Sing Out With Strings

Full House

Teachers group

CEO John Kelly with group

I went along to St Mary's Church, Athlunkard St Limerick to hear the summer concert of the Irish Chamber Orchestra's  local school's  initiative 'Sing Out With Strings' .  Following a burst of McAnanty's Reel from the ICO ,  the concert opened with a set of charming songs from junior classes in SouthHill Junior School  complete with actions.   Kathleen Turner  has a lively energetic presence with her young groups and has a relaxed easy manner in speaking to the audience in  a situation that must not be easy given it involves moving large groups of kids around.  The Galvone string group then played the Four and Twenty Blackbirds rhythm to accompaniment from the ICO.
An older group from Southill  Junior sang a set of new self composed songs and were followed by a group of 4th class boys from St Mary's Boys School.  The teachers ensemble  backed by ICO violinists played the chorale bit of Jesu Joy and this was very effective .  The highlight was the massed group of choir, teachers and what looked like 60 or so violinists in a rousing version of  the World Cup Football Anthem Wave Your Flag .  This was a terrific number . I liked the way the violins had a sequence of actions with their fiddles and bows when they weren't playing . CEO John Kelly adressed the assembly and there was time for a final encore of Wave Your Flag . Bravo tutti !