Some of our friends from the vibrant Birmingham Irish music scene kick off the 2015 Return to Camden Town Festival in fine style.
* Noreen Cullen, Tommy Diegnan and Adrian Burns
* Conor Healy and Colm McGonigle
* Hannah Donelan
Please note that all advertised times are door opening times. The performance at The Green Note will start at 8.30pm. Performances at all other concert venues will start 30 minutes after doors open.
7.30 pm ¤ The Green Note ¤ £10 in advance (booking strongly advised – a compact venue) at Book Tickets Here
Fiddler Noreen Cullen genuinely sounds like nobody else. Her Irish playing is obviously influenced by the great Sean McGuire, but her repertoire also encompasses jazz and swing, gypsy, country music and blues. She has played since the age of eight, learning he fiddle from the many traditional musicians in Birmingham, including her father, Jack Cullen. She won several all-Ireland titles whilst still at school and moved to London in the early 1980s to join London-Irish band Stirabout. She has since performed in both Riverdance and Lord of the Dance and is regularly in demand as a session player for both recordings and live performance.
Her partner, Adrian Burns, a singer/guitarist and songwriter, grew up playing traditional Irish music on flute, bouzouki and guitar. He and Noreen met in 1985 and have worked together ever since, performing on BBC1, Channel 4, RTE, BBC London Radio, at Sydney Opera House with the Australian Philharmonic Orchestra, with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Irish Folk-Ballet Company.
They have recently teamed up with the fine Birmingham-based accordion player Tommy Diegnan, who has played button accordion since he was a boy.
Originally from Birmingham, flute player Conor Healy is now based in London. He is co-founder and director of the Trip to Birmingham Tradfest, the great annual Midlands Irish music festival, which takes place in late November. Conor met Belfast-born concertina and harp player Colm McGonigle whilst living in Cambridge. They have since performed together at concerts and festivals in the UK, Ireland and Europe.
Singer Hannah Donelon has performed extensively throughout the UK and Ireland, both as a solo artist and in bands. She is a member of Manchester band, Shake The Barley and London-based Southfleet.
