Imagine Festival: My Roundup of Festival Highlights

The Imagine Festival taking place on my doorstep in my home town remains one of my favourite  festivals. While an excellent PR effort makes a decent  to attract visitors, it is primarily aimed at the local audience and there is a good blend of contributors drawn  from the local pool and the wider arts fraternity.

In the classical music strand, the Vanbrugh Quartet brought composer Ian Wilson with them on their visit to the Large Room. His work Línte was dedicated to Gregory Ellis who is stepping down as leader. A Shostakovich quartet was the highlight of a programme including works by Haydn and Beethoven. The Vanbrugh played with their customary élan and skill and although they will be missed, we look forward to seeing members in new configurations. 

Later that evening Kate Daniels the mood was mellow at Phil Grimes  brought an eclectic set list  to a jazzy evening at Phil Grimes upstairts room. Her quartet included Imagine chairman Nick Bankes on bass and Jackie Burke on violin. Dylan, Piazzola and the back story to Bei mir Bist Du Shein were all in the mix.

There were several things I loved about the set up for the  Waterford Dramatic Soc. evening at the Vinatge Parlour room.  Not least was the cabaret style seating where you can sip mulled wine and eat cake throughout the proceedings.  The second thing I liked was  the  presence of a  hostess. Mistress of the Tea Rooms, Sarah Jane Hanton was on hand to meet and greet guests something lacking in most Waterford arts venues I liked the surround sound aspect where readers positioned themselves around the elegant period reception room engulfing their audience. Among the readers were the distinctive voice of Denise Quinn. Clodagh and Winnie Power, Bertie Rodgers and Toby and Ann Hickey just some of the contributers reading a selection of readings, poetry and song on a 1916 theme. 

Opera has been in the news recently with Irish singers kicking up something of a fuss on radio and newspapers about the paucity of opera in Dublin. Wexford was in full swing but it wasn't the only opera hot spot in the south east. Composer / librettist team Eric Sweeney and Mark Roper presented their second operatic venture. The Green One. The Gothic plot was a Middle Eastern  variation on the creation myth of Persephone and Demeter with the Green One , a mortal boy torn between two sibling goddesses.  I liked the use of dimmed lighting to create a theatrical mood. A flavour of Roper's elegant verse, well crafted verse  here.


The sun in my eye, rain on my skin,

Smell of rose, jasmine, cinnamon.

Taste of an apple, wind in the pine.

Bread, music, leaves, honey, wine  Mark Roper

Booze Blaas and Banter was yet again a convivial morning gathering of words, music on a maritime theme fueled with beer and breakfast. It will have to have it's own post I was delighted to contribute myself with some airs associated with boat songs. Thanks to Paul Diullon for accompanying me. I  will have to post a fuller account in a separate post.

In other events, I enjoyed listening to Declan Hughs and Alan Glynn chatting about Raymond Chandler who spent childhood summers in Waterford. Amber and the Bear brought an unamplified honest to goodness Dixieland jazz set to Grimes bar and Waterford City Brass recreated the Hofbrauhaus vibe in Downes Bar.

Tues Art Exhibtion Bay Tree

Launch Greyfriars  Vanbrugh Quartet  Large Room Kate Daniels at Phil Grimes  

WDS Readings from the Rising Soirée Hanton  host  Art Exhibition

Downes Beer Fest

Amber  and the Bear Jazz at Grimes

Sunday Declan Hughs Crime writer Ian Glynn Chandler

Vincent Woods cancelled

Weds/ Thur Werxford

Opera The Green One / Malojan

Booze Blaas Banter