The celebrated classical music ensemble, The Fidelio Trio, are returning to Enniskillen to perform a suite of newly commissioned music inspired by the work of one of Ireland’s foremost painters J B Vallely which will be played by the trio and son of the artist uilleann piper Cillian Vallely (of Lúnasa fame). The concert will take place in the Ardhowen Theatre on Friday, November 18 at 8pm.

Shortlisted for the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards, the much-loved and ever popular Fidelio Trio are described as ‘Virtuosic’ (Sunday Times) and perform the widest range of repertoire on concert stages across the world, winning new fans wherever they perform.

A native of Armagh, Cillian Vallely is the product of an important traditional music family. His artist father Brian and his mother Eithne, both musicians, founded the legendary Armagh Pipers’ Club that has fostered the revival of traditional Irish music in Armagh, Monaghan and Tyrone for over fifty years. Vallely joined Lúnasa in 1999 and with them has recorded seven albums and played over 1,500 shows in twenty countries. In 2016, to much critical acclaim, he released his first solo album ‘The Raven’s Rock’.

With roots in Irish traditional music these boundary-busting works are vivid musical evocations inspired by Vallely’s portraits of traditional musicians. Celebrated Irish composers who have specially created new music for this project include Linda Buckley, Niall Vallely and Fermanagh born Rose Connolly (recently commissioned by Moving on Music in honour of J B Vallely and his family), Shaun Davey, Neil Martin and Irene Buckley. Each piece of music will be accompanied by visuals of the work that inspired their composition.

The programme also features leading Irish contemporary composer David Fennessy’s ‘The blue-eyed lassie’ from his recent Fidelio commission and a special version of the beautiful and haunting Blasket Islands slow air, Port na bPúcaí (music of the fairies). Fishermen from Innishvickillane, one of the Blasket Islands off the Kerry Coast are credited with the creation of this magical air, thought to have been inspired by the beautiful natural sounds they heard whilst out fishing. In recent times it has been suggested that the fairy-like sounds they heard were made by humpback whales.

The concert bookends with two works by the late Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin (1950-2018) specially dedicated to the trio, a new version of (must be more) Crispy! and Fidelio Unsung.

Musicians are the dominant subject of J B Vallely’s work and a loan exhibition of nine paintings by the artist will be exhibited at the Ardhowen Theatre from Wednesday 9th to Monday, November 28.

Tickets for what will be a wonderful evening and a joyous meeting of the worlds of traditional and contemporary music are available from the Ardhowen Theatre.

The evening is being presented by Music in Fermanagh, a registered charity, together with Moving on Music with the generous support of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Fermanagh/Omagh District Council.