The TRADOODLE BIG BAND brings together young musicians from Monaghan and Cavan aged 10-15 to create a vibrant youth ensemble dedicated to performing traditional tunes from the Monaghan/Cavan region. This year, this inspiring ensemble have collaborated with the world-renowned band Téada and will perform as part of Tradoodle Festival Family Day at Íontas Theatre on Sunday 20th October.
Get ready to experience beautifully arranged music from Ceol Connected’s ‘When the Moon Spun Round’ coproduction with Fidget Feet Aerial Dance and from Dr. Seán McElwain’s ‘Our Dear Dark Mountain’, a beautiful collection of tunes from Co. Monaghan.
The TRADOODLE BIG BAND, formed in 2022 in partnership with Music Generation Cavan/Monaghan, has grown from strength to strength and is now a key long-term project within Music Generation Cavan/Monaghan’s overall programme.
The project brings together young musicians aged 10-15 to create a vibrant youth ensemble dedicated to performing traditional tunes from the Monaghan/Cavan region. To date, they have performed tunes from a range of Ceol Connected’s touring productions including The Quiet Tree, TREEHOUSE and The Land of a Hundred Little Hills (comp. Thomas Johnston and arranged by Áine McGeeney)
The TRADOODLE BIG BAND have performed alongside renowned bands such as Goitse and FullSet, and have even appeared on the Late Late Show as part of the Guinness World Record for the biggest céilí band. This year, they will collaborate with the world-renowned band Téada and perform tunes from Ceol Connected’s ‘When the Moon Spun Round’ coproduction with Fidget Feet Aerial Dance, and from Dr. Seán McElwain’s ‘Our Dear Dark Mountain’, a beautiful collection of tunes from Co. Monaghan.
The Tradoodle Big Band provides a unique platform for young talent to explore and celebrate the rich heritage of traditional music, while fostering a strong sense of community and artistic growth. Through this initiative, Tradoodle in partnership with Music Generation Cavan/Monaghan aim to inspire a new generation of musicians, offering them valuable opportunities to learn, perform, and connect with the broader musical landscape.
Ciarán FitzGerald is a Senior Clinical Hospital Pharmacist hailing from Celbridge, Co. Kildare. He is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, playing the flute, concertina, uilleann pipes, fiddle, and tin whistle.
Ciarán is the composer and conductor of the 50-strong ‘Misneach Orchestra’. They have performed the newly composed ‘Misneach’ suite of music to many sold-out theatres across the country. The orchestra will soon release their much-anticipated debut album, which will be launched in the National Concert Hall on Saturday 11th January 2025.
Among his other musical achievements, Ciarán is a 14-time All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil champion. He has performed on the Comhaltas Tours of Ireland and the UK, for President Michael D. Higgins, and as part of the National Folk Orchestra of Ireland for Pope Francis.
He has tutored many students to success in competition and at many music festivals around Ireland, including eight consecutive years at Scoil Éigse. Ciarán also proudly represented Ireland as the lead delegate on a month-long trip around Japan on The Ship for World Youth 2024
The TRADOODLE BIG BAND have been learning tunes originally composed by Thomas Johnston for Ceol Connected’s When the Moon Spun Round coproduction with Fidget Feet Aerial Dance. When the Moon Spun Round is an exciting new production that brings together the synergy of Ceol Connected and Fidget Feet in an impactful work. When the Moon Spun Round enjoyed 7 sold out shows at Blackbox Galway (Oct ’23) and a 5-star Irish Times review has described the show as a ‘gloriously acrobatic aerial dance that enthrals its young audience’ (Siobhan Long, Oct 23)
Two sets of tunes from ‘When the Moon Spun Round’ were selected for the TRADOODLE BIG BAND including ‘Of Night and Lights’ and ‘Like a Wave of the Sea’.
The TRADOODLE BIG BAND will also perform a set of tunes from Dr. Seán McElwain’s Our Dear Dark Mountain album and publication. Our Dear Dark Mountain is a beautifully crafted book exploring the music collection of Sliabh Beagh collector James Whiteside. Complete with commissioned illustrations, photography, poetry archival materials, it presents a unique insight into the history and music heritage of the Sliabh Beagh region. The TRADOODLE BIG BAND will perform a selection of tunes from Our Dear Dark Mountain including ‘A Trough Clog Dance, ‘The Three County Hollow’ and ‘The Sporting Boys of Scotstown’.
