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World On Your Street: The Global Music Challenge
Tony Corcoran. Photo credit: South Shields Gazette
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Describe the atmosphere and live music at a local pub, restaurant, festival, church or temple, club night.... inspire other people to check it out!


Musician: Tony Corcoran

Location: Newcastle, Tyne & Wear

Instruments: fiddle

Music: Irish folk

HOW I CAME TO THIS MUSICÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýWHERE I PLAYÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýA FAVOURITE SONG Click here for Hande Domac's storyClick here for Mosi Conde's storyClick here for Rachel McLeod's story


ListenÌýÌýListen (2'56) to Carrick Fergus, a slow air performed by Tony Corcoran on fiddle.

ListenÌýÌýListen (2'15) to a set of jigs & reels performed by The Tony Corcoran Band at the Ceili in the Irish Centre, Newcastle.

ListenÌýÌýListen (1'27) to Tony Corcoran talk about his music.


Where I play:

I play on the second Sunday night of every month at the Ceili in the Irish Centre in Newcastle. Because it's located in the city centre, we draw a fair crowd, not just of Irish people but others interested in dancing.

Tony Corcoran. Photo credit: South Shields GazetteThe ceili's definitely experienced a revival since Michael Flatley's Riverdance. Mind you, the ex-Irish Geordies and Irish-born can sometimes be put off by the English middle-class folk devotees in the crowd but it's my intention to bring all these people together to ultimately enjoy the dance.

We also have an informal session every Thursday and Friday night at the lounge in the Irish Centre. Lots of students studying traditional Irish music at the University come down for a set. It's heartening because it'll keep the tradition alive among the younger generations. As we're on the edge of Newcastle's Chinatown, we've even had the Chairman of the Chinese Association attend in the past. I also teach the fiddle to all age groups at the centre and in the University of Newcastle.

On the odd Thursday or Friday night, we'd go over to Jarrow, the Catholic side of the Tyne. It's been hard to keep the ceili alive there because the priest had to sell off the community hall on account of all the debts accrued by a whisky-loving caretaker but we usually find ourselves in a convivial pub alive with music.

To keep the edge, I often go out to the country to places like Rothbury to meet Northumbrian or Scottish musicians for a session in a local bar. That's always exciting because it's a real meeting of musical minds across a breadth of traditions. And of course, I love to play at weddings and gala gatherings, especially if the wedding's in Ireland. Then it's guaranteed to be a mighty event.

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