Armagh Pipers Club - Armagh Pipers Club

Armagh Pipers Club
14 Victoria Street
Armagh BT61 9DT
Northern Ireland

Armagh Pipers Club founded 1966

Armagh Pipers Club

Armagh Pipers Club was founded in 1966, and has just celebrated 40 years of musical activity in the Armagh area. Dedicated to the development of traditional music, the Club has achieved worldwide acclaim, particularly for its innovative music education programme. APC has been in the forefront of producing teaching materials since the 1970s. Initially set up to promote the playing of uilleann pipes, the Club now caters for a wide range of instrumental music as well as singing.

Music Education
The aim of the APC music education programme is to develop pupils’ creativity through singing and instrumental tuition by top class musicians, most of whom have received their own teaching in the Club. Pupils of all ages are catered for - the youngest age group (4-7 years) can begin with classes in children’s songs and musical games; children over the age of 7 can begin to learn the tin whistle, and after a year or two, progress to fiddle, flute, harp, button accordion, concertina, banjo, or uilleann pipes. Adults are catered for in separate fiddle, accordion and uilleann pipe classes, while they can study other instruments along side the younger pupils. Our annual concert usually held in March showcases the work of the music classes and takes place in the Marketplace Theatre.

Singing
APC consider singing to be the most important element in traditional music education. Pupils can learn traditional singing (in English, Irish and Scots Gaelic) as a main study or along with instrumental tuition. In order to make singing accessible for all our pupils, two singing classes are held weekly - at 6.30 and 7.30 - as well as the beginners singing class from 6 - 6.30. In addition, a well-known singer is featured at each of the monthly Trad at the Trian concerts, and singers are expected to attend a workshop on the following morning.

Trad at the Trian
The third element in our music education programme is the monthly concert series held on the first Friday of each month in St. Patrick’s Trian. Listening to live performance is the most important part of the learning process in music. Each concert focuses on the music of one singer and one instrumentalist, performing acoustically and usually unaccompanied. Following each concert on the Saturday morning are master-classes in singing (for all levels) and an instrumental class (usually for intermediate to advanced levels)

Teaching Materials
Junior pupils are taught using the various tutor books produced by APC. These are accompanied by CD or cassette recordings for use while practicing at home. All pupils are taught to read music, enabling them to access a vast range of published music. Those attending advanced classes are expected to bring along their own recorder e.g. minidisc/cassette/MP3 recorder in order to record music which is being taught by ear in class. The Club also has a large archive of recordings, music collections, and tune/song transcriptions which may be availed of by pupils.

Recordings
As well as listening to live music, students should aim to build up a collection of traditional music CDs. Armagh does not have a record shop, but we can order any CDs you want from Claddagh records (www.claddaghrecords.com) We also have CDs for sale during the WKPF, and sometimes at Trad at the Trian Concerts.

The club's team of tutors are among the best traditional musicians in the north of Ireland, with vast experience both as teachers and performers. These include flute-players Barry Kerr & Martin Meehan, pipers Eamonn Curran, Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn and Brian Vallely, harper Patricia Daly, fiddlers Caoimhín & Eithne Vallely, Thomas Smith and Carmel Toner, whistle players Louise Hughes, Linda Rooney and Conall Curran, concertina player Dara Vallely, banjo player Paul Meehan and accordionist Gerry Lappin.

Rather than prepare young people for competitions, the Club encourages pupils to take London College of Music examinations. These provide recognised qualifications which are now accepted for university entrance points. To date over 20 musicians from the Club have achieved Grade 8 certificates in a range of instruments.

Armagh has a strong music-making community with the Club catering for musicians not only from Armagh but from all the surrounding counties - Monaghan, Tyrone, Louth, Down and Antrim. Some of the musicians who attended our classes in the past now have careers in the professional music circuit; others are contributing to the development as teachers, while many more enjoy their music- making at sessions.

We have been delighted to welcome musicians from abroad who have come to live in Armagh. Piper and fiddler Paul Eliasberg and singer Thirza Mulder from The Netherlands have been living here for a few years now and their two children have been born here. Paul has taken over responsibility for the maintenance of websites for both the Pipers Club and the William Kennedy Piping Festival. 2005 they were joined by piper and pipe-maker, Joe Kennedy, who moved here with his family from Toronto.

The Club’s major promotion, the William Kennedy Piping Festival, now in its 14th year, is a world-class event in the international folk music calendar and is organised on a voluntary basis by Club members. The Club embraces a wide range of music - from our own area to the wider Ireland, and from Scotland to the various countries whose musicians have shared their culture with us at WKPF.

The Club has charitable status and is grant-aided by the Art Council for N.I. Musical links have been set up with Feis an Earraigh (Isle of Skye), Piping Live Festival (Glasgow), Rathlin Airs (Rathlin Island) and Open House Festival (Belfast).

Music brings enjoyment to performers and listeners alike; it develops self-discipline and confidence, understanding and communication skills, and leads to lasting friendships.

home • e-mail Armagh Pipers Club programme• latest news• classes• annual concert• burns night• family session• publications• out & about• links Trad @ the Trian WKPF Armagh Pipers Club 14 Victoria Street Armagh BT61 9DT Northern Ireland	Armagh Pipers Club founded 1966
	Armagh Pipers Club
	Armagh Pipers Club was founded in 1966, and has just celebrated 40 years of musical activity in the Armagh area. Dedicated to the development of traditional music, the Club has achieved worldwide acclaim, particularly for its innovative music education programme. APC has been in the forefront of producing teaching materials since the 1970s. Initially set up to promote the playing of uilleann pipes, the Club now caters for a wide range of instrumental music as well as singing. Music Education The aim of the APC music education programme is to develop pupils’ creativity through singing and instrumental tuition by top class musicians, most of whom have received their own teaching in the Club. Pupils of all ages are catered for - the youngest age group (4-7 years) can begin with classes in children’s songs and musical games; children over the age of 7 can begin to learn the tin whistle, and after a year or two, progress to fiddle, flute, harp, button accordion, concertina, banjo, or uilleann pipes. Adults are catered for in separate fiddle, accordion and uilleann pipe classes, while they can study other instruments along side the younger pupils. Our annual concert usually held in March showcases the work of the music classes and takes place in the Marketplace Theatre. Singing APC consider singing to be the most important element in traditional music education. Pupils can learn traditional singing (in English, Irish and Scots Gaelic) as a main study or along with instrumental tuition. In order to make singing accessible for all our pupils, two singing classes are held weekly - at 6.30 and 7.30 - as well as the beginners singing class from 6 - 6.30. In addition, a well-known singer is featured at each of the monthly Trad at the Trian concerts, and singers are expected to attend a workshop on the following morning. Trad at the Trian The third element in our music education programme is the monthly concert series held on the first Friday of each month in St. Patrick’s Trian. Listening to live performance is the most important part of the learning process in music. Each concert focuses on the music of one singer and one instrumentalist, performing acoustically and usually unaccompanied. Following each concert on the Saturday morning are master-classes in singing (for all levels) and an instrumental class (usually for intermediate to advanced levels) Teaching Materials Junior pupils are taught using the various tutor books produced by APC. These are accompanied by CD or cassette recordings for use while practicing at home. All pupils are taught to read music, enabling them to access a vast range of published music. Those attending advanced classes are expected to bring along their own recorder e.g. minidisc/cassette/MP3 recorder in order to record music which is being taught by ear in class. The Club also has a large archive of recordings, music collections, and tune/song transcriptions which may be availed of by pupils. Recordings As well as listening to live music, students should aim to build up a collection of traditional music CDs. Armagh does not have a record shop, but we can order any CDs you want from Claddagh records (www.claddaghrecords.com) We also have CDs for sale during the WKPF, and sometimes at Trad at the Trian Concerts. The club's team of tutors are among the best traditional musicians in the north of Ireland, with vast experience both as teachers and performers. These include flute-players Barry Kerr & Martin Meehan, pipers Eamonn Curran, Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn and Brian Vallely, harper Patricia Daly, fiddlers Caoimhín & Eithne Vallely, Thomas Smith and Carmel Toner, whistle players Louise Hughes, Linda Rooney and Conall Curran, concertina player Dara Vallely, banjo player Paul Meehan and accordionist Gerry Lappin. Rather than prepare young people for competitions, the Club encourages pupils to take London College of Music examinations. These provide recognised qualifications which are now accepted for university entrance points. To date over 20 musicians from the Club have achieved Grade 8 certificates in a range of instruments. Armagh has a strong music-making community with the Club catering for musicians not only from Armagh but from all the surrounding counties - Monaghan, Tyrone, Louth, Down and Antrim. Some of the musicians who attended our classes in the past now have careers in the professional music circuit; others are contributing to the development as teachers, while many more enjoy their music- making at sessions. We have been delighted to welcome musicians from abroad who have come to live in Armagh. Piper and fiddler Paul Eliasberg and singer Thirza Mulder from The Netherlands have been living here for a few years now and their two children have been born here. Paul has taken over responsibility for the maintenance of websites for both the Pipers Club and the William Kennedy Piping Festival. 2005 they were joined by piper and pipe-maker, Joe Kennedy, who moved here with his family from Toronto. The Club’s major promotion, the William Kennedy Piping Festival, now in its 14th year, is a world-class event in the international folk music calendar and is organised on a voluntary basis by Club members. The Club embraces a wide range of music - from our own area to the wider Ireland, and from Scotland to the various countries whose musicians have shared their culture with us at WKPF. The Club has charitable status and is grant-aided by the Art Council for N.I. Musical links have been set up with Feis an Earraigh (Isle of Skye), Piping Live Festival (Glasgow), Rathlin Airs (Rathlin Island) and Open House Festival (Belfast). Music brings enjoyment to performers and listeners alike; it develops self-discipline and confidence, understanding and communication skills, and leads to lasting friendships.