Galway’s ConTempo Quartet will celebrate Samhain with a concert of otherworldly music in Claregalway Castle this Saturday, November 16, at 7pm.

It’s being presented by the Galway Music Residency as part of its ConTempo Countywide series.

The feast of Samhain is the most significant of the Celtic fire festivals, marking the end of harvest and the time of year when the veil between the living and dead was believed to be at its thinnest. Galway Music Residency’s Samhain concert is the penultimate in a year-long series celebrating the Celtic calendar and, given what Samhain represents, the musicians will perform an ethereal, otherworldly repertoire.

ConTempo will be joined by Estonian composer and electronic musician Sanders Saarmets for this programme of Estonian and Irish works. It will include work from Estonia’s celebrated and beloved composer, Arvo Pärt and from his countrymen, Tõnu Kõrvits and Sander Saarmets, as well as from Galway’s Jane O’Leary.

Sander Saarmets features as part of Galway Music Residency’s International Guest Artist residency programme. He’s in Galway for November and December, working closely with ConTempo to create unique performances that blend classical and contemporary sounds.

Entry to this Saturday’s concert is free, with donations being accepted. No booking is required and everyone is welcome. For further information, visit www.galwaymusicresidency.ie

Pictured: ConTempo, pictured here at the Irish Workhouse Centre in Portumna, will be in Claregalway Castle this Saturday night, joined by Sander Saarmets. PHOTO: KERRY KISSANE.