Last night I was at a modern dance performance, MÁM by Teac Damsa. It’s a production completely devised, created and produced in the Corca Dhuinhne Gaeltacht. Twelve international contemporary dancers, seven musicians from the Berlin based Stargaze collective and concertina player Cormac Begley. The performance is shaped around the musical heritage of Corca Duibhne, personified by Cormac Begley.
Wonderful, intense performance of 80 minutes (without break). With a minutes long standing ovation at the end.
They’re touring Ireland for another month.
At the venue some of Begley’s recordings were available, including his latest, all Bass concertina album ‘B’. I had heard it was coming but hadn’t come across it yet. It desrves a mention here as it is probably the first all bass concertina album.
Like (the collector’s version) of his earlier recording, the cover is shaped like the concertina, inside more images of the inside of the instrument. Recommended. If you’re into that sort of thing, ofcourse.
Note there appears to be a mummified ram, or ram’s head, on the stage?
He wore that at the start, using the concertina only to make wind noises. I was dying to take a pic but the hall was too quiet to release a loud shutter/mirror noise and cause a distraction. Lovely pic of him wearing it on the cover of the programme booklet hough.
RTE aired a documentary last night about the genesis of the dance production I mentioned above, Mám. It concentrates on the creative process and the dance. Lovely stuff, if you’re into that sort of thing : The Dance
John Kelly’s interview with Begley is still up there too:
I love the album art of the vinyl edition. It seems to be a laser cut in paper which displsys the ornamented side of a concertina. The concertina is by far the most aesthetic instrument in folk, isn’t it?
What a remarkable experience! The convergence of dance, music, and cultural heritage sounds captivating. The collaboration between contemporary dancers, musicians, and Cormac Begley’s concertina must have been mesmerizing. A standing ovation speaks volumes about its impact. Thanks for sharing, and I hope more people get to enjoy this incredible performance during their Ireland tour!
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