Youth festival celebrates traditional music

A festival celebrating young traditional musicians and dancers the north of the Isle of Man has begun.

Shennaghys Jiu, which is Manx Gaelic for traditions today, the festival is an annual event showcasing local and visiting performers which runs until Sunday in Ramsey.

The programme includes workshops in Irish dance, Cornish dance, Manx Gaelic and Breton singing, along with a Celtic Showcase Concert and a craft market.

Festival chairman Juan Garrett said the event was important for young people, particularly on a small island, to feel they were "part of something special".

Attracting groups and performers from Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall and Brittany, the festival is in its 26th year.

Mr Garrett said the events aimed to create a pathway for young people to perform "without a competitive edge".

The events also see professional musicians and dancers visit, which this year will include Gerry O'Connor from Dundalk, who is a renowned fiddle player.

One of the most important aspects of the festival was the friendships that people make, Mr Garrett said, and it was important to know that there were "other traditions and cultures out there and feel part of something bigger", Mr Garrett said.

It also aimed to promote that traditional music and dance could be "lifelong interests", with those taking part ranging from infants to university students, along with those who are now professional musicians, he added.

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