Celebro , laudibus, Ring the bells, Time to celebrate
Two Limerick community ensembles presented their seasonal musical offerings at UCH this weekend . On Saturday night the
University of Limerick Orchestra welcomed trombone player Karl Ronan who shone in an an attractive concerto by Rimsky Korsakov. There was a sense of camaraderie between the soloist and conductor, both former members of the Artane Boys Band. Conductor Liam Daly was a authoritative presence on the podium and drew a disciplined performance from the orchestra. There were no ragged edges as a sense of unity prevailed across all sections. Neither was there any paring down in any section with symphony proportions of wind and brass and a full complement of percussion added sparkle to the programme. After the interval, Limerick Youth Choir performed a short set of
Carol of the Bells , a Russian Hymn and a brace of Julie Feeney numbers before the concert concluded with popular Christmas repertoire.
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| David Howes in rehearsal with Malcolm Greene |
On Sunday night,
Limerick Choral Union presented a blend of Baroque and contempory in a programme of two of their bread and butter composers. LCU provides a great platform for young rising stars and the soloist in Handel's Dettingen Te Deum was bass, David Howes, one of three generations of Howes singing with this community choir on this occasion Soprano, Roisin Walshe was soloist in Jenkins seasonal cantata Stella Natalis, a very attractive work with Jenkin's trademark mix of ethnic percussion, odd metres and glorious melodies.
Lee Butler's jazz infused solo trumpet was thrilling. The composer himself describes the distinctive elements in the video below. A splendid pair of trumpets (Rick Cowen and
Niall O'Sullivan) struck the key celebratory note in the Handel, Te Deum composed in a spirit of rejoicing and jubilation in a British victory over a French Army at the Battle of Dettingen. Bravo to both LCU and ULO for a suitably festive and joyous weekend of music making in Limerick. I enjoyed both events, the first from a seat in the stalls and the second as a player. Plans have been announced for a joint Prom Concert between both these community ensembles. Mark 11th May in your diary. It promises to be '
only heavenly music'
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Quotes from text of Stella Natalis
ReplyDeletevia twitter Niall O Sullivan informs me that he is also a former Artane Boys Band member. They certainly turned out some great brass players!
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