KILKENNY ARTS FESTIVAL 2011: Full Programme of Events Announced

As one of the official bloggers for this year's Kilkenny Arts Festival, over the coming weeks I will be keeping Rarities' readers up-to-date on all the goings on of the 10-day jam-packed arts extravaganza! In particular, I will be blogging about the festival's "Wired" strand, an eclectic mix of the old, the new, and the occasionally weird. With perfromances from wonderful acts, such as James Vincent McMorrow, Gemma Hayes, Agnes Obel and Emmy the Great, among others, this year's festival is definitely one to pencil in your summer calendar.

The launch of the 38th Kilkenny Arts Festival took place this morning in the grounds of the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin. While it was originally founded by just a group of classical music enthusiasts, the Kilkenny Arts Festival has broadened its programming remit in recent years and now plays host to a wide range of art forms. This summer, the brilliant people behind the event will present 10 days of the very best in Irish and international visual art, classical music, theatre and dance, jazz, world & traditional Irish music, literature, film, indie music, craft and children’s events. 

Gemma Hayes will play St John's Priory, Saturday 13th August

The festival will run from 5th - 14th August 2011, with performances and events taking place in various venues throughout the city, including St John's Priory, Kilkenny Courthouse, Set Theatre, The Black Abbey, various areas within the grounds of Kilkenny Castle, and many more. Committed to the presentation of a unique, distinctive and inspiring programme in a range of artistic disciplines to as wide an audience as possible, this year's Kilkenny Arts Festival is sure to alive with a feast of artistic entertainment to suit all ages and all tastes.

The festival's indie music strand, Wired, which I will be primarily blogging about in the coming weeks, will see a fantastic line-up of acts from Ireland and beyond. The first weekend kicks off with a performance by singer-songwriter Cathal Coughlan, formerly of Microdisney and The Fatima Mansions. Coughlan has spent the last ten years of his career building up an impressive collection of solo material that has received as much critical acclaim as his work with both aforementioned bands. He will take to the stage at the Watergate Theatre on Saturday 6th August with the Grand Necropolitan Quintet in tow.

James Vincent McMorrow will play St Candice's Cathedral, Sunday 7th August

Sunday 7th August will see Dublin singer-songwriter and musician James Vincent McMorrow play in the beautiful surroundings of St Candice's Cathedral. A genius of his craft, with a fragile and soulful voice, McMorrow has received nothing less than stellar praise since the 2010 release of his debut album, Early in the Morning. A performer that will silence any crowd, McMorrow's haunting and captivating sound is a absolute treat for the ears; definitely not to be missed.

The first weekend closes with a performance by The Sea and the Cake, a fine US indie band whose distinctive sound has lush undercurrents of jazz. The band, who have been performing together since the mid-90s, will take to the stage at the Watergate Theatre in the company of The Buzz Aldrin Allstars, a collection of like-minded musicians whose improvised shows explore simple melodies, grooves and loops.

Agnes Obel. Photograph - Frank Eidel

On Thursday evening, 11th August, one of Rarities' favourite female singer-songwriters, Agnes Obel, will play St Candice's Cathedral. In what promises to be a sublime show, the Danish performer will treat her audience to a sampling of delicate songs from her internationally acclaimed debut album, Philharmonia. With the perfect backdrop of St Candice's Cathedral, Obel's stunning voice will no doubt cast a spell over all who witness her performance. Dublin's Cian Nugent will play support on the night.

Emmy the Great - Photograph by Alex Lake

St John's Priory will see two incredible female performers play within its walls for weekend number two; Emmy the Great will unleash her strange and wonderful sound on Kilkenny on Friday 12th August, while Tipperary's loveliest lady Gemma Hayes will host an intimate gathering on the following Saturday night. Emma-Lee Moss' (a.k.a. Emmy the Great) live performances are brimming with incredible musicianship and showcase her exquisite melodies and heartfelt lyrics to perfection. Gemma Hayes, meanwhile, has been garnering all kinds of praise since the release of her fourth studio album, Let It Break. Hayes will be accompanied on the night by Meteor Award nominee, Ann Scott, a highly original singer-songwriter celebrated for her wonderfully unusual sound.

I recently interviewed Gemma Hayes following her brilliant gig at the Upstairs venue in Dolan's (where she was also accompanied by Ann Scott). You can read what she had to say here.

Wired will also play host to performances by Eric Sweeney and Jaki Liebezeit with his ensemble Drums Off Chaos (Friday 12th August- Set Theatre), who will collaborate on the night with composer and sound artist Philip Jeck. Wired will come to a close on Sunday, 14th August with a performance by San Francisco's Mark Kozelek of Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon. Known for his incredible lyrics, stunning songs and deeply soothing baritone, Kozelek's performance at St Candice's Cathedral is definitely not one not to be missed. 

Ticket prices for all shows range from €18 - €22 and are on sale now from Kilkenny Arts Festival's ticketing site, which you can find here. Tickets are already selling fast so make sure to get your hands on yours as soon as you can. A full programme of events for the festival, including dates, times and venues, can be found here. Follow Kilkenny Arts Festival on Facebook here, and on Twitter here.

Finally, some tunage:

Close Watch by agnesobel


Emmy the Great by Emmy The Great


James Vincent McMorrow by VagrantRecords


The Sea and Cake - The Moonlight Butterfly (album preview) by experimedia


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