An Evening of Cello and Song: Music Theatre West in Ennis

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It was a most  unusual night at Glór  last night. Every seat in the  cafe had been pressed into service  and the audience of 120 or so extended the entire  length of the long lobby space. Regular patrons  will be aware that this was a very good house indeed  particularly for an evening of classical music where the ambiance tends to be more intimate at this venue. As retailers know packed  spaces  are more appealing than half full ones. Personally I would prefer to sit at the back of a packed foyer space than in a half empty large auditorium

 I arrived just in time for the second half.  Numbers included  well known cello favourites, The Swan, Mendelssohn's Song Without Words , Brahms Hungarian Dance  no 5 and part of Elgar's Cello Concerto. Lyric tenor, Peter O Donohue  mixed Neopolitan favourites, Funniculi, and Irish favourites , Macushla, Danny Boy, My Lagan Love ( acapella) with elegant arrangements by MD Noel Lennon featuring Peter Sébestyén's cantabile  cello lines.  Composer Adam Scheck  was in the audience to hear his Elegy for cello and piano  Aficionados in the audience  reported that the highlight of the first half was an arrangement of The Sally Gardens.  The young Clare tenor paused in the  encore Nessun Dorma to draw in his former teacher Archie Simpson in the chanting of the refrain. Both Peters are teaching in the locality and it was good to see a mix of generations with a contingent of their young students in the audience.

All on board the night train !
Those ceiling  lamps look like stalacmites

Peter and Adam greeting fans

I enjoyed this evening  both for the high quality musicianship and the opportunity  to catch up with friends and former students.  While there was less of a soirée ambiance at the back of the gathering, there was  quite a buzz and the audience lingered  for a while to meet  the performers. I loved the subdued lighting which added much to the atmosphere.  The acoustics, while not perfect, were good enough to hear all the lines clearly. What could not be heard at all clearly were the vocal introductions. I suggest that two items would have improved this performance; a  riser for the cellist so he could be seen by all  and a  simple portable amp and microphone just for the spoken bits.
Bravo Music Theatre West!  More of the same soon please!

Peter and Ennis Musical Society ladies Mary, Maret and Kay

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