Music in d’House project ready to go

PLANS are afoot in Abbeyleix for a project teaching traditional arts such as music, song and dance. The ‘Music in d’House’ project will kick off at Heritage House with an information evening and trad music session on Sunday May 12 from 2.30pm to 5.30pm and ends with a finale performance later in the year.

The plan is to train a large group of performers to stage traditional entertainment with a Laois Heritage flavour for visitors and special occasions. Instrumental music and dance will be a major focus of such performances. “Oral heritage is a very important source of information for the area so songs and storytelling will be part of the repertoire as well as music and dance”, said manager Sinéad Marshall.

Funding from Laois Partnership in support of the European Heritage directive will enable research and training to produce the show. The plan calls for a commitment from potential performers to attend regular Sunday sessions where tunes and songs will be rehearsed in a weekly session type event. Professional tutors have been engaged to introduce new material and to assist those who can play, sing or dance to improve their skills. Abbeyleix Heritage visitor centre is open Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm at present. All are welcome to drop in – admission is just €3.