Sruth, a series about traditional music, is set to air on TG4 and BBC Alba
Date Posted: February 15, 2021
Sruth, a four-part series about traditional music is set to air on Sunday 21st February at 9.30pm on TG4 and BBC ALBA. Funded by Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund, the series is a co-production between the newly established Táin Media and Beezr Studios.
The word Sruth beautifully describes the centuries-old movement of people, language and culture across the Straits of Moyle, the shortest distance between Ireland and Scotland. That musical flow is stunningly captured in a new series in which eight of the finest young traditional musicians from Ireland and Scotland get the chance to show their prodigious talents while getting to play with some of traditional music’s more established artists such as Julie Fowlis, Bríd Harper, Phil Cunningham, Niall Vallely, Duncan Chisholm, Ríoghnach Connolly, Griogair Labhruidh & Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn.
Narrated by legendary singer Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill of the iconic band Skara Brae, audiences get to meet the young traditional musicians who are at the heart of the great flowering of folk and traditional music that both countries have seen over the past two decades. The series shows that traditional music is as much at home amongst the side-streets of Belfast or the Industrial suburbs of Glasgow as it is under the shadow of Mount Errigal or on the Isle of Skye.
Sruth also shows the importance of family in the nurturing of musical talent and of the community that helps it flourish. In the words of Scottish fiddler, Duncan Chisholm: “The music represents where we’re from, who we are and that connection between the north of Ireland and Scotland is very clear in the music.”
Filmed in Belfast, Glasgow, throughout Ulster and the Scottish Highlands and Islands, the production of the series was a daunting prospect under Coronavirus restrictions but while the young musicians and their mentors might have been socially distanced, the music created an intimate bridge between them.
Executive Producer, Dónal O’Connor of Táin Media said: “This music can put us in touch with ourselves in ways that no other art form can do. It can embrace the pulse of our ancestral memory, allowing us to redefine our dreams of what it is to be Irish or Scottish. Traditional music is quintessentially the art of solo performance and these four one-hour programmes give us the chance to let the music breathe. We get to experience the magic that great solos can produce, they can grace a moment of joy or they can amplify a moment of sorrow.”
There will be a live launch of Sruth on Saturday 20th February at 8:30pm on TG4’s Facebook, Youtube and Instagram pages. The live launch will feature live chats and performances from some of Ireland and Scotland’s premier traditional musicians. Hosted by musician Doireann Ní Ghlacáin, there will be live music from Bríd Harper, Niall Hanna, Brighde Chaimbeul & Méabh Smyth and other special guests.
Beidh Sruth, sraith úr ceoil le feiceáil Dé Domhnaigh 21ú Feabhra ag 9.30.i.n. ar TG4 agus BBC ALBA. Maoinithe ag an Chiste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge, Scáileán Thuaisceart Éireann, is có-léiriúcháin de chuid Táin Media & Beezr Studios é.
Sruth -Níl focal níos fearr le cur síos ar an ghluaiseacht sin de dhaoine, de theanga agus de chultúr atá ag dul ar aghaidh le míle bliain trasna Shruth na Maoile, an bealach farraige is giorra idir Éire agus Albain. Tá beocht san fhocal agus gheobhaidh muid léargas iontach ar an bheocht chultúrtha sin in Sruth, áit a bhfaigheann cuid de na ceoltóirí óga is fearr as Uladh agus as Albain an deis tallann éachtach s’acu a chur os comhair lucht féachana teilifíse leo féin nó ag seinm le cuid de réalta seanbhunaithe an cheoil thraidisiúnta ón dá thír; Julie Fowlis, Bríd Harper, Phil Cunningham, Niall Vallely, Duncan Chisholm, Ríoghnach Connolly, Griogair Labhruidh & Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn.
Agus an tráchtaireacht á dhéanamh ar na cláir ag an amhranaí clúiteach, Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill, buaileann muid leis na ceoltóirí óga atá ag croí an dul chun cinn iontach atá á dhéanamh ag an cheol dúchasach sa dá thír le scór bliain anuas. Léiríonn an tsraith go bhfuil an traidisiún chomh láidir céanna i gcúlsráideanna Bhéal Feirste nó in eastáit tithíochta i nGlaschú is atá sé faoi bhun na hEaragaile nó ar Eilean Sgítheanach.
Is sraith iontach daonna é Sruth sa mhéid is go léiríonn sé tábhacht an teaghlaigh i gcothú an cheoil agus tábhacht an phobail a chuidíonn leis teacht i mbláth. Mar a deir an fidléir Albanach, Duncan Chisholm: “Eascraíonn an ceol as an áit arb as muid, as cé muid féin agus tá an nasc sin idir tuaisceart na hÉireann agus Albain thar a bheith soiléir.”
Rinneadh an scannánú i nDún Éideann, i nGlaschú, i mBéal Feirste, i dTír Chonaill agus in áiteanna eile ach bhí dúshláin ar leith roimh lucht a dhéanta mar gheall ar na srianta Coróinvíris a bhí i réim ag an am ach cé go raibh an scaradh sóisialta cuí idir na ceoltóirí, chruthaigh an ceol droichead dlúthchaidrimh eatarthu.
Tá díséid, tríréid agus grúpaí le cluinstin in Sruth ach mar a deir Dónal O’Connor ón chomlacht léiriúcháin: “Go bunúsach is é an léiriú aonair croí an cheoil thraidisiúnta agus tugann na ceithre chlár an deis dúinn an draíocht a eascraíonn as an cheol a mhothú go hinstinniúil. “Níl léamh, scríobh nó inse béil ar an dóigh a dtéann léiriú maorga ceoil thraidisiúnta i bhfeidhm ar an cheoltoir agus ar an éisteoir. “Músclaíonn sé mothúcháin dhoimhne ionainn, an lúcháir nó an dobrón.”
Beidh seoladh beo de Sruth sraith úr ceoil de chuid an Ciste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge do TG4 & BBC ALBA ag dul amach ar an 20ú Feabhra ag 8.30in ar TG4 Facebook, Youtube, & Instagram. Mar chuid dén seoladh beidh caint agus craic leis na ceoltóirí agus ceol beo ó chuid de na ceoltóirí óga is fearr as Uladh agus as Albain. Á chur i láthair ag Doireann Ní Ghlacáin, beidh ceol beo le cloisteáil ó Bríd Harper, Niall Hanna, Brighde Chaimbeul & Méabh Smyth agus beidh Ríoghnach Connolly, Julie Fowlis, Phil Cunningham, Niall Vallely, Ali Levack & Padruig Morrison beo ag an seoladh chomh maith.
