Premiere celebrating Music Generation Laois decade at big local festival

A new composition to celebrate a decade of achievements by Music Generation Laois is one of the highlights of the 2023 Tionól Harp and Pipes festival. 

Nearly 200 musicians are set to descend on Laois for the Music Generation Laois event which takes place in Portlaoise and Stradbally from November 3-5 attracting young musicians from all over Ireland.

Highlights include the world premiere of a brand new suite of music to celebrate 10 years of Music Generation Laois, composed by Ernestine Healy 'The Tionól Suite' will feature over 175 musicians performing en masse.

You can tune to watch on the Music Generation Laois Facebook Page on Saturday, November 4 at 7pm.

Another highlight for Tionól 2023 is a concert by world-renowned pipes/flute/whistle player Michael McGoldrick who will perform as part of this year’s event alongside Leonard Barry on pipes, Shane McGowan on guitar and Andy Morrow on fiddle. There will be free admission to the event in Andy Bergin's, Portlaoise, Sunday 5 November, 7pm.

This year a group of young harp players, ‘Claasach’ from The Isle of Man will take part.

The organisers say Tionól is a unique festival that focuses on the harp and pipes, two musical instruments of special significance to Ireland. The festival first started in 2016 as Music Generation Laois recognised the interest and significant expansion of their harp and pipe programmes in the county and wanted to provide an annual event to celebrate and nurture this development.

Tionól Harp and Pipes is supported by the Music Generation / Arts Council Partnership Creativity and Collaboration Fund.
Music Generation Laois is part of Music Generation, Ireland’s national music education programme, co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds and the Department of Education.

Music Generation Laois is part of Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board and supported by Laois County Council.