Soon available in our bookshop!
Book Launch
7 November 2026, 3 pm – 6 pm
Currane House F28 N840, Co. Mayo, Ireland
48 pages, bound
15×15 cms
First Edition: 150 copies
The Publishers
Cultural Heritage Publications is a small, Amsterdam publishing house striving to preserve interactive, social processes, which could otherwise slip through the cracks. Some months back, by sheer chance we took part in a Music Circle, a popular event that thrives in the isolated community of Corraun on the West Coast of Ireland. Pockets of traditional music have survived in this far-flung corner and have been kept alive for decades by a modern troubadour, John Hoban.
An artist’s involvement
By 2022, the Dutch artist Peti Buchel had also become involved with the An Corrán Music Circle. Her ‘live’ drawings go beyond documenting the musicians: they also record the dynamic between performers and audience. This form of documentation is less intrusive, thus preserving an authentic and participatory atmosphere.
The Music Circle’s social impact
The Circle is not about musical perfection. Rather it encourages the audience, both young and old, to take part, to pass on this tradition and undermine rural social seclusion. Community members participate spontaneously by contributing to their original musical traditions with no monetary intent. Everyone contributes in this inclusive setting.
Publication
The publication of these drawings not only renders intangible heritage tangible, it also reaches a wider public and serves as a record of the local community’s identity. The drawings are accompanied by short texts in English and Irish by the musician John Hoban and the late social psychologist and therapist Marina Tuffy.
The Publishers:
Annie Wright
Bert Hogervorst