 2010 Irish Sea Sessions at Liverpool Philharmonic is being produced. It will be sold at the 2011 Irish Sea Sessions performances, and through this website.

The following dates have been confirmed for the Irish Sea Sessions 2011

• 21 October Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, part of Liverpool Irish Festival
• 22 October Belfast Ulster Hall, part of Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s
• 23 October Derry/Londonderry Millennium Forum

Tickets will go on sale on April 4th (Liverpool) and in May (Belfast and Derry/Londonderry) from each venue: please check back regularly and we’ll provide info and links here in due course.

Amongst the new faces joining this year’s Irish Sea Sessions are piper John McSherry, fiddler Meabh O’Hare and banjo-player Stevie Dunne.

Just before the finale of The Irish Sea Sessions 2010, which featured Lizzie Nunnery leading everyone in a rendition of The Leaving of Liverpool, this storming set of reels brought the house down! The tunes are Newly Mowed Meadows, The Abbey Reel, The Dublin Reel, and The Sandmont Reel.