Souers headed to All-Ireland Championships this summer

 
By Steve Bowman
Editor, The Brentwood Spirit
Email: bowmansj@sbcglobal.net

Brentwood High School freshman Caitlin Souers has qualified for the world championships in the Irish flute, to be held in Ireland this summer.

Souers qualified by winning first place at the 2016 North American Midwest Regional Fleadh Cheoil (feast of music) May 6-8 in Cincinnati. She won her age group (12-15) in the “Irish flute slow airs” category, for solo flute. She also played on two winning ensembles: the 20-member Groupai Cheoil (groupa kay-ole) and the 10-member Ceili (kay-lee) Band.

She will compete in the world championships, also called the All-Ireland Championships, on the weekend of Aug. 20 in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. She will travel with a large group from the music and dance school St. Louis Irish Arts. They will perform with Irish musicians, see famous sights and attend a five-day workshop with master musicians before the competition.

Souers, who also plays the flute in the BHS band and is on the drum line, has played the Irish flute since she was 7. Her teacher is Mary Walsh. Her parents are Tricia and Tim Souers.

The two solo pieces she plays in competition are “Cuan Bheil Inse” and “A Stor Mo Chroi.” Groupai Cheoil plays a seven-minute arrangement of traditional Irish tunes. Ceili Band played two traditional Irish dance tunes.