Feis Ceoil
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Feis Ceoil (English: Festival of Music) is an annual Irish cultural festival of music and dance. It was first organized in 1897 by Dr. Annie Patterson and consisted of competitions for performance and composition and was supported by all musicians of the day, both national and classical. Since then the Feis has undergone many changes to accommodate the development of music in Ireland.
Feis Ceoil has since expanded to more than 170 competitions in all instruments, including voice, and covering all ages from 8 years upwards. Famous competitors over the festival's history include tenor John McCormack, author James Joyce (as a singer), broadcaster Seán Óg Ó Ceallacháin and violinist Cora Venus Lunny.
In 2006 the Royal Irish Academy of Music Percussion Ensemble were awarded first prize in the Chamber Music Competition, becoming the first percussion ensemble in the Feis's history to enter and win.
