Two titans of Irish traditional music—Frankie Gavin and Noel Hill—are set to grace the stage at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre.
Frankie Gavin, a prodigious fiddler who played for JFK at just six years old, co-founded the legendary De Dannan and has collaborated with icons like The Rolling Stones and Stéphane Grappelli. His virtuosic flair and world-record speed have captivated audiences worldwide.
Noel Hill, hailed as the master of the modern concertina, transformed the instrument’s role in Irish music. From the house dances of County Clare to global stages, his emotive playing and dedication to teaching have inspired generations.
Together, Gavin and Hill promise an evening of unparalleled musical mastery, weaving reels, jigs, and haunting airs into a tapestry of Ireland’s rich heritage.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to witness two living legends in concert.
Sunday, 20 July
Tickets €23 (+booking fees)
Doors Open 7.30pm
About Frankie:
Frankie Gavin has played fiddle and flute since his teenage years. At the age of seventeen, he won All-Ireland competitions for fiddle and flute.
Originally influenced by the great Irish and American-Irish fiddle players, James Morrison, and Michael Coleman, he later found himself playing with the stars including among others The Rolling Stones, Earl Scruggs, Lez Paul, Stéphane Grappelli, James Galway and Yehudi Menuhin as well as with many of the great contemporary players and singers of traditional Irish music.
All have left their mark on his eclectic approach to music. In 2010, he officially became the world’s fastest fiddle player when he played The Foxhunter’s Reel, at a breath-taking 150 beats per minute! Gavin has played for four American presidents, starting, at the age of six when he played for John F. Kennedy on his 1962 visit to Ireland, then later for Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama.
He has also played for France’s President Mitterrand, Britain’s Prince Charles (now King Charles III), Prince Albert of Monaco and, in front of the Pope on his last visit to Ireland. The name Frankie Gavin is also synonymous with De Dannan, the globally renowned traditional Irish band he founded in the mid-1970s. Despite a few breaks and changes of personnel over the years, the band continues to play still performs and excites audiences in Ireland and around the world. Another of Gavin’s recent projects is The Princess Grace Symphonic Suite, composed by Frankie and arranged by Carl Hession, was performed in Monaco with the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra in September 2022 in front Princess Grace’s son, Prince Albert. It is expected that the suite will performed in Ireland, the USA and elsewhere in the future. There is more information about Frankie Gavin together with videos and audio tracks on this website https://frankiegavin-dedannan.irish
About Noel HILL
Noel’s soulful playing of the old song-airs of Ireland is the perfect introduction to his art; from the life affirming detail of his dance music to the plaintive long notes of the slow airs, and all created on a musical instrument – smaller than a shoe-box, between his hands.
In his hands the concertina is a new instrument, yet resounds with the integrity of generations, for Noel Hill makes the music new not through experimentation in other genres, but through consummate exploration and illumination from within Irish Traditional Music” Tony McMahon Noel Hill was born in Caherea in West County Clare, Ireland and has been a professional musician for the past 49 years. In County Clare the concertina tradition is so strong the instruments was nicknamed “the Clareman’s Trumpet” and legend has it there was once a concertina in every second house. It was into one of these households that Noel Hill and his 7 siblings was born.
His parents, grandparents and grandaunts were all concertina players. He was particularly influenced by his uncle, Padraig A Chnoic (Paddy Hill), who also played the concertina. Noel lived in a house which was the last in the area to hold the traditional House dances, where musicians were always welcomed; particularly towards the end of the year when farm work was done. It was at these events he learned his early music. He started playing at the age of 8. Noel was lucky to have heard endless hours of Willie Clancy, Paddy Canny, Peter O’Loughlin and Paddy Murphy and much of the music in his repertoire today comes from the music learned as a child from these great players.
Noel always said he wanted to be a uilleann piper but pipes were not readily available. Noel has taken the humble concertina from the house dances of County Clare to the big stages throughout the world. He has single handedly elevated the instrument’s popularity, which now has enjoyed tremendous development for the past four decades.
This popularity is not only because of Noel’s awe-inspiring performances, along with being a highly respected authority on Ireland’s Traditional Music, but also because of his many years as a committed teacher. In 1975 Noel Hill teamed up with Tony Linnane, Tony Callanan and Kieran Hanrahan to form the group “Inchiquin”. They recorded one album. Hanrahan and Callanan subsequently left to form Stockton’s Wing and Noel went on to record one of his most celebrated albums “Noel Hill and Tony Linnane” (1978) with Tony Linnane (fiddle), Matt Molloy (flute), Alec Finn (bouzouki and mando-cello) and Micheal O’Domhnaill (harmonium). Inchiquin continued for a time and toured Ireland and Germany with Noel, Tony and Barry Moore (now Luka Bloom).
Sunday, 20 July
Tickets €23 (+booking fees)
Doors Open 7.30pm