The final Trad at the Trian in the 9th series on Friday April 4th will feature two husband and wife couples. Kevin Mitchell the renowned traditional singer based for many years now in Glasgow will be joined by his singer wife Ellen to provide one half of this very special concert. Mairtin Quinn and Angelina Carberry will provide the instrumental half of the concert playing accordion and banjo respectively. This promises to be a memorable night with which to bring the current series to a close.

The 42nd Annual Concert took place on Sunday March 9th in the main auditorium of the Market Place Theatre in Armagh.

This year's concert was a very special event with over 200 performers on stage in various groupings of instrumentalists and singers. Lynette Fay the BBC presenter hosted the concert. The annual concert is the show piece of the work of the Armagh Pipers Club reflecting the energy of the pupils and the dedicated work of the more than 30 tutors now working in the club.

For a quick overview of what's on this term, have a look at the programme with all classes, concerts and more.

Teaching during the 2nd term will focus on preparation for performances, in particular for Burns Night, Annual Concert, Singing Weekend and Spring/Summer LCM exams. There may be some changes to class times on Monday nights to facilitate rehearsals.

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• Classes
  enrolment of over 200 - the highest numbers to date with 41 classes each week. We welcomed new teachers Mary O’Neill & Éilis Lavelle (harp), Emma Murphy, Emer Mallon, Ciaran Breen & Orlaith Hughes (whistle), Jolene McGleenan & Ciaran Hanna (flute), Justin Toner, Niall Murphy, Siobhán Grimley (fiddle), Rosie Ferguson (banjo) and Catherine Donnelly (singing) to the staff along with our teachers from last year.


• Trad at the Trian
  3 successful concerts with instrumentalists Tommy Peoples (fiddle), Patsy Hanley (flute), Griogair Labhruidh (pipes and also songs), and singers Rosie Stewart, Síle Denvir (also harp), and Pauline Hanley. Excellent support for these concerts was provided by the Murphy Family, Mallon Family and Kiernan Family


• 14th William Kennedy Piping Festival
  with 9 major concerts, 33 workshops, 9 conference talks, 11 free sessions, 2 art exhibitions, 5 radio broadcasts, 1 T.V. programme


• LCM Winter exams
  100% success rate, with top marks achieved by 14 year old Lisa McKee (92% Grade 8 fiddle) and 8 year old Cathal Murphy (91% Grade 4 whistle). Congratulations to everyone who took part.


• 40th Anniversary CD Launch
  over 100 musicians from past and present membership of the Club recorded music and songs for the double CD, a great testimony to the continuing work of Armagh Pipers Club.

• all the teachers who come along every week to share their love of traditional music with you.


• Maura Mallon and Kathy Kiernan who ensure the smooth running of classes and sessions.


• all the parents who volunteered their help during WKPF to look after our guests, do airport runs, manage the CD shop and art exhibitions, organise raffles, supervise workshops etc.


• Fr. Donaghy for the use of St. Patrick’s Grammar School, and Eugene McKinney, who looks after us in the school on Monday nights.


• Armagh Harps G.F.C. for the use of their function room for our sessions.

Brian has been commissioned by Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow to put on a special performance at this year's Festival. He has entitled the concert 'The Singing Tree' and it will feature a 14 piece band, including a number of musicians who have links with the Pipers Club - Jarlath & Alana Henderson, Caoimhín Vallely, Méabh O’Hare and Barry Kerr - as well as a host of other top musicians such as Cara Dillon, Trevor Hutchinson and poet Gearóid Mac Lochlainn. The first performance of the concert took place in the Marketplace Theatre in Armagh on Monday 7th January.

Pipers Club teachers and musicians have been active throughout the summer with a plethora of music festivals in and summer schools in Ireland and abroad. One of these was the 'Festival de Cornouaille' in Kemper, Brittany where the premier concert featured Flook and the Vallely Brothers with enthusiastic Armagh fans, Smyths, Fearons and Murphys in the audience! Armagh Rhymers along with Eithne, Caoimhín, Cillian Vallely and Jarlath Henderson performed at the Smithsonian Festival of Folklife in Washington in July. 'Piping Live' in Glasgow brought some more Armagh musicians to the concert stage with Lúnasa opening the Festival. Patricia Daly performed at Rostrevor's 'Fiddler's Green Festival' as well as a number of Harp Festivals around the country.

There is a feature on Jarlath Henderson in September's 'Northern Ireland Homes & Lifestyle' magazine while his sister, Alana, has been selected to take part in a forthcoming television Irish drama series. The 'John Hewitt Summer School' brought some life to Armagh during a dreary month of July, with nightly sessions organized by Dara Vallely, Gerry Lappin, Martin Meehan and Brian Vallely.

The Dave Williams Pipe-making Workshop was set up last year under the direction of teacher and pipe-maker Eamonn Curran. Most of the senior piping pupils attended reed-making classes every fortnight with quite a few becoming proficient. We hope to move the workshop to a more suitable venue shortly, and will make out a timetable for the piping groups.

This year we are offering a Beginners’ Class in Highland Chanter. This will take place at 6.30 and would suit pupils attending advanced classes in other instruments. If you wish to attend this class, add this in to your registration form.

Since 1999, APC has been using LCM Graded examinations in traditional music to assess our pupils’ progress. Although these exams are not compulsory, we find that they provide pupils with a valuable indicator of their progress. In addition, marks in the higher grade exams are accepted by UCAS towards university entrance. LCM exams are held three times each year, in Winter, Spring and Summer. APC pupils achieved 100% success in 06-07 exams with a high proportion achieving top grades.

APC has been featured a wide variety of TV and Radio programmes during the year. If you have missed these, many are still available on the various websites, including TG4 (Geantraí, from Red Ned’s and the 10 year special edition of Geantraí).

BBC Radio Ulster programmes in the Blas series which were recorded during the WKPF are up and the BBC website and can be easily accessed.

We are indebted to Father Donaghy, headmaster of St. Patrick’s Grammar School for allowing us to hold our classes in the school. We expect all our pupils to respect the premises and leave classrooms tidy. The Assembly Hall is available for older pupils to do their homework, or parents to wait for their children.

The monthly Family Session takes place in Armagh Harps G.F.C, which is on the Loughgall Road opposite St. Patrick’s P.S.

Trad at the Trian is held in the Auditorium of St. Patrick’s Trian in English St.

Last year's annual concert showcased the huge range of talent in the Pipers Club and the great work being done every week by our teachers. Every adult and child who attends APC classes was involved in the Concert. Supporting us in the concert were the world-famous Armagh Rhymers.

Armagh Pipers Club is not affiliated to any organization, but has links with various music groups in Ireland and abroad. These include Feis an Earraigh on the Isle of Skye, with whom we have had an ongoing exchange for many years, Open House Festival in Belfast, "Piping Live" in Glasgow and Malahide Festival of Piping in Co. Dublin.

Armagh Pipers Club is a registered charity, and receives funding from the Arts Council for N.I. for its teaching programme and for the WKPF. ‘Colmcille’ supports our ongoing exchange with Feis an Earraigh on the Isle of Skye, and also Gaelic Singing workshops. Armagh City and District Council provides grant aid towards the WKPF.

Various ensemble groups are given extra rehearsal time and take part in public performances.

The Senior Singing Group "Sruth na Maoile", directed by Eithne Vallely, sang and played at the "Open House Festival" and the "Michael McLaverty" Centenary Commemoration in Belfast, at "Music for Christmas" in Downpatrick, at the "William Kennedy Piping Festival", at the Christmas Concert in the Primate's Chapel at the Charlie Donnelly Winter School in Coalisland and at a Scottish/Irish Conference in Belfast Castle.

Our Junior Singing Group "Loch na Séad", directed by Alana Henderson, took part in the "Oíche Áirneáil" in the Marketplace Theatre and the Christmas Concert in the Primate's Chapel.

The Senior Fiddle Band "Fidil", directed by Thomas Smith, played at the "Open House Festival", and at the LCM Concert in Portadown as well as the Christmas Concert in the Primate's Chapel. They played support to The Chieftains in Armagh City Hotel, at the Charlie Donnelly Winter School and performed at Fiddle Fair in Baltimore, Co. Cork.

Harp & Uilleann Pipes Ensemble "Cruit is Píob", directed by Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn and Patricia Daly, travelled to Glasgow in August for “Piping Live”, where they played in the Royal Concert Hall and The Piping Centre. They also performed at the LCM Concert, and the harpers played some pieces at the Christmas concert. Vivienne Murphy, Conall Curran and Chris McMullan represented the Club at the "Young Pipers Concert" during the WKPF.

We also appreciate the support of all the parents who travelled with their children to these concerts.