A special collection of archival material associated with the Willie Clancy Summer School of traditional music and dance is to be made available online this summer.
Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy is a week-long summer school in traditional music and dance that is held annually in Miltown Malbay in Co Clare. Every year the school attracts thousands of music lovers from all over the world to learn music or to enjoy the festival.
This year's festival however has been cancelled due to the coronaviurus pandemic.
Now the Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) and Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy have announced a collaboration that will involve the sharing of a series of recordings and events online.
For many years the ITMA have carried out field recordings at the summer school. The archive will include some of these recordings and others made by RTÉ and private individuals.
The archive is described as an invaluable traditional music archive of national importance.
Liam O’Connor, Director at the ITMA, said that the aim of the project is to help fill the void left after the cancellation of this year’s summer school.
He added that there will be a number of recitals from the SSWC made available as well as a live stream of 2019 concerts, tribute event and lectures. He also said that there will be a special reflective tribute programme to Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy.
Seamús Ó Rochaín of Scoil Samhridh Willie Clancy said that this year they decided to do something different.
He said that they are currently trying to gather as much of the old archive of the festival as possible to be made available online.
Some of this material includes the renowned local musicians Micho Russell and Willie Clancy.
Mr Ó Rochaín also said that the summer school is now planning to run a number of free online music classes this year.
