Arts Council Launches New Ulster Scots Music CD 25th October 2001 Martin Dowling, Arts Council’s Traditional Arts Officer, launched Planet Ulster, a new CD from the Ulster Scots Folk Orchestra at a special reception held in the Europa Hotel in Belfast. Mr Dowling affirmed the renewed determination of the Arts Council to support the wide variety of traditional musics in Northern Ireland, a rich vein of artistic expression which had fed into musical cultures around the world. He went on to stress that traditional music should not be regarded simply as a feature of our heritage. "Traditional music, as it is performed by many thousands today," he said, "is also contemporary music, as relevant and as related to our everyday lives as any other form of art. The harnessing of the most up-to-date recording techniques in its favour is entirely appropriate." Planet Ulster is the latest initiative from the Ulster Scots Folk Orchestra, a group of traditional musicians dedicated to the performance and promotion of the music of the Ulster Scots culture in Northern Ireland and elsewhere. Among the many attending the launch were Gregory Campbell MP MLA, Paul Berry MLA, Ian Paisley Jnr MLA, Joan Carson MLA, Cllr Nelson McCausland (Heich Heid Yin, Ulster Scotch Heirskip Cooncil) and representatives from the arts community across Northern Ireland. for more information contact Damian Smyth, Arts Council (028) 90385204 or Willie Drennan, Ulster Scots Folk Orchestra, Ballymena 25643949 |
