THE RIVER IS the thing in Carrick-on-Shannon, so it’s no surprise that the county town of Leitrim should include water in the title of its annual summer festival. And this year the Carrick Water Music Festival celebrates its fifth anniversary with a programme that spans all musical genres from trad to opera, jazz to klezmer.
“People from the town came together to try to create something exciting for the region during the summer,” says Alan Shanley, one of the festival organisers. “There are about 20 people on the committee, all in a voluntary capacity.” Many are shop owners, but all sorts of people are involved, giving the festival a genuinely local flavour. “We’re trying to bring as much business into the region as we can – not just to Carrick town, but to the surrounding area as well.”
Cruise boats which ply between the Shannon’s benignly broad banks play a central role in the atmosphere of this picturesque riverside town, and the festival venues also have something of a riverside flavour. It all adds, says Shanley, to the ambience.
“The main venue is The Dock arts centre, which has a capacity of about 150,” he says. “It’s in a really old house in the town which has been restored. It also has a cafe and craft shop – so it’s one of those cool, chic little theatres with a lot of good gigs around the town.”
The Landmark and Bush hotels have also got in on the festival act, as has the aptly-named Moon River. "It's a cruise ship on the river," Shanley explains. "They have a different musician every Saturday, so the idea is that people come on board, have a few drinks and listen to the music. That's always a popular one because of the water element of it." The festival programme is also, however, uncommonly attractive, ranging from a classical violin-and-guitar recital by Redmond O'Toole and Elizabeth Cooney (August 5th, 8.30pm) to a performance of Handel's Xerxes in the composer's 250th anniversary year, courtesy of Opera Theatre Company's Young Associate Artists (August 8th, 8.30pm). The young Irish trio Organics (below) will play on August 7th, while the six-piece Slovak Festival Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Jablokov, will play at the Bush Hotel on August 9th at 2.30pm.
“This year in particular we’re very conscious of the recession and so we’re offering good value and attractive events for families,” says Shanley. “Our most expensive tickets are €30 – that’s for the opera – but tickets for some events are only €5.” They have also scheduled a number of free events, including the Wassa Wassa drum workshop (August 7th, 2pm) and an I Can Sing workshop (August 8th, 11am). “You don’t need any experience for these – just plenty of enthusiasm,” says Shanley.
You do, however, need to pre-register because space is limited. This is easily done by following the links on the website or contacting The Dock arts centre directly on 071-9650828.
The Carrick Water Music Festival runs from August 4th to 9th. For further information, call 071-9650828 or see carrickwatermusic.com
