Noel Hill, Tony Linnane and Alec Finn

The thirteenth Return to Camden Town Festival is split into two parts, and it is no wonder considering the number of performers involved. The music and song part runs from Thursday, 27 October, to Sunday, 30 October, and the dance part from Friday, 4 November, to Sunday, 6 November.

As a festival of traditional Irish music, it reflects the importance of London, and Camden Town in particular, as a traditional music scene for emigrants in the past and in more recent times for their offspring as well as for touring acts from Ireland. While many of the events are held at the London Irish Centre, the last few years have seen a number of other venues in the area taking part.

Following on from their recent performance in Dublin at the Na Píobairí Uilleann concert in Liberty Hall, Noel Hill, Tony Linnane and Alec Finn are heading over to Camden Town to give fans in the UK a chance to re-live some of the material from their celebrated 1979 recording. Talking to The Journal of Music, Hill explained that it is, satisfyingly, the enthusiasm of others that is leading them to do a few of these nostalgic performances here and there.

Armed with a more recent CD (At Complete Ease, which also features Finn), fiddle players Brian Rooney and John Carty will be joined by Arty McGlynn for their performance. The Brock McGuire Band, Lúnasa, and the London Lasses are some of the other groups in the line-up.

Also playing are Pete Quinn, with support by Colman Connolly, Paddy Egan and Tad Sargent; Laoise Kelly and Michelle O’Brien; Luke Daniels and Junior Davey; Mick O’Connor and Antoin MacGabhann (see below); and Tom McElvogue, Des Hurley and Chris O’Malley.

Saturday’s daytime concert of song features Niamh Parsons, appearing with long time musical partner, guitarist Graham Dunne, on a double bill with Derry singer, banjo and tenor guitar player Damien O’Kane, who recently released his debut solo album, Summer Hill. O’Kane appears with guitarist Ed Boyd and bodhrán player John Joe Kelly. Sunday’s daytime concert features artists who have released CDs recently — Catherine McEvoy, Micheal and MacDara O’Raghallaigh, The Raw Bar Collective (Conal O’Grada, Benny McCarthy and Dave Sheridan), with support by the London accordion player, Gary Connolly.

The first weekend will culminate in a free performance on the Sunday evening by London’s Hungry Grass, playing ‘high energy Irish music and song’.

The dance weekend kicks off on the following Friday evening with a ceili led by the Ivy Leaf Céilí Band, featuring John and Carmel Burke, Patsy Moloney and Eilish Commins. It continues through Saturday and Sunday with dance workshops in both set and sean-nós dancing, as well as more music and song events, including a traditional singing session hosted by All-Ireland-champion Pat Connolly, and an evening concert featuring Comhaltas musicians, singers and dancers.

www.returntocamden.org