Well, they’re going full belt since they arrived here this morning,” That was Scartaglin Rambling House Bean a’ Tí, Bridie Garvey’s assessment of how the first of the Sliabh Luachra Music Trail Master Classes was going as it neared its conclusion on Saturday evening.
Conducted by Anne and Nicky McAuliffe in the heritage centre in Scart, the Master Class idea is central to the programme and notion of the Sliabh Luachra Music Trail.
‘The Trail’ has had a couple of high profile launches on both sides of the rushy border already this year. A border so thick with sporting division and tribalism that only music can transend.
The aim of the classes is to provide young musicians with the opportunity to spend the day with master fiddle players and music tutors.
This is a part of the Sliabh Luachra Music Trail programme of events which was launched in Ballydesmond in March and the Kerry equivilant in Scartaglin in July.
In keeping with the key objectives of the Sliabh Luachra Music Trail, an education programme has been developed which will give budding Sliabh Luachra musicians – and indeed musicians of all ages – an opportunity to work with experienced music tutors who specialise in the Sliabh Luachra style and repertoire.
The classes are fully funded by Arts offices of Cork and Kerry County Councils.
The pilot programme in Kerry certainly got off to a great start with Nicky and Anne on Saturday and it all augers well for the future development of the trail on both sides of the border.
