A small corner of north west Donegal "bubbling with art in all its manifestations" will get the chance to show off the wealth of its culture with a specially commissioned show tonight to mark the gala opening of An Grianan theatre in Letterkenny. "Trasnu" is a collaboration involving artists from the Donegal Gaeltacht who have achieved international success, including traditional band Altan, Riverdance principal dancer Breandan de Gallai and the poet Cathal O Searcaigh. Sisters Mairead and Triona Ni Dhomhnaill, and Aoife Ni Fhearraigh are also taking part.
A second performance was scheduled for tomorrow evening and demand for the u20 £20 tickets has been such that an extra show, later tomorrow night, will be staged in the 350-seat venue.
Rehearsals were going on all this week to knit together the contributions of each of the artists into a cohesive show under the theme "Trasnu", or "crossing".
Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh of Altan explained: "We didn't want to just put on another gig. The opening of An Grianan theatre is a very special occasion in Donegal and the show is a celebration of our culture, which has been such a rich source of inspiration for all of us."
For poet Cathal O Searcaigh, it is an act of homage. "And it is being done with a sense of gratitude to tongue, place and tradition," he said.
The entire show will be in Irish and will include material from Altan's new album due out in the new year, and new poems and a song written for the occasion by O Searcaigh. Breandan de Gallai will also dance to a piece he has composed for the show.
O Searcaigh, who came up with the theme for the night, said the word "trasnu" has a number of meanings. The performance will represent the bridging of the old and the new. "It is bridging the old language with new thoughts, traditional music with new compositions," he said.
It also represents the crossing of the different arts forms, as in addition to music and poetry, this corner of Donegal has attracted a number of visual artists, including Ian Joyce, whose work adorns the foyer of An Grianan.
"The area is bubbling with art in all its manifestations and there are a lot of varied approaches to art and music," said O Searcaigh. Trasnu, he explained, would also reflect the changes in Irish language and culture. "It is growing in a whole new environment. None of us likes the idea of a Berlin Wall around the tradition, so we are redefining it all the time."