Entertainment

Essential festival: City of Derry Guitar Festival

Polish classical guitarist Dominika Bialostocka will feature in the City of Derry Guitar Festival's World Stage concert next Saturday
Polish classical guitarist Dominika Bialostocka will feature in the City of Derry Guitar Festival's World Stage concert next Saturday Polish classical guitarist Dominika Bialostocka will feature in the City of Derry Guitar Festival's World Stage concert next Saturday

THE City of Derry Guitar Festival returns next week for its 15th year celebrating all things stringed and strummed.

Taking place from Friday August 25 to Sunday August 27, the 2017 event will feature the festival's first ever all-female classical guitar line-up: Wiktoria Szubelak (Poland), Isabel Martinez (Spain) and Dominika Bialostocka (Poland) will participate in a weekend of classical guitar workshops, masterclasses and ensemble playing.

The festival's popular ukulele course will return with Ronan Kearney offering tuition all day Saturday and Sunday, while Spanish guitar wiz Amir-John Haddad also returns to CODGF with his popular Flamenco guitar workshop.

New for this year is his talk on the Arabic Oud, during which Haddad will demonstrate how to play the Middle Eastern instrument and examine its influence on modern guitar music.

By contrast, Ted Lynch's electric guitar course will appeal to any and all budding Tony Iommis: this year, it will be dedicated to the rifftastic tunes of Brummie metal gods Black Sabbath.

The festival's live music at North West Regional College's Foyle Theatre will get under way at 8pm on Friday August 25 with a guitar gala concert featuring Wiktoria Szubelak and Isabel Martinez.

On Saturday August 26, Domicka Bialostocka and Amir John Haddad will treat audiences to a world stage concert, while the festival will climax on Sunday evening at with a student gala featuring the Beginners Ukulele Ensemble and full band performances of Black Sabbath favourites.

:: Full festival programme available at Cityofderryguitarfestival.com. Tickets for all events on sale now via Ticketsource.co.uk/cityofderryguitarfestival or by calling 028 7131 1288.