Party Piece

More about Party Piece

Sound is a binding agent and we are all part of a commonage of sound. A community coming together to make music is a powerful way to assert our interdependence and develop a shared language of place and belonging. Party Piece, (and the Irish-language version 'Abair Amhrán) aims to make informal participatory music widespread, accessible and self-sustaining in the west Cork area. The main part of the project is a series of participatory open music sessions aimed at bringing non-professional musicians together to share tunes and songs. They will be hosted by an anchor musician who has the skill and repertoire to draw upon a wide range of genres and instruments. These sessions will take place in centres that already act as community hubs, and invitations will be extended to community groups to participate.

As music becomes more and more professionalised, the opportunities for making music have changed and the division between performer and audience has solidified. Party Piece aims to bring back the simple joy of taking part in a communal session outside of the normal settings of pubs or dedicated music venues. Over time, the participants will build up a repertoire of music that is relevant to the heritage and environment of the place in which the sessions take place. This will become the ‘songbook’ that sustains the practice after the anchor musician has moved on to the next community. The repertoire will emerge organically from the collaboration between different generations and socio-economics groups and so each songbook will be as unique as the individuals who contribute to it. We will partner with two local festivals – Clonakilty International Guitar Festival in September and West Cork Feelgood Festival in October - to act as showcases for the activities.

Abair Amhrán

Abair Amhrán (say a song) is the Irish-language cousin of Partty Piece, It is a relaxed, supportive environment in which to explore the deep tradition of Irish song and improve your Irish while doing it. Each session invites singers to share their Irish songs and learn new ones under the guidance of Eithne O’Mahony from the Muskerry Gaeltacht. From lullabies to worksongs to love songs, you’ll be surprised how much Irish you pick up on the way. 

Our Facilitators:

We are awash with great musicians here in west Cork, and the Party Piece facilitators are all seasoned professional musicians who understand and cherish the vital human interaction of a music session. 

Facilitators are:

Eithne O'Mahony

Jim Murray

Justin Grounds

Kevin McNally

Liz Clarke

Oisín Walsh-Peelo