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Contact: Mike Mullins
314-578-1333
27 Years of the best traditional Irish music in St. Louis.
ST. LOUIS, March 5—April 10-13 will see a gathering of some of the world’s best traditional Irish musicians for the Saint Louis Tionól. For 27 years this event has brought musicians, singers, and dancers from all over North America and Ireland to take part in a 4 day celebration that includes a ceili( dance), workshops in music, songs and ballad, as welll as two concerts, at the Focal Point in Maplewood and the Sheldon Concert Hall.
Pronounced “chun-awl,” tionól is the Irish word for a gathering and it describes the coming together from all over North America and Ireland of musicians intent on sharing their interest in the traditional music of the Celtic regions—music that came to North America with the first settlers and has grown into native genres such as old-time and bluegrass.
For more than a quarter century, St. Louis has boasted one of the largest such gatherings in the United States and the only one in the Midwest.
“When it comes to Irish music events in North America, St Louis is definitely not flyover country,” said Andrew O’Brien, a Dublin-born fiddler and attorney who now lives in St. Louis. “It is an action-packed weekend of concerts, classes and sessions—informal Irish music jams—where the finest exponents of the art form are brought to St. Louis to play, teach and share. For one great weekend every year, St. Louis becomes a premium Irish culture hub and a place to be.”
Liz Knowles, an internationally recognized traditional Irish fiddle player and member of several bands, described it as an “in-between: a meeting place where people and music collide, bringing their collective knowledge and love of the instrument and their experience”. She went on to describe a weekend of concerts, workshops and sessions as all being part of a shared and interactive experience that makes the music come alive.
The St. Louis Tionól was born out of a meeting between Judy Stein, of the Focal Point, and musicians Michael “Piper” Cooney and Mike Mullins in 1997. The first year was a rousing success and the weekend has grown as people have become interested in their roots and had their hearts and minds captured by productions such as Riverdance.
“By bringing together world class performers and teachers and hosting workshops, concerts and jam sessions, the St. Louis Tionól provides a much-needed link and pathway to pass along a tradition that many want to claim,” Mullins said. “With a total attendance of well over 3,000 since its inception, the St. Louis Tionól has become the event in the Midwest for lovers of traditional Irish music and is acknowledged as one of the events of the year for those interested in the music”.
The highlight of the St. Louis Tionól will be a concert at the Sheldon Concert Hall on April 12, which will showcase our teachers who hail from Ireland and across North America.
The Saturday concert begins at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available through the Sheldon or at the door. Children 12 and under are free.
The weekend actually starts on Thursday, April 10 with a ceili and sessions at Atomic on Manchester in the Grove. A ceili is lively social dance with no previous experience required to enjoy. Shannon Flecke will teach the dances throughout the evening and music will be provided by our own ceili band. A session will take place that evening as well. More information is available at tionol.org
Those wanting to learn a tune or new technique can take advantage of one of the workshops on Saturday, April 12 at St. Louis University High School. Both morning and afternoon workshops with instruction by the world-renowned musicians offer a unique opportunity for anyone wanting to learn more about traditional Irish music. Newcomers are welcome; no experience is necessary to enjoy the dance or ballad workshops or learn a tune on the tin whistle or bodhrán (Irish drum).
A major feature of the weekend are the uilleann pipes. Hailed as the iconic “sound of Ireland”, the uilleann (pronounced “illin”) bagpipes, which UNESCO recently placed its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Guest pipers will include Mick O’Brien, a pre-eminent piper and the winner of the coveted Gradam Ceoil Musician of the Year award for 2023. Piper Cillian Vallely, a member of the band Lúnasa, will be with us for the first time as well as Pádraig Keane, a former TG4 Young Musician of The Year.
The other instrument long associated with Ireland is the harp. This year, we’re delighted to welcome back Grainne Hambly. Many of the airs we associate with Ireland come from the harp tradition and Grainne’s workshop will explore some of those in detail.
This year’s roster of teachers includes Liz Knowles and of the band Open the Door for Three, who will be here along with Pat Broaders, who will teach ballads, and Kieran O’Hare on the uilleann pipes. And, Irish fiddle prize winner, Tara Breen will be here along with concertina virtuoso Pádraig Rynne. Two members of the band Bakerswell, flute player, John Wynne, and fiddle player, John McEvoy, also will be traveling from Ireland. John Skelton, a longtime Tionól favorite and raconteur supreme, will be hosting our concerts and teaching the penny whistle.
A new workshop this year will be an in depth look at some of the traditional Irish musicians who came to prominence in the very early 1900’s and their lasting effect on the music to this day.
More information, including a schedule of all events, online workshop registration, and concert tickets can be found at tionol.org.
For additional information, or to schedule an interview with Tionól musicians, please contact Mike Mullins at mmullins@tionol.org or 314-578-1333.