Atlanta Irish Musicians Named 2015 Midwest Champions
Students Qualify for the All-Ireland Competition!
Members of Irish Traditions Atlanta part Students Qualify for the All-Ireland Competition!icipated in the Midwest Fleadh Cheoil held in Cincinnati, Ohio May 15-17 and brought home 24 awards, with 8 First Place medals across solo and group competitions. The event is one of two traditional Irish Music competitions in America where qualifying entrants are eligible to compete in the world competitions held in Ireland, August 2015.
Irish Traditions Atlanta members study Irish music with local teachers in the Atlanta community as well as Skype lessons with teachers across the United States and Ireland. The Atlanta Junior Ceili Band (AJCB) won third place prize in the under 15 Ceili Band competition. The AJCB and the Atlanta Irish Music School was founded by Katherine Irwin Thomas in 2005 to teach and promote quality traditional Irish music to children, teens and young adults in Metro Atlanta. Katherine also teaches several of the students who qualified for the world competition in individual performances by placing first, second or qualified third place in their age category.
“We are so very proud of our young members who competed this year as well as their teachers,” said Teresa Finley, Board Chair of Irish Traditions Atlanta. “Our mission is to promote the traditional music, song, dance and language of Ireland. And there is no better confirmation of our success than watching the next generation take hold of the rich tradition of Ireland.”
The following students won prize medals in their age category:
Solo Competition:
Olivia Bradley: 1st Place, Irish Singing
Lauren Fariss: 1st Place, Piano, 1st Place Accompaniment, 2nd Place Piano Accordion
Patrick Finley: 1st Place, Fiddle Slow Air, 2nd Place Fiddle
Ciara Fleming: 3rd Place, Concertina
Holly Greenwood: 2nd Place, Fiddle Slow Air
Madeleine Ling: 2nd Place, Singing English
Charlotte Ling: 2nd Place, Harp Slow Air
Sarah Ling: 1st Place, Fiddle Slow Air, 3rd Place Fiddle (qualified)
Keelin Macken: 2nd Place, Ceili Band Drum
Violet Newhart: 2nd Place, Fiddle Slow Air
Skyler Norcom: 2nd Place, Fiddle Slow Air
Teresa Sheppard: 1st Place, Harp
Mary Lynn Sinisi: 3rd Place, Fiddle Slow Air (qualified)
DÚnnchadn Strnad: 2nd Place, Banjo
Lucy Thomas: Honorary Certificate (under 10) for whistle, piano, & recitation
Group Competitions:
Holly Greenwood & Sarah Ling, 1st Place Duet Fiddles
Lauren Fariss & Ciara Fleming, 3rd Place Duet Fiddle/Accordion (qualified)
Atlanta Junior Ceili Band, 3rd Place
First time Fleadh participants included Kirel Doppel, Violet Newhart, Olivia Bradley, Charlotte Ling, Kathleen McBride, Gracie McBride, Keelin Macken, Lucy Gelber, Mary Lynn Sinisi, & Lucy Thomas.
Students in the above photo are members of the Atlanta Irish Music School. (bottom row L-R; Kirel Doppel, Sarah Ling, Keelin Macken, Kathleen McBride. 2nd Row L-R: Violet Newhart, Lucy Gelber, Holly Greenwood, Rory Fleming. Back Row L-R; Claire Shirey, Gracie McBride, Katy Callaghan, Duncan Strnad, Patrick Finley, Ciara Fleming, Madeleine Ling, Lauren Fariss, Mary Sinisi, Olivia Bradley. )
Irish Traditions Atlanta (www.irishtraditionsatlanta.org) is a branch organization of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann. Irish Traditions awards scholarships to students of Irish traditional music and song annually and is the premier sponsor of IrishFest Atlanta (www.irishfestatlanta.org). For more information on the Atlanta Irish Music School contact atlantairishmusicschool@gmail.com
