After a challenging year for the music industry, it is with great anticipation the Boyne Music Festival is finally set to return!

The festival was established in 2013 by musicians and twin sisters Aisling and Julie-Anne Manning, and their cousin Deirdre Brenner. Now into its 8^th year, the 2021 program boasts a cultural feast of chamber music, jazz, poetry, workshops, readings and more presented in a hybrid form online and to socially distanced audiences live from Drogheda.

Internationally esteemed artists will gather for the event in the historic Townley Hall, Drogheda from the 31^st July to the 18^th August 2021.

In the idyllic setting of Townley Hall, an architecturally stunning Georgian house built almost 200 years ago, concerts will feature vocalists Brigitte Beraha and Naomi Louisa O’Connell and high-profile musicians including Rita Manning, Paul Clarvis and Barry Green to name but a few.

Anne Marie Fyfe, an award-winning poet, will read from her latest publication - ‘No Far Shore’, and Paul Cassidy will discuss his comic book - ‘Get Beethoven!’, an inspirational tale of how he overcame adversity with the help of music.

The Festival Directors have meticulously planned the festival with safety in mind. Julie-Anne Manning explains “Cancelling the festival last year was disappointing, not only for us but for loyal Boyne Music Festival goers too. All our focus and passion turned to the 2021 festival, to curate a programme we know all music lovers will enjoy immensely, while feeling reassured all safety aspects have been considered and implemented. All the artists are thrilled to be able to perform once again in front of an audience.”

The festival kicks off with ‘Forest Scenes’, on Saturday 31^st July. While seated outside, the audience will enjoy an immersive experience as they listen to forest themed music performed live through large, Georgian windows. Artists will perform popular pieces including Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ Symphony arranged for string sextet, Schubert’s ‘Trout’ quintet, and Gershwin's "Little Jazz Bird".

The musicians will then make way for the latest up and coming talent with the ‘Young Artists’ concert on Sunday 1^st August. The venue switches to St. Peter’s Church of Ireland, Drogheda for the concert ‘Souvenirs’, performed live to a limited audience at 8pm.The programme features music for piano, strings, and wind instruments with much loved classics from Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky’s "Souvenir de Florence".

If jazz is more your vibe, you will not want to miss out on the BMF performance by the jazz quartet Babelfish, streamed on Friday 6^th August. Viewers will be transported to the renowned Vortex Club in London where they can enjoy “the definition of a contemporary jazz class act” – John Fordham, the Guardian.

Online viewers can kick back with a cocktail on Saturday 7^th of August while enjoying an exuberant, free-wheeling concert showcasing music from the roaring 20’s. Ever popular classics by George Gershwin, Scott Joplin and Artie Shaw performed live from different spaces around Townley Hall, will be a glamourous and entertaining event not to miss.

Deirdre Brenner says “There really is something for everyone to enjoy at the Boyne Music Festival. We strive to inspire young musicians, as they truly are the future of music. Families are welcome to tune in to our Family Concert on Saturday 14^th August at 4pm. Children are encouraged to participate in fun musical games from their very own home”.

Aisling Manning adds “All the concerts will be recorded and streamed at a later date. Taking the event online this year opens the prospect of introducing the Boyne Music Festival to audiences from all over the world, which is something we have never achieved before. Viewers will get to hear immensely talented musicians perform a diverse and exciting programme in beautiful and unique locations. We hope that this might inspire people to travel to Ireland sometime in the future to experience the magic of the Boyne Music Festival for themselves.”

To find out more about the Boyne Music Festival and to purchase tickets, please see the festival website at www.boynemusicfestival.com or call +353 (0) 87 981 3926.