SCANRA: Samhain at the Cellar returns on Saturday, 26th October for an immersive night of music, myth and storytelling. SCANRA celebrates the Irish origins of Samhain through the voices and mediums of modern creators, this year as part of the Dublin City Council Bram Stoker Festival.
Tickets are €12 plus fees and available for purchase here.
Presented in collaboration with Workmná, who are dedicated to showcasing female and non-binary artists, the night will feature live performances from composer and violinist Éna Brennan, the award-winning Dulciana Vocal Ensemble, goth folk artist Aoife Wolf, and industrial duo 7of9 – each set specially curated to evoke elements of the supernatural and the strange.
As well as music, the night will feature pop-up storytelling from spoken-word artist Jo Morrigan Black and the Fireside podcast’s Kevin C. Olohan.
SCANRA is not your average costume party. While dressing up is encouraged, you’re invited to bring your curiosity, imaginations, and keep your wits about you, as the Cellar is transformed into a haunted tapestry of the macabre. This second instalment of SCANRA follows a sold-out inaugural event in 2023.
Éna Brennan is a composer, arranger, violinist and graphic designer based in Dublin. Her work spans choral, chamber to opera writing, for ensembles and organisations such as Crash Ensemble, Kirkos Ensemble, Tonnta Vocal Ensemble, Irish National Opera and Austria’s Bregenz Festival. She manages Dowry Strings, a collaborative outfit which has brought her to stages such as London’s Union Chapel, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie and Ireland’s National Concert Hall, and she also performs her own music, known formally under the moniker of “Dowry”, gracing notable Irish festivals such as Other Voices and Electric Picnic.
Dulciana Vocal Ensemble’s mission is to promote all upper voices and musicians, as well as perform the very best in upper voices music from across the ages. The choir has performed with Dowry Strings and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and premiered new works written especially for them. Over the last few years the choir has also held entire concerts featuring works either composed or arranged by members with their “Arranged By” series. Dulciana has won first prize at several top choral competitions in Ireland including the Equal Voice competition at the Cork Choral Festival in 2024 and Derry Choral Festival in 2022 and 2019, as well as Best Overall Choir and Best Performance of a Contemporary Irish Work in RTÉ Lyric FM’s Choirs for Christmas in 2022 and 2018.
Hailing from the midlands of Ireland, Aoife Wolf melds searing goth-folk with lyrics that delve deep into uncanny worlds. She draws on influences such as Kate Bush, Nirvana, Cocteau Twins, and PJ Harvey, woven with themes of psychological turmoil, stories of women in history and the perpetual draw and terror of rural spaces.
7of9 duo of Osaro and Lizzie is the infusion of industrial pop with sulphuric-gore vocals seeping into your wanting earlobes. Osaro and Lizzie decided to get together for an exclusive show in 2022. Since then, the love for 7of9 has grown and it extended its lifespan from a one-off show to a fully fledged performance duo. Lizzie Fitzpatrick (aka coolgirl) has been making darkwave over the past few years under her own stage name and Osaro is a respected spoken word artist in the Dublin Art scene. The pair joined up to write hypnotic and abrasive art pop that is capturing the hearts of Irish audiences.
Jo Morrigan Black is a Paris-born poet and visual artist. They have worked with indigenous leaders in Colombia, left stray feathers in Berlin and stalked the streets of Dublin as a vampire. Their drag poetry show, ‘Carpet Muncher’, premiered at the Dublin Fringe Festival 2024, inspired by the “Mothman”, using vibrant surrealist costuming to celebrate the unknowable within us all.
Kevin C. Olohan is the host of the popular ‘Fireside: The Irish Storytelling Podcast’ on the Headstuff Network. He recently appeared in the Gate Theatre production of ‘A Christmas Carol’, directed by Selina Cartmell. Prior to this, he was on tour around the USA performing in two shows: ‘Celtic Nights – Oceans of Hope’ and ‘The World of Musicals’ with GFD Promotions. He holds a Bachelor in Acting degree from The Lir Academy at Trinity College Dublin (in partnership with RADA).
