'The Queen of Connemara': A Tribute to Delia Murphy

 'Without Delia Murphy , there would have been no Christy Moore' was the claim made by actress and writer Carmen Cullen in her tribute act to her aunt Delia Murphy , one of Irelands best loved singers and song collectors at Glór this afternoon. The event  was part of the Bealtaine Festival as a guest of Clare Arts Office.  Decades before the Clancy Brothers , Delia Murphy popularised many Irish Folk Songs bringing them to the attention of international audiences giving them a respectability at home . And what pearls were the songs she unearthed, so simple and charming that once heard they are never forgotton.  Standard party piece favourites for my parents' generation, they are ingrained in our subconscious.  The show was a mix of songs , illustrated lecture with a  slide show of old photographs with the songs delivered by Mairín O Donovan with a great degree of charm accompanied by Gerry Anderson on guitar. Carmen also read from her soon to be published biographical novel, Two Sisters Singing using a simple prop of an on stage wind up gramaphone to evoke a past era. (Carmen's mother and Delia were sisters)  Opening with The Queen of Connemara, included in the set list Courtin' in the Kitchen, The Spinning Wheel Song, The Connemara Cradle Song, Three Lovely Lassies , Down By the Glenside, Thank You Ma'am Says Dan , If I were a Blackbird and of course The Moonshiner from which the delightfully assonant title for the show, I'll Live Till I Die is taken .

There was a sizeable enthusiastic audience including many residents of Carigoran House, several of whom took to the stage to sing a couple of songs themselves before departing.  Musician and entertainer,  Nigel Bridge, County Librarian , Helen Walsh  and Clare Arts Officer, Siobhan Mulcahy were also among the gathering.

Gerry Anderson Carmen Cullen and Mairin O Donoghue

This was a delightful afternoon of entertainment  setting in context  the contribution of this colourful and important artist.


Oh if I was a blackbird, could whistle and sing 
I'd follow the vessel my true love sails in 
And in the top rigging I would there build my nest 
And I'd flutter my wings o'er her lily-white breast

Prussian Russian Duo at Cois na hAbhna

A charming and varied musical pot pourri was presented by the faculty members of Maoin Cheoil an Chláir  yesterday evening in Cois na hAbhna, Ennis Co. Clare. Announced in faux Eurovision style by pairing of piano teacher Tatiana  Timofeeva and director Hans Boller,  we heard a selection of classical, traditional and jazz numbers all well executed as one would expect from this team.

Star of the show though was the elegant Tatiana whose rendition of Mozart's Fantasy in A minor on accoustic grand piano was superb and who showed what a versatile artist she is, deftly accompanying trad numbers and offering a jazz number in the second half. The accoustic seemed to favour reeds and Elvie Millars solo air on piano accordion by Michael Rooney was very effective . Elvie was joined by her husband, Denis Liddy for a few numbers from their latest album, Traderee. Violin teachers Bryonie Hopper  and Roisin McMullan showed their virtuosity  in Monti's Czardas and Bartok' Romanian Dances and Pat O Connor and Michael Grogan added airs, reels and hornpipes to the folk dance  contributions.

Other guests included pianist David Zsabo, singer Helen Brooks and Shannon Burns of the Redemptorist Music Centre , Limerick.  Guitar teachers Terence O Reilly and Eamonn Kenny and  piano teachers Eithnne Heaney, Michael Quinn  and Mick Willis contributed to the extensive programme disproving the old adage that those who can.... also teach.  Among the audience were Jean Guilfoyle, Midori Hayes,  Ann Jones Board member of Maoin Cheoil and Sean Conlan  of Clare VEC.

Unholy Haikus, Great Glee and Brilliant Buskers

What a Sisyphusian task directors of school choirs undertake.  No sooner than they have rolled the metaphorical boulder up the hill and achieved their task of moulding their young charges and and coaxed   gorgeous sounds out of them, the ungrateful so and sos leave to pursue other avenues and they must begin all over again with a bunch of new recruits. I met  , Björn Johansson from Sweden  conductor of fine Vocal Ensemble of Risbergska High School and  he remarked that although he had visited Cork International Choral Festival  several times in recent years, his current choir were all entirely new to the festival.  They were just one of 100 or so choirs with a staggering 5000 participants  visiting Cork for the annual singfest in the Leeside city .  


I arrived at City Hall, Cork  in the midst of festival fever  in time to hear the afternoon segment of the post primary schools' competition on Thursday. The large space looked surprisingly intimate with the house lights dimmed in the auditorium. There is something about the sight of all those assembled earnest  young faces singing as one , that I find very moving and gives me hope and cheer for the future. How wonderful to see Ben O Hanlon lead his splendid De La Salle Waterford boys' choir, sadly one of a only a handful of all male  choirs in the schools' competition. But my highlight of the day was seeing and hearing the 100+ strong Colaiste Muire Choir from Ennis led by conductor Carmel Griffin.  'Is there a schoolgirl left in Ennis today?' a patron remarked as the enormous choir, twice the size of any other ensemble took to the stage, a logistical feat in itself.  Singing a modern work by Rhona Clarke and  The Blue Bird by Stanford , the choir were simply sublime.  In some ways, young choirs achieve a form of perfection that young instrumental ensembles rarely do, their artlessness adding rather than detracting from their renditions.  Judge Shane Brennan,  in his summing up expressed a wish that the participants would continue to raise their voices in song when the left schooldays behind them. Hear, Hear!

listen to ‘Carmel Griffin the director of Colaiste Muire school choir talks about it's activities’ on Audioboo

The King's Singers 

Later in the evening, a packed Opera House lapped up the stylish  close harmonies of the all male sextet, The King's Singers . Sadly I missed the first set but I caught the second which consisted of lighter fare of pop and folk song arrangements and opened with a long humorous pastiche piece by Paul Drayton  It was a bit like being offered a gorgeous pudding when really you're in the mood for steak and chips. In our overamplified era of concert experiences, it is cheering to see a large auditorium  in thrall to a small ensemble of unamplified accappella voices. Amongst the afficionados, were many  movers and shakers on the local and national music scene.  It was a good week for Cork Opera House with Ballet Ireland  attracting a very good house on Monday night to their minimalist production of Romeo and Juliet .


Cork streets abounded with buskers not particularly part of the festival but no doubt drawn by the buzz in the city.  My favourite was Damien Guilfoyle playing a real honky tonk piano on the corner of Caroline Street . It is not often you hear Beethoven followed by Boogie Woogie. Have a listen to him on the audioboo.

Listen to ‘Piano Busker Damien Guilfoyle in Cork City’ on Audioboo

The Triskel Arts Centre is a elegant ecclesiastical space with a stunning interior just a year into operation as a live music venue and it was packed on Friday for a free lunchtime performance by   Ensemble Vocal, just one of many free events in venues all over the city during  the course of the festival. Later in the day, The National Chamber Choir, one of a very few professional vocal ensembles in Ireland  attracted a good following to St Finbarres' Cathedral for a highbrow choral event featuring a premiere of the winning entry of the Sean O Riada Composition Competition, Two Unholy Haikus by Frank Corcoran among other contemorary Irish works. 






Outside the main events, my sources tell me that great fun was had at the late night sing songs  around the lobby piano at Festival Club in The Clarion Hotel with ceili dancing lessons in the generous foyer space as part of the informal cultural exchange.  My brothers appeared  at the more informal Atrium sessions as members of community choir, Voices of Cork and jolly good they were too! 
You would have to be delighted for the first prizewinner of the Fleischmann Prize, Ateneo Glee Club, all the way from Manila in the Phillippines .   Check out their festival performance here . Forget your sombre black and white , these  are  what I call  costumes.

Prize Winners Fleischmann Trophy Begun under directorship of Aloys Fleischmann in the 50's , the Cork Choral Festival has always been a unique and special event with an international dimension.  I feel my musical year is not complete without a visit to some of the events.  It manages the rare feat of being inclusive and accessible to   community choristors  while also catering for the elite of the choral world.  I asked Bjorn Johansson if the figure of 65% participation in choirs by the Swedish population was accurate and he confirmed that it was about right. I wonder what the Irish statistics are.     Bravo to director John Fitzpatrick  who appeared to be ubiquitous during the festival  for his excellent stewardship  of this remarkable festival . Looking forward to 2013 already .  Amidst all the chanting, another Cork  festival was launched at the Bodega last Thursday. I am looking forward to www.corkmidsummer.com  in June . Launched in fine style by Cork's own favourite songbird, Cara O Sullivan and what better number to launch a summer festival, Gershwin's Summertime of course Ensemble vocal GERMANY Effortlessly Love Flows (No. 1 from Ecstatic Meditations) Text: Mechthild of Magdeburg AARON JAY KERNIS (1960- Der Falke (op. 93a, 5) (The falcon) JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897) Deh, come invan sospiro (Sixth Madrigal Book – 1611) (Ah, how I sigh in vain) CARLO GESUALDO DA VENOSA (1566 – 1613) A new song of love (Text: Song of Solomon) SVEN-DAVID SANDSTRÖM (1942-) Ubi caritas et amor (Where charity and love are, God is there) MORTEN LAURIDSEN (1943 -)

Battle leads ecclesiastical troupe to Ennis

St Mary's Cathedral Choir

St Columba's Ennis

Sing We Merrily onto God our strength
make a cheerful noise unto the God of Jacob
Take the psalm, bring hither the tabret;
the merry harp with the lute  Psalm 81 Exultate Deo  

Hymn

Love Divine , all loves excelling 

Let all the World in every corner sing

Organ Recessional :Le Febure-Wely Bolero de Concert

The following  article in a recent Clare Champion alerted me to a rare and  significant musical event in Clare.

Thursday, 26 April 2012 11:01

The Choir of St Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick, comes to Ennis this weekend as part of a new policy of sharing their Anglican music.
Under choirmaster and organist Daniel Battle, the choir will lead Evensong at St Columba’s Parish Church, Bindon Street, at 5.30pm. Ennis rector, Canon Bob Hanna, a member of the Chapter of St Mary’s, will act as precentor and sing the responses.
Canon Hanna said, “This is the first time in living memory that St Mary’s Choir have come into Clare. It should have happened long before, because they have built up over the years a very fine reputation for choral singing. Their Advent lessons and carols are a key feature on the Limerick City calendar.
“Our own organist, Nigel Bridge, is a member of the Friends of St Mary’s Society. It was he who asked them to share their talents.  We invite all Clare people to what should be an enriching moment of devotion, using the ancient Book of Common Prayer service.”
The permanent organist and choirmaster, Peter Barley, is on study leave and has been replaced by Mr Battle, an accomplished organist in his own right from Surrey, who was born into the Roman Catholic tradition and who had Irish roots.
St Mary’s Cathedral has still to announce the appointment of their new dean to succeed the Very Rev Maurice Sirr, who was 25 years in the post.

I enjoyed this service. The singing of the psalms of the  Office from the dozen or so choristers was very fine . The congregation were clearly  invited to participate at points. There was a thoughtful sermon on the place of music in worship from Canon Bob Hanna who demonstrated a rather good baritone voice himself. Both Canon Bob Hanna in this service and Rev Tom Hogan in a recent Easter address referred to Ita O'Shea, Cahercalla resident ( who I met on St Patrick's Day in Cahercalla) and who has contributed so much to music in Ennis in sacred and secular veins.  Today's musical director Daniel Battle showed himself to be a highly skillful organist particularly in the closing voluntary and no verse of the congregational hymns were given the same organ treatment with a variety of modulations adding interest to the chorale tunes. There was time for tea and cakes before the visitors climbed into their minibus for the journey back to the Shannonside city.  Among the choristers I met Paul Ryan and Peggy Carey who talked to me about their busy  rehearsal schedule. Also in attendance were father and son Michael and Harry Howes  well known in choral music circles in Limerick. 
Paintings by Frieda Bailey on an Easter theme were displayed and  added a further dimension to the occasion.
A perfect meditative end to the weekend.




Postcsript
 **With its emphasis on singing of the Psalms of the Divine Office, Evensong  or Vespers is a  welcome addition to the liturgies  Sunday evening strikes me as a good time for a complement to the main services of Mass and Eucharist. A number of monthly Vespers services were conducted at EnnisCathedral in 2010 including an ecumenical service at St Columba's but regrettably, these services did not become an established as a regular feature in Ennis..  As I understand it, there is  little theological difference to divide the two traditions of Vespers and Evensong, they  would seem to lend  themselves to an ecumenical approach. I hope this visit from St Mary's Choir will  refocus on the merit  and value of this type of liturgy in my own parish and put the inclusion of such services back on the local ecclesiastical agenda. 


Related Posts Enchanted Evening of Major and Minor Choristors  at St Columba's 

                     Cornets by Candlelight  Ennis Brass Band at St Columba's

FlashMob Final Day Fun

This is an  abbreviated form of the post from one of my school blogs.  We had a lot of fun not to mention exercise yesterday with this finale to our Level 1 programme. A total 75 children in three classes took the programme and performed on the day.

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Flashmob Fun 1 Ms McMahons class at Cathedral

Well ! What an exciting and energetic day we had today as the beginners module of Swinging Strings programme came to a close for this year . There is nothing like live music so we took our newly acquired strings skills on to the streets of Ennis  to add to the soundscape  and the busking scene of the Clare county town today. 

Venue 1 Ms McMahon and class took up their positions outside the Cathedral . There was lots of room and we loved the square paving stones . Among the audience was Fiona Walsh of Ennis Gospel Choir  and her lovely little dog .

Cornet Player  A Going Home Fanfare 

Venue 2 The rain held off as Mr Blake and his class took up position in Barrack Street outside The Gourmet Store.The accoustics were very good here and Anne and David the proprietors gave us a warm welcome.

Venue 3 Finally, Mr Corry and his class made their way to the Temple Gate .  All the windows opened to hear our set as an American  tour group had just checked in . A serenade under their window was not quite what they were expecting!

Our programme 

Foxtrot 

Blues 

Twinkle 

Ireland's Call

Great Vibes and Super Sax : Limerick Jazz at Dolan's

Great Limerick Music Venue

I ran across John Daly, percussionist and chairperson of Limerick Jazz Society at a gig recently and he reminded me that there were a few events remaining in their Spring season. Despite having lived  for almost six years in the Shannon region, I have not heard much  jazz locally so with the evening bright and sunny, I was tempted by the promise of quality musicianship of international renown  to take the highway in to Dolans Pub Limerick city to hear the Duo Elegance, a minimalist pairing of David Friedman on vibraphone and Peter Weniger on sax.  I haven't heard a vibraphone live  since Lionel Hampton brought his band to Cork years ago and I was looking forward to this relatively unfamiliar timbre. The  duo as promised were indeed mesmerising,  casting a spell over the gathering in the upstairs room in Dolan's Pub on Dock Rd with a mix of newly minted composition and improvisations on jazz standards.

 Friedman particularly showed impressive virtuosity , so accomplished but not showy and there was a  sense of musical rapport between the two that comes from a long period of playing together.  Judge for yourself in  their take on Johnny Mandel's classic 'Emily' which was included in the set list tonight. The amplification was unobtrusive as usual from sound man, Sean Harrold . There was a mix of age groups in the respectable but  regrettably, not capacity house who listened intently to both sets. Musicians  in the audience included Finnish singer Laura Hilska, guitarist Alan Colfer and drummer Bart Kiely.

A great night of live music. I am glad the duo had sunshine for their sightseeing trip to the Cliffs. Bravo  Limerick Jazz !






Read more about Friedman and his many collaborations  in this excellent blog post by Doug Payne http://dougpayne.blogspot.com/2010/10/david-friedman-vibes.html

The last session of the Spring season takes place Wed 9th May at Dolan's . Limerick Jazz Society

Songs for a Summer Evening

I  expected a treat when the Lions Club of Ennis presented a very enjoyable song recital at Danlann an Chlár last night and got it. Featuring established operatic soloists Helen Houlihan and Owen Gilhooly, it featured a range of genres with  songs from opera, musical theatre and Irish  parlour songs . They were sympathetically accompanied at the piano by Adare based pianist, Irina Denova . 

The operatic meat of the programme was contained in the first half with arias and duets by Lehar, Bizet and Puccini . The programme opened with two  Novello duets demonstrating a charming sense of teamwork and rapport from the outset between the two, both of them convincingly assuming the roles contained within the repertoire.  Owen's solo number  from Merry Widow was suitably  insouciant following Helen's bravura rendition of Oscar Strauss's 'My Hero' .  Helen  looked every inch the star in no less than two glamorous outfits and this soprano featured in my highlights of 2011 

The Ennis Cathedral Choir more usually tucked away in the gallery looked and sounded splendid  with conductor Michael Hennessy. The Jenkins, Pie Jesu featuring  youngster Andrea Sheehan and soprano Veronica Belis was particularly effective and very moving . Tenor, Tony Murray made a further foray onto the platform when the baritone theatrically feigned to forget the words of a Percy French number adding to the general  good humour. 

Houlihan & Gilhooly

Although both singers  proved adept at adapting their style to deliver simpler folk songs effectively, the real surprise of the evening was Gilhooly's control and lightness of touch.  I had heard this artist several times this season, most recently in splendid form in Brahms Requiem at UCH.  and in Haydn's Thereseinmesse  Although well known on the Irish and international opera scene, his voice proved to be a supple instrument in the lighter musical theatre repertoire and there was a sense that he relished the repertoire. The sentimental  music hall number, Macushla was a high point in the first half and I swear he had a tear in his eye in the big number from Les Mis, 'Bring Him Home'.  With a busy season of operatic engagements ahead, he will be heard singing  roles by Sibelius and Rimsky Korsakov  in Buxton and nearer to home at Lismore Opera as Figaro in the Barber of Seville. 

Winners of Clare's Got Talent, all girl song and dance team, 12 +1 were utterly charming and Karoline O Sullivan added an aria from Bohemian Girl fitting in with the general nostalgic tenor of the evening.

The evening was conceived by Helen I understand as a fundraiser for Clarecastle Day Centre and Canteen  and the artists had generously donated their considerable talents. There was a good attendance. I met Alison Bowyer, of impeccable operatic lineage herself who  tells me that there will be  a new show at the Knappogue Castle  with hot off the manuscript arrangements from Colman Pearce  and  daughter Stephanie, a CM past pupil was busy rehearsing for a performance of Oklahoma in Bejing! 

Congratulations to the Lions Club in association with Colaiste Muire  for organising the event. Outgoing District Governor, Terence Mangan was in attendance. In terms of  professional performances, the presentation  of superb singing in a comfortable venue was on a high level.  While it was comprehensive programme, some of the spoken introductions  would have benefited from being trimmed a bit.  The pair can be heard again on August 3rd as guests of Kilkee Civic Trust  . Well worth an excursion!

Letter to the Editor, Irish Times:Limerick's Music Scene

Dear Sir,

Aoife Barry’s two page article in the Irish Times  (April 6^th) on Limerick’s music scene was broad but  hardly comprehensive.  Although a range of genres were covered, no aspect of the classical music scene or indeed the jazz scene was covered, not even in the catch all section, ‘What else is happening in Limerick’.

On Saturday night at UCH, the 100+ strong Limerick Choral Union with a 50 strong orchestra gave a terrific performance of two wonderful choral works by Brahms and Guonod to a well filled auditorium.  The Association of Irish Choirs and the Irish Chamber Orchestra are based in University College Limerick and the LCU which also performs works by living composers, most recently  hosting Karl Jenkins,  is just one of several groups contributing to a healthy sphere of activity just as deserving of acknowledgement and recognition in any overview  of a music scene in the Shannonside  city in your pages .

Yours sincerely

Cathy Desmond

Willsgrove

Cahercalla

Ennis

German Excursions: Strauss Karaoke and Munther at Murnau

I spent a few days over the Easter holidays in the Bavarian town of Garmisch Partenkirchen . The resort was in  a transition phase with most of the ski lifts closed and  while cafes and restaurants were beginning to set up their  gardens for al fresco dining the weather was too inclement for  outdoor coffee and kuchen.

  A short train journey on the excellent and inexpensive Bavarian rail network will bring you in one direction to Mittenwald , home of Klotz who introduced the tradition of Italian stringed instrument making to the region . One of the town houses houses a museum dedicated to the craft (closed on Mondays).   A short ride in the other direction towards Munich brings you to the town of Murnau and I spent a very pleasant afternoon if rainy afternoon here .

There is a pedestrian area with a choice of cafes and I had a Gateau Agnes Bernauer in Konditorei Kronner to fortify me before tackling the Schloss Museum . The gallery was busy with holiday makers sheltering from the rain . There was  a special exhibit cheerfully titled Endlich Ferien featuring  a collection of paintings and old photographs associated with this lakeside resort. Sun drenched boating scenes , girls in their summer cloths and local boy Kandinsky digging his garden were among the exhibits. The real surprise of the visit however was in the permanent exhibition on the top floor dedicated to Gabrielle Munther. I was not familiar with this artist , a consort and student of Kandinsky and thankfully the accompanying notes were rpovided in English .  The German Expressionist artist led a remarkably unrestricted and most unusual  life travelling all over Europe and to the States including  a long spell in Scandinavia around 1910 before returning to settle in Murnau where she died fifty years ago in 1962. The paintings were very attractive and included still life of domestic scenes and local landscapes.

'Cool Art ' Murnau Civic Centre

                                            'Cool Art ' on the walls of the Murnau Civic Centre

We went along to the Kleines Theatre for a production of the Stauss classic operetta, Die Fledermaus. While some of the voices were a little uneven, the performances were given with great gusto and good humour  and Rosalinde particularly commanded the stage in an impressive manner. The sprechstimme syle of the Rosalinde's lover, Alfred, a  singing teacher brought a comic nuance to the role that was hilarious and would have been sufficient to persuade us to stay for the second half were it not for one aspect of the production.   The abscence of a piano didn't augur well and indeed the production lacked any live accompaniment and while I can understand  and sympathise with the budget constraints on small  companies , the backing tracks used were very unappealing, sounding as if they were produced by strangled accordions rather than any real instrument.  Could we really be in the summer retreat of one  Richard Strauss , one of the pillars of the Romantic music  and in  the country of  the giants of Western classical music tradition. A good student pianist would have been infinitely preferable and being a not inconsiderable proportion of the audience we quietly left.

German Requiem in Castletroy auf Deutsche!

Selig sind, die da Leid tragen, denn sie sollen getrostet werden 

'Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted' .

The liturgical ritual of farewell  has provided the spur for some of the most highly charged and emotional works in the canon and there was a rare opportunity to hear one of the apotheosis of the form by one of the masters of the German Romantic tradition  at University Concert Hall  on Saturday night when Limerick Choral Union dedicated  a performance of Brahm's German Requiem to  members of the choir who have passed away. Sung in the original German, this dramatic setting of the Lutheran text has logistical and practical challenges  being the longest of Brahms works clocking in at about an hour and opportunities to hear it are infrequent.  By coincidence, the work was also performed in the National Concert Hall by the NSO and the RTE Philharmonic Choir the previous evening. The broadcast included an overview of the form in an insightful interval talk by David Vivian Russell  Lyric Concert Friday 20th April

Russell refers to the emphasis in the German Requiem being more on consolation of the living rather than the fate of the dead  and what music of consolation is the fifth movement.  Notoriously difficult for the soloist, the lyric from John's Gospel  was beautifully and effortlessly delivered by soprano Carmel Conway.  Baritone Owen Gilhooly's third movement dialogue with the choir was vigorous yet  smooth ending in a magnificent song of hope and joy. 

Malcolm Green

Johannes Brahms

There was a good house for this  Easter concert with  many family , friends , former members and afficionados in the audience for the programme which included the Italianate Mass for St Cecelia featuring young tenor Eoin Hynes as a complement  to the more substantial German fare.  Among the audience were David Howes,  grandson  and son of  anchor members Harry and  Michael .  David, a Masters student at DIT had earlier in the day been awarded the Todd Cup for oratorio at Feile Liminí with a bass aria from Judas Maccabeus  as had his grandfather 40 years previously. The family were remembering specially  the late Muriel Howes, a  former LCU member who sang with the choir when they last performed the work in 2004.

Percussion at the  ready

Soprano Carmel Conway

Although no aspect of the classical music scene made it into a two page article in the Irish Times  covering Limerick's music scene recently, this was a huge musical  endeavour involving something in the region of 200 people in a  performance no less deserving of acknowledgement and recognition in the national press. As a musician, opportunities to play such great repertoire are so welcome and it was a  thrilling musical experience to savour from the middle of the 50 strong orchestra


Post performance interview with conductor Malcolm Green

listen to ‘Malcolm Green talks about the Limerick Choral Union production of Brahm's Requiem’ on Audioboo

Letter to the editor. Irish Times :Limerick's Music Scene
A Christmas Baroque Gala
A Handel for the President

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