Ballina's lunchtime performers to stage one-off concert
Katie Cassidy is among the performers at the concert.
The free Music@Lunchtime concerts, which took place in Ballina Arts Centre during June and July, have attracted more than double the expected audience figures. There have been so many requests to see the artists who participated again that the centre has decided to host a concert featuring all ten musicians and singers on Saturday, August 17th.
The Music@Lunctime series provided Ballina audiences with free music over the summer. The concerts took place between 1.15 and 1.45pm every Wednesday from June 4th to August 7th, so that local people could attend during their lunchbreak. The artists who participated were all local singers and musicians. Some, like Katie Cassidy, Mike Absalom, Joe Clarke and Giuliano Gnagnatti are seasoned performers, while others like William Reape and Hope Gillespie are just starting out in their careers. Many artists, such as Gerry Ring, Eric Barrett and David Walsh are well known locally and were delighted to get an opportunity to perform in the centre.
Audrey Robinson, assistant manager at Ballina Arts Centre, said: "We were hoping to attract between 10 to 15 people per week to these events, but we have had between 30 and 50 people at the concerts - and we keep getting requests to do more! So, we decided to host an evening concert to give all ten artists a chance to perform again and to give local audiences a chance to see anyone they may have missed.
"The performers include box players, harpists, keyboard players, singer songwriters and guitarists and their music covers every genre from jazz and folk to traditional Irish music and even musical comedy. This event promises to be a be an evening of huge variety and it will be great fun for both the audience and the artists."
Tickets, priced €10, are available via the arts centre's website or at the box office on 096-73593. Book early as these local stars are bound to attract a huge audience and, with a few surprises in store, this night of music and fun will be a great way to start off your autumn evenings at Ballina Arts Centre.
