Guillaume Beauron’s electroacoustic pieces and horspiels are based on soundscapes, voices and sound objects (objets sonores).

Tory island is a horspiel; a sound portrait of Tory Island based on voices, natural sounds and music. The microphone conducts this radiophonic creation and invites the listener to go through and around the island in an oniric journey. Award winner of the 2003 SCAM ‘Brouillon d’un Réve’.

Port Arthur is a short contemplative electroacoustic piece of an imaginary underwater/ underground world.

Héry is a musique concrete, an abstract sound drama, where the frontier between music and some form of narrative is blurred. The listener makes his own sense of a possible storyline, being confronted with a natural decor of drones and soundscapes.

An installation-version of the RTÉ Radio 1 programme, Mixtape, interweaving radio archive material and ambient music. Produced by Kevin Brew, Mixtape follows in the time honoured tradition of those CDs and cassettes exchanged between friends, using spoken word and field recordings as a key ingredient. This edition of Mixtape, called Talk to You, takes its direction from the words of the philosopher and historian, Theodore Zeldin.

‘The Quiet Club’ are Mick O’Shea and Danny McCarthy. Formed in Feb 2006 they have met with considerable success and have become recognised as one of Ireland’s leading sound art improvisation groups. They have toured extensively in Ireland and have appeared in festivals in both Germany, Canada. and Japan. Most recently at DEAF (Dublin Electronic Arts Festival), Static (Liverpool) and I & E Festival, (Dublin). They frequently appear with guests which in the past included Mark Wastell, Viv Corringham, John Godfrey, Harry Moore, Christian Carley, David Toop plus many more.

Employing a wide range of sound making devices ranging from stones , homemade instruments, electronics, amplified textures, theremins, field recordings etc. Over the past number of years ‘The Quiet Club’ have been active in exploring the boundaries of sound and listening in unorthodox spaces. ‘The Quiet Club’ have previously played in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral Cork, The Unitarian Church in Cork and The Unitarian Church on Stephens Green Dublin.

The Quiet Club will play for about 2 hours and would encourage people to come and go as they please but quietly.

Skibbereen Arts Festival is delighted to see the return of sound recordist and artist Chris Watson to present a selection of audio recordings in the atmospheric Abbeystrewry Church.

As David Attenborough’s sound man, Chris Watson is frequently to be found in inhospitable parts of the globe, capturing the sound of monsoon downpours in tropical rainforests, or recording the sounds of activity inside termite mounds in the stifl ing deserts of Namibia. This year Watson has been in the North Pole and the Antarctic to record sounds for the television series ‘The Frozen Planet’.

For this special live event Chris will be in conversation with RTÉ radio producer Kevin Brew to discuss the sounds, silences and unique atmosphere that is to be found at both ends of the world.

“I was out in the midnight sun, standing on just two metres of frozen sea ice, 12 kilometres from land, with 750m of ocean beneath my feet, recording pods of killer whales surfacing to breathe in a narrow crack in the sea ice, just three metres away”. Chris Watson

Skibbereen Arts Festival is delighted to welcome back sound recordist par excellence Chris Watson to present a special two-day sound recording course. Chris Watson’s wildlife sound recordings are perhaps best known through his work with David Attenborough on BBC television. This course is aimed at those who already have some experience of working with sound. It will include evaluations of work, technical advise and will also include field recordings in the scenic surroundings of West Cork. It is advised that participants should bring their own sound recording equipment (however basic).

Cór Cúil Aodha was founded by Seán Ó’Riada in the musical heartland of the West Cork Gaeltacht of Baile Mhuirne in 1964. This region, though historically rich both in instrumental and vocal music, grew in fame through its association with Sean O’Riada. Shortly after their formation Seán also arranged them into a claisceadal or group-singing of traditional songs. The choir performs consorts of this secular music as well as their liturgical singing. Peadar O’Riada has been director of the choir since his father’s death in 1971 and it is he who composes much of their music. Generations of Cul Aodha men have added their voices to this rich and resonant choir and it has achieved cult status in traditional circles.

CÓR THAOBH A’ LEITHID

Cór Thaobh a’ Leithid is a traditional Gaelic choir from the Donegal Gaeltacht. Their approach to choral arrangement is truly unique in that they keep to the traditional Irish style of singing without straying into the more familiar classical style. Their singing is lush with fl owing ornaments, free-style phrasing and they illustrate a deep understanding of seannós singing. Their harmonies are modal which give you a true sense of what Gaelic music is about. They have a very extensive repertoire from lonely immigration songs to jolly drinking songs to heartbreaking love songs.