The Clifden Arts Festival in County Galway is under way, with a packed programme of visual arts, literature and live performances.
A highlight this year is a musical adaptation of the traditional Latin Mass combining baroque, as well as rock rhythms and jazz harmonies.
Two choirs from the West of Ireland, Cantairí Chonamara and Cór Mhaigh Eo, have come together for the Irish premiere of Lumières at St Joseph's church in Clifden.
Music to "exalt the spirit" were the words used by the late French composer Jacques Loussier to describe this major choral work Lumiéres: A 21st Century Baroque Mass
Maura Ní Dhuibhir is Musical Director of Cantairí Chonamara, with a distinguished ensemble of soloists and instrumentalists. This marks the first time Lumières has been performed in Ireland, and is regarded as a moment of genuine cultural significance.
"The composer himself said that he wanted this Mass to be uplifting, even to non believers. It's a Mass that really stunned me when I heard it first, maybe 30 years ago," Ms Ní Dhuibhir said.
"It's very rarely performed, and it's extremely rarely performed with full forces, in other words, with a choir, two solos and a small orchestra."
Ms Ní Dhuibhir added that the concert is intended to be "uplifting and joyous".
Mr Loussier made a career of playing and improvising on Bach, using contemporary and jazz rhythms. He travelled the world with a jazz trio, himself on piano and a drummer and a double bass player.
Former politician Joe McHugh is performing in his one man play about learning Irish when he was appointed Minister for the Gaeltacht in 2014 by then Taoiseach Enda Kenny
Co-written with Francie Cullen, the performance blends humour and reflection as Mr McHugh recounts his conversation with Enda Kenny and the personal and political impact of the appointment.
Its a multi-lingual performance which he said gives audiences a "unique insight into a pivotal moment" in his career and life.
Mr McHugh has written a book about the whole experience called 'Beidh tú alright'.
His journey with the Irish language is described as one of "perseverance, humility and cultural rediscovery". He began learning Irish in earnest at the start of his political career, confronting the challenge of acquiring fluency while holding the role as junior Gaeltacht minister.
Big celebrities sharing creations
Clifden artist Cavanagh Foyle left her solicitor's job in Dublin to come home and pursue a career in the visual arts. She is now getting noticed by some big celebrities who like her pop art, which has a distinctive retro twist along with her signature 'Squiggs'.
Ms Foyle's art has created a social media buzz, catching the attention of celebrities like Miley Cyrus, David Beckham, and the Kardashians, who have liked and shared her creations.
She described Mother Pop’s art as "pure pop with a cheeky and provocative twist, a colourful cartoon world for grown-ups".
"I suppose, as an artist, when you make art, you never know who your art is going to connect with. So it has been fun to see people like Courtney Kardashian DM me, tell me my work is so cool and reposted.
"And David Beckham used my digital GIFs in his Instagram stories, and I've had Miley Cyrus also repost a few little artworks that I did. So, yeah, it's been really cool, and it's been nice to see it have an appeal, you know, globally," Ms Foyle said.
'Nothing beats the musician' - festival founder
Brendan Flynn is the founder of the festival, now in its 48th year. He is passionate about fostering a love of the arts from an early age
"This is a beautiful area, an extraordinary part of the world. It has inspired so many writers, painters, artists, musicians, people would travel here almost on a weekly basis to enjoy Conamara and Clifden and it's only kind of natural for a festival to start bringing writers into the classroom, giving students a chance to experience the arts," he said.
Mr Flynn expressed his desire for an ever greater need for protecting the arts.
"So you may have AI which may be able to do all sorts of thing but nothing will beat the musician, the artist, the painter, the sculptor, the singer, the dancer, the poet, the songwriter, whatever," he said.
"These are all part of the arts that enrich people's lives. And that's what the festival, I suppose, aspires to do, and that's what we've been trying to do with a wonderful community, a voluntary community, over the past 48 years."
The Clifden Arts Festival continues through until next Saturday with a packed programme of events. Many of them are free.
