Kilkenny Arts Festival

Members of the Heath Quartet under the umbrella  photo C Desmond 

Kilkenny Arts Festival is done and dusted  for this year. I made three daytrips from my base in Waterford   I enjoyed the Early Opera Company's concert performance of Handel's pastoral mini opera, Acis and Galatea  at St Canice's Cathedral. My review for The   Irish Examiner .is here http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsfilmtv/music/review--opera--acis-and-galatea-279310.html .

My review of stargaze gala is in today's Irish Examiner.  review here. Omitted from the review was mention that the running time was about three and half hours which for most of us was a tad excessive.
Director, Eugene Downes did an rather good  job of  introducing the events setting the context in measured clearly enunciated tones.

 I enjoyed visiting the charming garden spaces both at the Bishop's Palace and Butler House where members of the Heath Quartet and Martin Hayes played  brief alfresco sets. The wind rustling in the trees made a charming counterpoint to the murmuring strings

Review for the Beethoven Irish Songbook published in print edition on Sat 16th August  see next post,

Do go on to the KAF website  and look at the wonderful images  captured by photographer Ross Costigan .

Other events we enjoyed were the Ulysses Street Orchestra and the Paris Swing Band at the Left Bank. These groups were not part of the official programme but added to the general gaiety.