Classical music festival to take place in May

The 17^th Galway Early Music festival returns this May, with a programme featuring everything from the medieval roots of traditional music to the music of the baroque courts of France.

Voted among the top six international music festivals in Classical Music magazine in 2011, the festival kicks off on Thursday 17 May and runs until Sunday 20 May at a variety of locations around Galway’s 'Medieval Quarter', including St Nicholas' Collegiate Church.

The theme of this year’s festival is ‘Social Harmony: When Tradition and High Art Meet’, which looks at what happens when tunes played at a peasant’s wedding find their way into the music at a castle feast, when hurdy-gurdy and bagpipes become the fashion at court, and when baroque harp discovers New World rhythms.

Among the highlights of the Early Music Festival will be a 30^th anniversary concert from The Cois Claddagh Chamber Choir, and performances from François Lazarevtich et Les Musiciens de St-Julien. Also appearing are The Harp Consort with Andrew Lawrence-King, and Coracle, featuring the acclaimed Irish harpist Siobhán Armstrong, Barnaby Brown and Griogair Labhruidh.

There will also be an array of free family events from theatre to music and dance demonstrations. The Festival has commissioned a special project using smart phone technology, which will bring the sounds and music of medieval Galway to life in the venues where you might expect to hear them, via a mobile phone.

For a full programme of events and ticket prices visit, www.galwayearlymusic.com, email info@galwayearlymusic.com, or phone 087-9305506.