Music Generation collaborates with Music Network on Summer Camps

Last week two of Music Network’s touring musicians, Scottish duo Chris Stout (fiddle) and Catriona McKay (harp) made a whistle-stop tour to three of Music Generation’s traditional summer camps happening in Louth, Laois and Wicklow and the response has been overwhelming!

Catriona and Chris worked with the young people and the summer camp tutors in all three areas, teaching new songs and giving masterclasses. The young participants had an opportunity to hear them perform and were thrilled to then get the chance to play alongside them at the end-of-camp concerts. In Laois, Chris and Catriona performed at the concert as a trio with Music Generation Laois’s bodhrán player/tutor Robbie Walsh. They also performed Catriona’s composition ‘The Swan’ with Laois’s harp tutor Claire O’Donnell, and her father Gerry O’Donnell, Laois’s flute player/tutor, a piece the father and daughter often play, and for them to perform it with Catriona and Chris was particularly special.

Thirty-five young musicians aged 8 – 15 took part in Music Generation Wicklow’s week long traditional summer school with tutors Niall Cloak, Rachel Conlan and Eimer Casey. As part of the camp, participants enjoyed a day-long workshop with Chris and Catriona, who had an instant rapport with the young people and tutors alike. Playing together and learning new techniques left the young musicians feeling truly motivated and inspired.

The reaction to Music Generation Louth’s traditional summer camp and experience with Chris Stout and Catriona McKay can be summed up by one parent who wrote: “Thank you so much from Hermione and I for such an inspiring 3 days of workshops in traditional music ... Hermione has learnt so much ... the guest musicians [Chris and Catriona] were great for her to embrace different techniques and ways to play ... in her own words, the camp was just deadly!!”

Chris Stout and Catriona McKay’s participation at Music Generation’s traditional summer camps was made possible through the generous part funding by Music Network. Chris Stout and Catriona McKay will be joined by Kerry legend, Séamus Begley (accordion, voice) in their upcoming tour in September. For more information visit www.musicnetwork.ie.

See a short video of their workshops with Music Generation Wicklow here.