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PRESS RELEASE: Special guests announced for Dungannon Concert

Seamus O'Kane

 

Wendy Jack is delighted to announce she will be performing in The Square Box Theatre, Dungannon on Saturday 1st March (show starts at 8PM). It’s been over a year since Wendy has held a concert in her home town of Dungannon, so she is really excited to be returning to the stage in the Ranfurly Arts and Visitor Centre. On the night there will be a mixture of old and new music with songs from her debut EP, a selection of unreleased material and even a special preview of a new release called ’90 Degrees’. Another highlight planned for the evening will be the screening of a short video which Wendy was involved in making and for which she composed the sound track. The 6 minute film called ‘The Caledonian Range’ has just finished touring the Republic of Ireland as part of an art exhibition and so this in-concert-screening will be it’s Northern Ireland premiere!! Thrown into the mix there will also be interpretations of songs by artists who have inspired Wendy over the years… 

Joining Wendy on guitar is the very talented Larry Harte (from Coalisland) who is increasingly in demand as both a traditional session player and as an accompanist. His recent projects have included a performance and recording for RTE in Dublin. Larry is an accomplished mandolin, guitar and banjo player… Indeed, he has even published a beginner’s guide to popular Banjo Tunes!

Another very special guest on the evening is the world renowned Master Bodhran player & craftsman Seamus O’Kane. Seamus, from Dungiven, has been responsible for the design of the modern drum. As a player, he has given workshops in USA, France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Scotland and throughout Ireland. He has recorded on more than 30 CD’s and LP’s and has appeared in 2 instrument making documentaries…Ceirde Cheoil (bodhran making)…Banrion an Cheoil (harp making). 

This promises to be a very special evening of music and song & also a great chance to catch Wendy in concert before she heads to The Belfast Nashville Songwriter’s Festival to showcase her work there…

Tickets are €10 / €8 (which includes a FREE Limited Edition CD). They are available from The Ranfurly House Arts and Visitor Centre via the Box Office 028 8772 8600. 

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Wendy is special guest of Ben Sands – Sat 15th June

Wendy Jack has been invited as Ben’s Special Guest for his Dungannon concert… It promises to be a lovely evening of story and song.

A Bit about Ben:

Ben Sands lives in Newry, County Down, close to the mountains and the sea and not far from the small farm where he and his six siblings grew up in the 1950s and 1960s.

He sings songs – mostly his own. He writes songs – about life and love and the ways of the world. Some are whimsical, some are sad and some are very humorous indeed. In between he tells stories, some of which are true!
He plays quite a few instruments as well – guitar, banjo, mandolin, whistles, keyboards, and fiddle – he has even been known to wrestle a tune from the uilleann pipes.
Ben has been touring and recording with his sister Anne and brothers Tommy and Colum since the late 1960s.
“The Sands Family” (www.sandsfamilyfolk.com) have recently released their 16th album – “Keep on Singing” ; made countless television appearances; performed extensively in Ireland, UK, Europe, Canada and USA (including Carnegie Hall); shared microphones with such “folk luminaries” as Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Tom Paxton, Harry Belafonte and Arlo Guthrie ……..
These days the members of the “Family” still greatly enjoy getting together for special tours and festival appearances but are more likely to be found scattered far and wide, pursuing very successful solo careers. Like brothers Tommy and Colum, Ben has taken to the song writing with a natural ease and his songs are finding their way into many repertoires and recording studios.
To date, Ben has released four solo albums, most recently the highly acclaimed “Take My Love WIth You”, (Spring Records, 2010). The title track was written for and sung to Ben’s daughter Kellie on her wedding day.