The South Wales Uilleann Pipers are pleased to announce
Piping at the Old Bridge The 7th South Wales Tionol
September 9th/10th
Pontypridd, Rhondda
With Special Guests
Mick O’Brien
Emmett Gill
Highlights include:
Piping instruction (beginner, intermediate and advanced levels)
Gala Concert
Afternoon piping recital
‘The Art of Piping’ art exhibition
Lunchtime music featuring 78rpm records of Patsy Touhey, Tom Ennis, Leo Rowsome, Liam Walsh and others played on antique wind-up gramophones
Raffle for a beautiful print of Felix Doran by painter and piper John B Vallely, generously donated by the artist himself to the Tionol
Evening sessions in local pubs
The Tionol will be based in and around the Pontypridd Museum, a restored Baptist chapel dating from 1861. The chapel sits on the banks of River Taf at the foot of Pontypridd’s ‘Old Bridge’ which, when first completed in 1756, was the longest single span bridge in Europe.
Mark the dates in your calendars. More information to follow soon.
For more information contract ricklines(at)yahoo.com
The gala concert is confirmed for the night of Friday September 9th, and will feature our guests Mick O’Brien and Emmett Gill, as well as well-known player of the Welsh pipes, Ceri Rhys Matthews, and other local musicians. Afterwards we will all relocate for a session at a local pub.
Piping lessons and another piping recital will all take place on the Saturday.
We have secured discount rates of £55 B/B per night at the local Heritage Park Hotel (about 2 miles/5 minutes from the tionol venue). Just say you are part of the Irish piping festival.
mick o’brien gets everywhere, i wouldn’t mind getting my hands on his air miles - he’s got a brother who’s fantastic too hasn’t he? don’t know much about him
sorry i meant a fantastic piper although i’m sure he’s a great guy too
Saturday (September 10th) all-day fee for pipers will be £30. This includes
morning and afternoon tuition with Mick and Emmettt
buffet lunch on site accompanied by old piping 78s played on 1920s wind-up gramophones
afternoon piping recital by Mick, Emmett and others
tea/coffee though the day.
On Saturday will also be holding separate morning (beginner) and afternoon (intermediate/advanced) fiddle classes by Ciara for £12 each class.
Admission to the Friday night concert (September 9th) will be £7 at the door.
Email rhonddapiper(at)gmail(dot)com for more information or to let us know you will be attending.
Popped into the Pontypridd Museum this week, site of the Tionol and concert. The main museum area is looking fantastic and will be great for the concert.
Can pipers planning to attend the classes on Saturday please conatct me via PM or at ricklines(at)yahoo(dot)com so we can start to get an idea of numbers and how much lunch we need to prepare.
Just some logistical updates following a few questions.
The main events (concert, classes) are taking place in Pontypridd at the museum.
Following the concert on Friday we will be retiring to local pub Clwb Y Bont in Pontypridd for a session. The Heritage Park Hotel (where we have preferential rates for tionol attendees) is 2 miles up the road from Ponty, about 5 minutes by car (or by taxi for those who fancy a few pints). For those who want to stay in Pontypridd itself there is an inn called The Blueberry Inn. Quite nice although we do not have prefertenial rates there.
The Saturday classes are again at the museum in Ponty, although the evening session will be held at the Heritage Park Hotel, so people staying in the hotel won’t have to worry about getting back later in the night.
I went along - with fiddle and flute - to the session last night in the Heritage Park Hotel. That was one of the best sessions I’ve been in this side of the Irish Sea. Lovely lot of people and some great playing. Great to meet up with Emmett Gill again and loads of other people - friends old and new. Mick and Ciara - God but I loved your playing, and there’s great fun in there too!
I can’t name-check everyone - got home very late and the ol’ brain’s a bit of a blur - but it was lovely stuff altogether. I’ll be looking out for it in future.
Jason, if you’re reading this, would you send me - or better still, post here - details of the International Uilleann Piping Day in South Wales? And any other events you think I’d be interested in.
Thanks Ben for the kind words. Glad you enjoyed the closing session as much as we did.
After a 2 year hiatus, the South Wales Tionol returned with a hugely successful weekend of music and fun at the beautiful Pontypridd Museum. ‘Piping at the Old Bridge’ kicked off with a packed concert of Irish and Welsh piping and singing on Friday night, followed by a session at Clwb Y Bont. On Saturday we had a full day of classes on pipes and fiddle by our guests Mick O’Brien, Emmett Gill and Ciara Ni Bhriain, a solo uilleann piping recital in the afternoon and of course Halle’s amazing homemade dal for lunch! The weekend ended in grand style with an amazing session at the Heritage Park Hotel.
Thanks to all the pipers and fiddlers who joined us, and a big thanks to Mick, Emmett and Ciara for sharing their music. We hope to post some videos shortly.
A big thanks as well to all the support from the Pontypridd Museum, Na Piobairi Uilleann, the Armagh Pipers Club, Clwb Y Bont and the Heritage Park Hotel.
Make sure to mark the date in your calendars for next year!
Pipers and fiddlers standing in front of the Old Bridge in Pontypridd
Mick and Ciara at the Saturday recital at Pontypridd Museum
Emmett performing at the Friday night concert at the Pontypridd Museum
Welsh piper Ceri Rhys Matthews at the Friday concert
Mick and Ciara at the Friday concert
Emmett at the Saturday piping recital
Mick teaching class
Some of the musicians at our closing session Saturday night at the Heritage Park Hotel
