On December 11 last year, the music scene was robbed of one of its best talents and most-loved characters, Christie Hennessy.

His legacy will go on for many years and for one special evening at Belfast's Waterfront Hall tomorrow, REMEMBER ME will feature the very best of Irish singers and songwriters in a concert celebration of his life and music.

The show will feature Kieran Goss, Juliet Turner, Andy White, Mary Coughlan, Sean Keane, Ben Sands, Brendan Murphy and the Open Arts Community Choir, all of whom will perform both their own songs as well as a selection of the most popular of all Christies' music. The evening will be hosted by Gerry Kelly and George Jones.

All of the proceeds of this powerful event will go to one of Christie Hennessy's greatest loves, the Children in Crossfire charity which works tirelessly worldwide to help children affected by poverty. He was especially inspired by the work the charity does with the schools literacy programme, a subject very close to his heart as he could neither read nor write as he suffered from acute dyslexia.

The Carolina Chocolate Drops impressed greatly when they played here earlier this year and, following a recent successful slot on Later With Jools Holland, are now climbing up the musical ladder fast.

A leading force in the band is Rhiannon Giddens, who has teamed up with Luminescent Orchestrii's Sxip Shirey for a musical project, and the good news is that this respected pair are at the Real Music Club at the Errigle Inn on Thursday and Rathfriland's Bronte Music Club on Friday.

When their respective bands recorded together, Giddens and Shirey realised something special was happening between her banjo and his guitar.

The two play their two instruments as if they were one, weaving melody and rhythm from many influences together.

In this project, North Carolina's Giddens steps out, showcasing her full range as a singer of folk, blues, gospel, pop and whatever takes the moment, while Shirey is a legendary underground folk guitarist and composer from Brooklyn.

Returning after a jam packed night in July; multiple Meteor award-winner Damien Dempsey — who has spent most of this year in America and Australia — is back at the Empire Music Hall on Sunday to perform songs from his current album.

The Empire is also the venue for a rare local gig by English songwriter, Billy Bragg, who gives his first Belfast concert in years on Wednesday.

Bragg, who performed A New England with Kate Nash at the NME Awards in February and who was presented with Q magazine's prestigious 'Classic Songwriter' award by KT Tunstall last year will be promoting his highly-acclaimed new album, Mr Love & Justice.

Gig round-up: Popular acoustic folk singer, Sarah McQuaid, is at Lisburn's Island Arts Centre this evening, while international jazz singer, Brenda Rattray, visits Portaferry's Greek Temple tonight with Winston Clifford (drums), Delmar Edwards (bass) and Chris Wilson (keyboard).

Also tonight, with a dozen members and a taste for spontaneity, The Lowly Knights brings its folk rock music to a double-bill with harmony-driven band, The Delawares at Belfast's Stiff Kitten; Acoustic duo, Paul Barrere & Fred Tackett (Little Feat guitarists) play Rathfriland's Bronte Music Club tomorrow.

On Sunday, the 26-strong Soweto Gospel Choir is at the Waterfront Hall, while Brian Kennedy kicks-off his latest tour at Londonderry's Millennium Forum the same evening, before heading to Strabane's Alley Theatre on Wednesday.

damien.murray@hotmail.co.uk