– Lively Line up To Include the African Gospel Choir, Barrack Street Brass Band and the Critters –
Wednesday, 1st June 2011. The programme of musical entertainment for Bord Gáis Energy Cork City Marathon 2011 will feature some old favourites, plenty of driving rhythms, community music groups galore, and lots of variety to speed racers along the way.
The programme begins in Blackpool as the marathon approaches the second mile, with the thrilling sound of the African Gospel Choir raising their voices and beating their drums in support of the race participants.
Further along the route the Mhondoro drummers will stimulate the runners with driving beats while The Critters will provide their lively blend of old-time rhythms. The boys of Scoil Iosagáin, under the direction of Fergal O’Connor, will perform a specially devised percussion show while the Sudanese Drummers of Cois Tine will spur racers on with their rhythms and moves.
Old favourites Barrack Street Brass Band and Butter Exchange Brass Band will provide their classic harmonies, with traditional tunes from a host of Cork’s favourite musicians including Christy Leahy, Bláithín Milne, Carl Nesbitt and others.
Young performers can be seen along every mile of the route with The CIT Samba Band, a group of CIT musicians and music students playing carnival samba and Brazilian rhythms; rappers Da Beatz, (Gurraunabraher Youth Arts and Triskel Arts Centre) who will improvise to the beat of the runners, and Knocknaheeny Youth Arts Initiative’s superb young musicians under the direction of Carolyn Goodwin.
A series of bands will perform at a specially erected canopy at Gala shop on North Quay in the last mile of the race, with the grand finale provided by yet more young talented Cork musicians, featuring UCC pop sensation ‘Collage’, under the direction of Paul O’Donnell.