Navan plays host to All-Ireland Accordion Festival

Over 200 musicians from France, England, Scotland and Ireland will descend on Navan this Saturday and Sunday to take part in the All-Ireland Accordion Festival and perform in a star-studded concert. This is the first time in its 40 year history this prestigious festival will be held in Navan. Organised by the Irish Accordion Association, it has been co-ordinated by renowned composer and musician, John Chilton, and his wife, Yvonne, also a highly regarded accordion musician and teacher, for the past 18 years. The organisers are bringing in Italy's first 'jazz accordion' musician and teacher, Renzo Ruggieri, to adjudicate on the competitions. He is the founder of the Club Voglia D'Arte, an organisation of music schools that use an innovative teaching method that has already received international acclaim. With an influx of international competitors, there will be plenty of competition for the Irish over the two-day music festival. As part of the 40th anniversary celebrations, the Irish Accordion Festival organisers are including a huge concert on Saturday evening. The line-up for the concert, which will take place in the Newgrange Hotel at 8pm, includes Renzo Ruggieri and a Reunion Orchestra which consists of 50 musicians, in a collaboration of five orchestras. Many members are from five local Meath orchestras in Castletown, Kentstown and Seneschalstown, Oristown and the Paddy Kavanagh and Sean Kearney orchestras. Patricia Kavanagh, daughter of one of the Irish Accordian Association's founder, Paddy Kavanagh, will conduct the reunion orchestra. Also appearing at the concert will be the Meath Harp Ensemble, a unique ensemble of young harp players based in Nobber and led by the renowned artist, Dearbhail Finnegan. Evin Kelly, a local student who is studying accordion performance in the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin; Igor Zavadsky, an accordion artist from Ukraine, and Ian Watson and Julie North, legendary accordion musicians from London, will also perform. On Sunday evening, again at 8pm in the Newgrange Hotel, there will be céilí music by Draoicht, a traditional Irish group from Limerick. According to John Chilton, there is huge excitement as the group finalises plans for this 40th anniversary of the All-Ireland Accordion Festival. "We are particularly delighted to have musicians who performed at the festival over the past 40 years come back together to form a 'Reunion Orchestra' and I want to thank all the musicians for their hard work and many rehearsals since the beginning of the year to prepare for gala concert on the Saturday night," he said. "I also want to thank the members of the organising committee who are working very hard to ensure everything is in place for a successful and enjoyable weekend of accordion music and fun and, of course, to the many competitors who are perfecting their pieces for the many competitions over the two-day accordion festival." Tickets for the competitions, concert and céilí can be purchased at the door; entry for adults to the competitions is €5, which covers both Saturday and Sunday, and children are free if accompanied by an adult. Admission to the concert is €10 (children under 14 free if accompanied by an adult) with a family ticket costing €20. Admission to the céilí is €5 or €15 per family.