Music and Reviews from Clare, Limerick, Waterford and sometimes further afield

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Keane Power of Imagination: Imagine Festival Launch




The power of imagination to carry us through life's difficulties was the theme of Eamon Keane's engaging key-note address at the Imagine Festival launch at St john's College. Drawing on childhood reminiscences and his rich and varied career as a broadcaster, musician and counselor, Keane drew in the audience with his easy story-telling style, -recalling his mother Maura Hassett playing Chopin in their council house-an incident of stage fright as a fledgeling virtuoso and his encounters with assorted characters including Nelson Mandela, fiddler John Sheehan and some colourful North Kerry denizens. Describing himself as a musician who fell into journalism, he graciously paid tribute to his WLR colleague Mary O Neill for her arts programme 'giving voice to artists and documenting the local scene'. Hear hear we say! Sadly with no piano in St John's College Oratory, we'll have to wait for another occasion to hear him play
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Rick O Shea seemed genuinely delighted and excited to be taking on  the direction of Waterford Writer's Week and gave a glimpse of what's in store in the weekend of events in various venues around the city. Mark Roper was on hand to read some of his poems. There were a couple of songs from troubadour Lorcan Reidy and a snippet of Sam Shepherd.

I love the Imagine Festival and often  gravitated back to Waterford for it when I lived away. On a very small budget and with a team of committed volunteers, it presents a range of arts events to brighten up those dark and dull days in late October. While it is works hard to spread the word nationally, I believe the festival aims to serve the local audience first and makes a virtue of its diversity rather than targeting a niche. I do have a quibble though. I found this launch event too long and the scheduling made it awkward for attendees to support the many arts events already happening in the city that evening.  A 6.30pm start wrapping up at 7.30pm would have  facilitated patrons to support the launch and also get to Garter Lane in time for a trad group or to  classical music recitals in the Large Room and Waterford Crystal. And surely there would have been a few takers for a cabaret singer in Theatre Royal. Maybe we could have a diary somewhere where any confirmed events could be posted so planners could see at a glance what is scheduled and avoid those awkward clashes.

Related posts: I was fortunate to hear Eamon Keane and John Sheahan perform together at Listowel Writers' Week some years ago My report here http://cathydesmond.blogspot.ie/2014/06/dublin-kerry-alliance-at-writers-week.html

My Round up of Imagine Festival 2016 http://cathydesmond.blogspot.ie/2016/11/imagine-gfestival-my-roundup-of.html

Culture Night Waterford

To Hell in a Handbag


I set out last night to get a flavour of the Culture Night activity in Waterford city.  My experience was good in parts like a curate's egg. Speaking of clergymen, I enjoyed Helen Norton and Jonathan White's witty spin off of Wilde's Importance of Being Ernest. An hour long of crisply enunciated dialogue by the actors in the comfortable space at Garter Lane was a cheerful and well executed theatrical experience and drew a full house. My first stop at the Fat Angel Wine Bar was less successful, I couldn't hear or see any of the four short plays by local authors presented in the small back room and by default joined  the lively chatter in the front room. Gravitating toward Greyfriars, usually a focal point for culture night activity, I was surprised to find the doors to the exhibition at the Municipal Gallery closed and was left with feeling that the buzz and the culture vultures were somewhere else this year. Later I did manage to squeeze into the Oak Room of The Munster Bar for the Mod Poets session. I heard a intense monologue with a bleak theme of post traumatic stress disorder delivered by a very well turned out actress in 50's costume by Anna Jordan and Paul McDonald's ode to his dog.

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Hungarian Feast on a Famine Ship: New Ross Piano Festival



A famine ship and a grand piano seem unlikely co-stars. Add in a distinguished Hungarian diplomat, a pale young man in concert tails and a flock of starlings perched in the rigging as unwitting extras and the scene looked like a setting of a classy spy thriller.  I was on the Dunbrody moored on the River Barrow, Co Wexford for the launch of the 13th New Ross Piano Festival. This year, there is an emphasis on Hungarian repertoire and artists  in the weekend concerts. This year,  artistic director with his formidable team are scheduling  some jazz piano events. Heavyweight on the international scene Enrico Pieranunzi will be in New Ross on Wednesday. Check him out on the video above.
 I was pleased to meet chairman, John Kissane who said he particularly loves the chamber music element of the festival. There are loads of attractive programmes and an impressive roster of emerging and established talent in daytime and evening concerts. Check out the details on the festival website www.newrosspianofestival.com. After a few well chosen words by the Hungarian Ambassador, Istvan Phally, there was a little piano music from Sean Morgan Rooney and director of the festival Finghin Collins. As the last notes faded out over the river Barrow, the starlings with a whoosh abandoned the riggings and flew away,. no doubt to return to St Mary's Church when the festival proper begins.




Thursday, July 20, 2017

Billy O'Brien & Friends


Sur ta lèvre pure, ô ma bien-aimée,
Telle aussi mon âme eut voulu mourir,
Du premier baiser qui l’a parfumée.

The dreamy  setting of Coibri  by Ernest Chausson telling of a hummingbird who sups too much love 'from the rosy cup' seemed to catch the languid mood on one of the warmest days we've enjoyed this summer.  Expressively sung by tenor Phillip Keegan with sunlight flooding  in the  Large Room from the Georgian windows, the song was just one of the many highlights of a programme presented by pianist Billy O Brien. "A concert of summer classics that will wow you" was promised in the publicity and wow us they most certainly did in the nicely balanced programme featuring  various permutations of  five performers, all young professionals in the early stages of their careers. On violin was Siobhan Doyle and Marian Power. The cellist was Yseult Cooper-Stockdale. As well as Borodin, Schumann and Elgar, we also heard a premiere of a new work by Ben Hanlon who introduced the work in his self deprecating manner. His Piano Quartet no 1 was a series of four reflections taking inspiration from eclectic sources; Autumn leaves, the rhythms of politicians names and a gruesome painting of a Pictish Warrior. The writing was lively with much colourful interplay between the parts.

An encore of Gardel's Por Una Cabeza brought the audience to their feet but that was not the end of the proceedings. Aside from the excellent musicianship displayed, the evening was extraordinary  on another front. It was packed with more than 200 patrons and many under the age 30. Not since Joanna McGregor performed here have I seen a full house for a classical music programme. When the music stopped, another soundscape kicked in. The sound of  buzz of conversation resonated in the room for a long time as the audience which included many family and friends of the musicians lingered to chat, take some snaps and generally  savour the magic. Bravo Billy and Friends and Ben Hanlon. It was marvellous!.


 

Friday, June 23, 2017

The Second Heaven of Desire in Old Tramore

Anyone walking around the Lafcadio Hearn Gardens in Tramore on a fine summer day might well imagine that they were in heaven. The beautiful gardens were designed in a Japanese spirit as an homage to an Irish writer who embraced the culture of his adopted homeland and wrote extensively on Japanese folklore and beliefs. Hearn spent childhood summers in Tramore as did the composer Paul Hayes who now lives in Japan. 'The Second Heaven of Desire in Old Tramore'   is a  setting of a short story from one of Hearn's collections. Hayes goes further and "imagines himself looking down from "heaven" on his own and Hearn's memories of Tramore". Hayes enlisted Donnacha O'Maidin to record theDawn Chorus in the gardens to form part of the piece.  The work will be premiered at a piano recital at the Large Room, City Hall Waterford, one of a plethora of events celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations between Ireland and Japan.

The programme will be performed by renowned pianist Satako Inoue and will include works by Japanese composers Takemitsu and Tanako and a work by Donegal based composer, John McLachlan.

Satoko Inoue

   piano recital

City hall Waterford

Tues June 27th 8pm

Tickets €10/ €5



Thursday, April 13, 2017

Earthquake in Krakow:


photo Wojciech Wandzel









I'm on my first visit to Poland. There was a nip and the smell of smoked sausage in the air when I arrived early on the overnight train from Prague and the horses drawn carriages were just beginning their first circuits of the Stare Miasto . The attraction is Misteria Paschalia, a week long festival dedicated to early sacred music with events taking place nightly in various venues around the historic city. The programme last night featured the exhumation of a 'sepulchro', a  rare sacred opera by a 17th century Italian composer unknown to me, Antonio Draghi. First performed in Vienna, Il Terremoto is described in the handsome programme notes as being a 'a Hallowed Play for the Holiest Sepulcre of Christ in the Most Magnificent Chapel of her Holy Roman Majesty Empress Eleanor'. The experience was like seeing a Fra Lippi, Renaissiance painting come to life with an early music sound track provided by the elegant and spirited playing of the combined forces of Polish and French Baroque ensembles, Arte dei Suonatori and La Poeme Harmonique under Vincent Dumestre. A terrific ensemble effort, among the most unusual voices heard was that of  counter tenor Domenique Visse. I loved the sound of the wire strung harp and I've never seen a viola de gamba player play his instrument like a lute before. The setting, the chiaroscuro lighting effects, the costumes and the dramatic performances  made this quite unlike any oratorio experience I've had to date. Superb!

As I conclude, the Virgin Mary, the Centurian, San Giovanni have just got into a taxi outside my hotel. It seems like a parallel universe to see the performers in civies.


Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Acis and Galatea Given a C&W Makeover




I caught the second night of  the latest Opera Theatre Co. production last night at the Watergate Theatre. The nymphs and shepherds of Handel's pastoral opera, Acis and Galatea  get a  country and western makeover and are transformed to line dancing, smirting young 'uns out for a night in their  local pub . A revolving set moves us from the cosy interior to the back door smoking area Mostly the conceit works well although occasionally the ancillary action distracts  from the singer  and I believe no one should have to sing while simultaneously managing a costume change.

The singing is  terrific throughout the ensemble. Eamonn  Mulhall fresh from his appearance at the National; Theatre Amadeus and Susanna Fairbairn are the ill fated lovers. Andrew Gavin impressed as Damon and Edward Grint was Polyphemus transformed to  a sinister bar room bully.

 If you are going , I suggest you sit near enough the orchestra so that you can watch Peter Whelan in action. Directing  from the harpsichord, it was a pleasure to watch this dynamic performer mould and shape his forces. Special mention to the wind who worked hard on oboe, piccolo and recorder to add distinctive pastoral colour to the score.



Handel' Acis and Galatea  is on a nationwide tour. It arrives in Waterford's Theatre Royal  next Monday . I see that the Dun Laoghaire date is sold out. If you have the time I suggest a mini break in the South East where you can enjoy your own pastoral bliss on the newly opened Waterford Greenway. Walk or cycle the rural coastal pathway which runs between the medieval port city and Dungarvan. The opening took place 50 years to the day of the final train journey along the route There was a wonderful atmosphere at the official opening. The Barrack Street Concert Band serenaded
passers by at the starting point in Carriganore . The sun split the stones and the sense of local pride was palpable. We are truly blessed to have such outstanding natural beauty on our doorstep and bravo to county manager, Michael Walsh and everyone who had the vision to see this project through.

Jennifer O Connell's piece on Waterford Grehttp://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ireland/waterford-s-46km-greenway-opens-for-cyclists-and-walkers-1.3022201
enway here



Tour dates for Acis and Galatea here http://www.opera.ie/whats-on/acis-galatea-1







 


Sunday, March 19, 2017

Weekend Round Up

The Bells The Bells 
As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds,
Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing.[9] 

Is there any more cheerful sound than the plangent peal of church bells ringing out on the quiet of a Sunday morning. I was at Christchurch Cathedral, Waterford this morning where many gathered for the Sunday morning service. Dean Maria Jansson welcomed former president Mary McAleese where spoke eloquently on the theme of immigration. After the service, all gathered outside to hear the newly restored bells ting out after a silence of almost two years. Patsy McGarry's piece here
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/waterford-church-bells-to-ring-out-against-xenophobia-1.2966781
The Cathedral Choir looked splendid in their red and white cassocks. Chiming perfectly with the sentiment of the occasion, the opening hymn was All People That on Earth Do Dwell. I loved the Henry Purcell anthem, Rejoice in the Lord Always and organist Eric Sweeney's rendition of a Carrillion by Louis Vierne. The Gospel Choir closed the programme with Bob Dylan's, Chimes of Freedom

When the Parade Passes By
 

I am not big devotee of parades and the notion of us all rushing out to march up and down during a month when our weather is at its most capricious strikes me as a form  of national folly. My heart goes out to the bands that have flown in from sunnier climes to march through our grey windswept streets. However, The best parade is your local one and  I thoroughly enjoyed Tramore's effort  this year. All local human life was here  marching and  perambulating through the streets of the seaside town. Pipers, dancing children, Roses in high heels and tractors-lots of tractors, little and large trundled through. It all took about twenty minutes which is just long enough to be standing around on a cold March afternoon. Watch the Tramore Parade here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNBJ2GNW52A

Reprise of Jim Nolan play: Good to meet  Garrett Keogh in Waterford today. The actor is in town for the performance of Jim Nolan's play at Garter Lane tomorrow (Monday) before the team embark on a nationwide tour. My report from the premiere last March here. Ihttp://cathydesmond.blogspot.ie/2016/03/johnny-i-hardly-you-at-garter-lane.html