Strabane’s hotly anticipated Johnny Crampsie Music Festival is looking forward to the arrival of Irish music legends the Fureys and Davey Arthur, who are set to open the 2010 music festival at the award winning Alley Theatre.
“This year the Johnny Crampsie Festival will be opened by the fantastic Fureys and Davey Arthur, one of Ireland’s greatest ever bands, we are delighted the group have decided to take part in this fantastic North West Festival” commented Mark Diver from CRAIC. “Each year we want to make the festival bigger and better than the last, so in addition to our wonderful opening act, we are delighted to annouce that the festival will be held over 4 days with a host of great bands from across Ireland lined up.”
The Fureys & Davey Arthur have been entertaining people all over the world for 32 years with their music, songs and stories, however this will be their first Johnny Crampsie Festival appearance. “There is nothing we can say about these legends of Irish Music that people don’t already know, so don’t miss this concert when you can hear them sing all their hits including ‘I will love you’, ‘When you were sweet 16’ and the ‘The Green Fields of France”
The following night (October 22nd) it will be the turn of North West favourites, CRAIC, who will be performing one of their excellent heart beating sets on stage to the delight of their legion of North West fans. The group, made up of a variety of local Strabane based musicians, including All Ireland Champions, are eagerly looking forward to performing in their hometown theatre.
The Border Collies are set to take the stage on Saturday, October 23rd, the first time the band have performed in the North West after storming the Trad charts in the south of Ireland. The Collies, who recently swept the boards at the Trend Studios and Irish Music Magazine Comhraigh Ceol competition held at the National Concert Hall Dublin, attribute their success to their versatility in terms of instrumentation and song. The band excels in showcasing wonderful musical versatility through arrangements of popular and well-known songs, coupled with their use of both Irish and English language songs. In addition to the performance the Collies will be offering performance workshops to 8-18 yr olds on the 23rd, ideal for those young musicians keen to develop their skills and confidence on stage. To book a workshop please contact Jean Smyth at Strabane District Council on 028 7138 2204.
“After three great nights of music and workshops, the festival then moves to the Strabane Cricket Club for a family fun day of music, with junior sessions from 4-6 p.m and seniors at 7 p.m. till late. For more information on the festival or to book tickets contact the Alley Theatre Box Office on 028 7138 4444 or online at www.alley-theatre.com