The 26th edition of the world-renowned William Kennedy Piping Festival runs from the 14-17 November in Armagh City. With a mixture of concerts, sessions, workshops, lectures and events for children, the festival holds a special place in the musical calendar for both piping enthusiasts and traditional music fans in general.
One of the key themes to this years festival is a celebration of the family and its role in promoting and transmitting traditional music. We welcome members of traditional music dynasties such as the Mulligans, Rowsomes, Potts, Keanes, Dunnes, Vallelys and more.
An undoubted festival highlight will be a special performance from the mercurial Martin Hayes along with uilleann pipes supremo David Power. This duo only gets the opportunity to perform sporadically so the festival is privileged to host them in Armagh this year.
Scotland is well represented by Brìghde Chaimbeul with fiddler Aidan O’Rourke, dancer Sophie Stevenson, and also the innovative pipe ensemble Tryst featuring a host of familiar names including Finlay MacDonald, Ross Ainslie and Calum MacCrimmon. As usual the festival will welcome a diverse range of pipers from all over the world including Liana Sharifian from Iran, Stefce Stojkoski from Macedonia, and Nico Berardi from southern Italy.
Full line-up and details of the 2019 Festival are available from wkpf.org or info@wkpf.org.
The festival’s main sponsor is Armagh City Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council who have generously supported the event since its inception. For a full listing of events and things to see and do in Armagh, go to www.visitarmagh.com.
