Ag Tarraingt Ón Tobar

With our latest groundbreaking multi-genre collaboration, we unite Galway’s beloved ensemble-in-residence, ConTempo Quartet, with Connemara siblings Séamus and Caoimhe Uí Fhlatharta for an evening of profound musical storytelling.

This captivating performance delves into the fight for cultural identity in the face of oppression, weaving together classical strings, sean-nós song, and traditional melodies. At its centre lies Stolen Hearts, a powerful composition by Bill Whelan that received its world premiere at the 2023 Galway International Arts Festival. Alongside it, composer-performer Matthew Berrill presents fresh arrangements of sean-nós songs, creating a dialogue between past and present.

Ag Tarraingt Ón Tobar [Drawing from the Well] poses a vital question: How does language, song, and tradition survive, and even flourish, when they are under threat? The answer unfolds in a performance that is both intimate and quietly defiant, blending the precision of classical music with the raw emotion of Irish tradition.

An unmissable evening, this collaboration promises a thought-provoking and deeply moving experience.