Longford's Camlin Keys Piano Festival looking to build on success

Excitement is building details of the extensive programme on offer as part of the Camlin Keys Festival have been announced.
Longford's Summer time piano festival provides an occasion for pianists of all ages and abilities to play, perform and compete in a friendly and supportive atmosphere.

Longford has a wealth of pianists, piano teachers and students - producing the finest musicians of all genres of music.
Plans are firming up for the Camlin Keys Festival, which takes place on Friday July 5 and Saturday July 6.
Building on the success of last year’s event this year the programme will include evaluation and feedback from RIAM composer, teacher and examiner, Tamara Niekludow.

As the event programme comes together organiser Joanne Pearlman says there are some special treats in store for both performers and audience members: “This year, we are introducing classical, bowed string classes of a similar format to the piano, also for the Saturday morning. Thank you to St John’s National School, Battery Road for hosting our music classes.”
The festival opens with a special musical treat: “As promised, our Festival is opening Friday July 5 with a choral treat as the Athlone A Capella choir hosts an evening in St John's Church, with many special guest appearances supporting their main performance,” Joanne told the Leader.

Athlone A Capella are a close harmony ladies barbershop chorus and in the Barber shop tradition the emphasis is on close, carefully arranged 4-part harmony with phrases often repeated for an echo effect.
The musical arrangements are usually in the ragtime or other nostalgic song styles performed by the choir without instrumental accompaniment

Athlone A Cappella have been Irish Ladies Barbershop Chorus champions four times.
Friday night’s concert will see them joined by Moate based, Ubuntu Voices. Originally setup in partnership with Music Generation Ireland supported by Westmeath CC and Westmeath Arts Ubuntu Voices .
Formed by Andrew Yau in October with support from volunteers from New Horizon and Tuar Ard Arts Centre, Ubuntu Voices choir is an intergenerational and inter-cultural choir based in Tuar Ard Arts and Enterprise Centre, Moate.
Their first concert in December was to a packed out theatre where a mix up of music borrowed from many genres, including pop, choral, gospel and traditional folk, wowed the audience.

The Camlin Keys programme is exciting, but not finished as plans are afoot to include local voices and there will be ensemble performances with guest appearances from multi instrumentalists Andrew Yau and Niall Mannion.
Meanwhile, Saturday’s schedule is also filling up as the morning Piano and String classes come together, watch out for the opening of entry submissions next week.

Joanne says performance is at the centre of the festival: “Of course we will also have our family concert in the early evening for our young musicians to experience, play and perform for each other, closing with Lenny Chen and friends, Aristide, Athenais and Ariane-Eugenie Selve, winners of the Dublin, Feis Ceoil, 2023, Family Ensemble section.”
The organiser expressed her delight at the progress of the festival: “Since the piano is not always the most mobile of instruments, not everybody gets the opportunity to share their skills and hard work.

“Our event aims to create that opportunity and we plan to host competitions, recitals, masterclasses, introductory sessions for all ages, workshops, recreational activities and a piano party.”

Concert tickets for the Camlin Keys Festival events are available on Eventbrite so keep an eye on their social media or visit the website, www.camlinkeys.ie to keep up to date with news.