Former Galway rector plays key role in TG4's new flute and fife documentary
The former rector of Galway's St Nicholas' Collegiate Church, Dr Gary Hastings, is among the contributors to a new documentary 'Foinn na Fliúite – Ceol Comhroinnte na nDaoine' which will be shown on TG4 at 9pm on Sunday, September 6.
'Foinn na Fliúite – Ceol Comhroinnte na nDaoine', produced by the Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA), celebrates the flute and fife tradition that exists on both sides of the Irish border. It examines the story of the flute throughout Ireland, flute bands on the island, the endurance of the tradition during The Troubles, and how a shared musical, cultural past and present offers a glimpse of a shared future for the island.
Gary Hastings, who is originally from Belfast, is an accomplished flute player and authority on the instrument's history. Other participants are Conor McDonagh, Aoife Granville, Tara Diamond, Dave Sheridan, Eimear McGeown, Barry Kerr, Brendan Mulholland, Conal Ó Gráda and flute player and maker Hammy Hamilton along with fife maker Wilby Wilson. The William King Memorial Flute Band, Churchill Flute Band and Banna Fíf agus Druma an Daingean also feature.
Congratulating those involved in the production, Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD welcomed the Irish Traditional Music Archive's work "in exploring this often under-recognised dimension of our cultural heritages, as a contribution to the Shared Island Initiative".
He recalled attending a flute and fife performance curated by ITMA last year when he "was reminded of how musical heritage connects people and places across the island of Ireland, and how rich and inspiring the experience can be for musicians and audiences to trace these links and to interpret and celebrate them anew". This was as part of the government's Shared Island Initiative.
ITMA Director Liam O’Connor praised "the shared love of music" that allowed "people of all ages and from across the political spectrum" to come together and discover "opportunities for conversation, learning and friendship, reminding us that our musical traditions have a remarkable capacity to transcend religious, political and social boundaries".
He described working on the initiative and film as "one of the most worthwhile, hopeful and timely projects I have had the privilege to witness".