The Tread Softly Festival celebrates both the cultural legacy of the Yeats family and the landscape of Sligo, and this year also marks the 60th anniversary of the Niland Collection at The Model, Sligo.

Adding an extra ingredient to the celebrations, the multi-talented Yurodny Ensemble will present the European premiere of Sailing to Byzantium by Turkish composer Onur Türkmen. This performance-work explores parallels between W.B. Yeats and his Turkish contemporary Ahmet Hasim, notably their instinct for retelling history through myth. This work includes texts by both writers (sung by Michelle O’Rourke and Nermin Kaygusuz) in a musical setting that brings together Irish and Turkish traditional musics.

Supported by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon, this performance features leading musicians from Ireland, Turkey, Holland and the UK, working in collaboration with award-winning Irish lighting and set designer Sarah Jane Shiels.

The Model, Sligo: Saturday 29 July, 8pm – see website for more details

Image of the Yurodny Ensemble by Frances Marshall