Irish music festival helping revive genre on P.E.I.

The second annual North Atlantic Tionól, an Irish music festival, happens this weekend, June 10 - 12, at Brackley Beach.

A tionól (pronounced TIH-nawl) is a very specific type of event, centred around one instrument in particular, organizer Ben Reid told CBC Radio's Mainstreet audience.

"A tionól is first and foremost a gathering for Irish pipers, but we often add in instruments that other people play," explained Reid. "Last year, we did pipes and fiddle and whistle, this year we've added bodhran lessons, and set dancing as well."

Another big difference is that it's not just a series of concerts; it's main thrust is to help Irish musicians polish their skills.

"Classes are our main focus, but we also have evening concerts for people to have fun and enjoy," said Reid. "We have classes for both absolute beginners and then people who have been playing for years."

Boost needed

The festival got started last year because Irish musicians on the Island felt the tradition needed a boost.

"We just decided there needs to be more of an Irish presence here," said Reid. "There was, a couple of decades ago, and it just kind of comes in cycles. So we just decided we need a festival, and we took a really good format of this kind of Irish piping festival from over in Ireland, and the States, and just kind of customized it to the Island."

Reid is part of a new generation of Irish players on P.E.I., trying to establish their presence among the better-known styles of Scottish and Cape Breton music in the region.

He describes the scene as picking up speed, centred around The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse in Charlottetown.

Reid himself grew up in a house full of Irish and Cape Breton music, first started playing the pipes seven years ago, and has since studied in Boston and Ireland.

Community feeling

He enjoys the community feeling of playing the music.

"When you get together and just play with a bunch of other musicians from who knows what kind of background," he described. "A lot of the people I play with, I still don't know what they do in their day jobs. But we always get together for music, and we have a great time, and are really good friends."

Irish musicians from the Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are attending the festival, as well as "several car pools" from Boston, Reid said.

Headlining acts include Ireland's Paddy Keenan, and the group Open the Door For Three.

Anyone interested in the weekend classes, or getting tickets to the various concerts can find all the information at http://northatlanticpipers.org/.

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