SyngeSongs for Culture Night

Books and Music Fiona and Cathy

The Lark in the Clear Air  Samuel  Ferguson /trad
'At the grey round of the hill'   Yeats   read by Saoirse Glennon
 Down  By the Sally Gardens  Yeats/trad
Believe Me if All Those Endearing Young Charms Thomas Moore
Two Planxties by  Carolan  Constantin Maguire and Mrs McDermottroe
Boat Songs
       Anach Cuain
       Baidin Fhilimi
Balfe I dreamt I dwelt in Marble Halls from Bohemian Girl
Finale :Just a song at Twilight   JL Molloy

Cathy Desmond- Violin Viola,  Fiona Walsh- piano ,

Guests Tony Murray-Tenor, Saoirse Glennon Actress

At the grey round of the hill
Music of a lost kingdom 
Runs, runs and is suddenly still.
The winds out of Clare-Galway
Carry it: suddenly it is still
 

Culture Night snook up on me this year and when the day arrived, I regretted not having made some preparation  to contribute to the procedings. So I was happy to fill in at the DeValera Library, Ennis  when  the scheduled performance by two sopranos was cancelled. (One could paraphrase  Oscar Wilde ,  'to lose one soprano.... . ) To fit in as far as possible with the scheduled offering relating to Synge , I chose repertoire that would have been familiar to middle class Dubliners at the turn of the century with some link to the major Gaelic Revival literary figures of the time , JM Synge ,  WB Yeats and James Joyce.  Included were  ballads,  airs and an operatic aria  Fortuitously Saoirse Glennon (who recently played Pegeen Mike in   Ennis Players production of Playboy Of The Western World)  had come in to renew her books and  was on hand to read a poem by Synge's mentor, Yeats and I was joined by tenor and Balfe specialist Tony Murray who sang that most enduring of Moore's melodies, Believe Me if All Those Endearing Young Charms. 

Myt accompanist Fiona Walsh and I we were warmly received by the  Dolores Meaney and staff of the library .  I love to perform in these public spaces and the DeValera Library has a warm accoustic and is a most convivial venue . Occasions such as Culture Night do galvanise us as performers into literally getting our act together and Clare Arts Office are to be commended for putting their weight behind promoting and encouraging this initiative in Clare and I was delighted to play a small part in the local effort.