We are delighted to welcome gospel and soul legend Mavis Staples to the National Concert Hall on Saturday, 3 November, supported by an Irish gospel or soul group selected through the second nationwide Waltons World Masters / RTÉ lyric fm Gospel & Soul Competition!

Mavis Staples' career is one of the most remarkable in all of music, not only for its spirit and longevity, but also for the period of history that it spans. The gospel music of The Staples Singers in the 1950s blossomed into the 1960s popular mainstream on the strength of Mavis Staples’ voice, and she was at the epicentre of the civil rights movement, when she sang for both Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy. Her later career includes both powerful solo recordings and collaborations with such major artists as Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder and Prince (who called her 'the epitome of soul'). Mavis' most recent collaborator is Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, who produced her 2011 Grammy Award winning You Are Not Alone. From the National Endowment for the Arts to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, recognition and awards have finally caught up with one of the greatest voices of our time.

We now have all of our Gospel & Soul Competition entries and will be announcing the three finalists shortly. The winning gospel or soul group will be announced by Marty Whelan on RTÉ lyric fm on Friday, 5 October!

Currently-enrolled students of Waltons New School of Music may receive a 10% discount when booking tickets (up to 4) for this concert.

See Waltons World Masters - Mavis Staples for more information and tickets.