TRADITIONAL MUSIC ARCHIVE MOVES
In the course of a week in mid-July, the Irish Traditional Music Archive moved from its long-time home in 63 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, to new premises at 73 Merrion Square. Over 650 crates of archive material – the largest collection of the materials of Irish traditional music in existence, and of information about it – and a mass of equipment and furniture made the ten-door journey to the 200-year-old listed heritage building in the centre of Georgian Dublin which will now be its permanent home.
The Archive was allocated the building in recognition of the growth of its collections and services, and its potential for further development. The Office of Public Works, which is responsible for Government and historic buildings in the Republic of Ireland, is currently finishing high-grade conservation and restoration works on the building.
Although it will take staff some months to fully re-engineer the Archive from its former two floors to the four storeys over basement and mews of its new premises, and open officially there with a new computer network, an audio-visual recording studio and various specialist rooms, the Archive reopened to the public in record time on 14 August, deciding to immediately provide a basic life-line service that would make its collections and information available again while development work goes ahead.
For further information check the Archive’s website at www.itma.ie or ring the Archive at +353-1-6619699.

FIELDWORK
Fieldwork is a series of radio programmes presented by Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin in which the pianist and composer interviews some of the leading music researchers in the world. Contributors include Keith Howard discussing the music of Korea (Sept. 3rd); Richard Widdess on Indian music (Sept. 10th); Mick Moloney on New York and Irish America (Sep. 17th); and Therese Smith on the Southern States of America (Sept. 24th). Fieldwork is broadcast on RTÉ lyric fm on Sundays at 10pm.

MUSIC NETWORK TOURS
Music Network has three nationwide tours taking place this autumn: Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill, Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill and Tony McManus peforming songs of Donegal from 21-30 September; jazz trombonist Nils Wogram (above) and Root 70 from 11-20 October; and Una Hunt (piano) with a tour entitled Fallen Leaves from an Irish Piano Album (3-13 October), which includes works by 19th-century Irish composers recently unearthed from the National Library of Ireland archives.
Visit www.musicnetwork.ie

NEW ROSS PIANO FESTIVAL
The first New Ross Piano Festival takes place from Friday 29th September to Sunday 1st October in St Mary’s Church, New Ross, Co. Wexford, celebrating the virtuosity, versatility and variety of music associated with the piano. Artists include Hugh Tinney, Finghin Collins, Míceál O’Rourke, Archie Chen, Michael McHale and the ConTempo Quartet, performing works by James Wilson, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Scarlatti, Schumann, Scriabin, Carl Vine, Field and Liszt. A masterclass with Míceál O’Rourke will also take place on the Saturday.
Visit www.newrosspianofestival.com

THE ELEVENTH HOUR
The Eleventh Hour is RTÉ Radio 1’s new late-night arts and culture show, presented by Páraic Breathnach. Beginning on 4 October, it will be broadcast nightly from Monday to Friday at 11pm, covering and visiting arts and cultural events and festivals, and initiating debate, argument and creative participation among its audience. Páraic Breathnach is well known as an actor, writer, director and producer, and one of the principal founders of street performance group Macnas, the Druid Theatre Company and the Galway Arts Festival. Email theeleventhhour [at] rte.ie

MUSIC @ DRAÍOCHT
The Draíocht arts centre in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, holds a monthly traditional music session with uilleann piper Martin Nolan and guests. Next sessions are on Fridays 22nd September and 20th October at 10.30pm. Other music highlights include traditional music band Arcanadh on 23rd Sept., and the flamenco guitarist Angel, on 12th Oct. Visit www.draiocht.ie

ICTM
ICTM Ireland (the newly formed National Committee of the International Council for Traditional Music) is hosting a one-day symposium on the theme ‘Irish Popular Music and Dance in History’ at University College Cork on 16 February 2007. All interested parties are invited to join the meeting and/or present papers. Please submit abstracts by 20 October 2006 to therese.smith [at] ucd.ie.

WRITE FOR JMI
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Email editor [at] thejmi.com