The last Lenten Sunday began to the temperate treacly tones of broadcaster Tim Thurston as hepresented his Sunday morningradio show, Gloria Like a morningtide liturgical Whispering Bob, the LyricFM presenter shares several qualities with Bob Harris, the iconic BBC presenter of the Old Grey Whistle Test. First there is the soothing baritone voice, deep and rich like molasses mixed with double cream. Then there is his zeal for unearthing and eulogising little known work, in this case sacred choral music with a particular penchant for Renaissance composers and finally his good cheer, earnest but in a calm unruffled sort of a way rather than a happy clappy Marty fashion. Always appropriate to the liturgical calendar, Sunday's playlist included Passion chorales, Allegri's Miserere and Russian Orthodox chants .
2009 Wexford Festival Choir Excerpts Theresienmesse. marking 200th anniversary of Haydn's death
In the afternoon I joined the Limerick Baroque Players and the Mary Immaculate Choral Society for their Spring Concert, a performance of Haydn's Theresienmesseat St Mary's Cathedral, Limerick. Not as frequently performed as The Seasons or The Nelson Mass, there is plenty of melodic variety and rhythmic energy, dynamic contrasts to make it a very enjoyable work to play. and comes late in the Classical composer's canon when he was enjoying a degree of notoriety following his London symphonies. The work is apparently a named for the soprano who first sang it rather than for to wife of Haydn's patron for whom it was commissioned.
Soprano Marie Therese , 1799
The quartet of singersdelivered fine singing and there was time for some chat in the green room before the performance. Contralto, Sarah Ellen Murphy told me she had enjoyed opening the Kate O Brien weekend recently with a recital of newly composed songs by her friend Fiona Linnane.
Soprano Carmel Conway 2012
Carmel Conway is a very versatile performer and she chatted about her experience of touring with American singer Nanci Griffith .Owen Gilhooly has been busy touring with OTC's much lauded production of The Magic Flute and can be heard again soon atthe Limerick Choral Union's performance of Brahm's Requiem at the end of the month. There was a lot of interest in young Dublin based tenor, Lawrence Thackery a recent prizewinner at the Feis Ceoil . A founder member of DYOC, I met Lawrence recently in Ennis at a terrific showcase of young operatic talent in Dublin Youth Opera Company's Jukebox Opera , Thicker than Water. (My review here)
Bass Owen Gilhooly,
Conductor Michael Murphy
Among the large attendance were Gertie McCabe Secretary of the Irish Church Music Association and Malcolm Green, conductor of Limerick Choral Union. Great music, splendid singing. elegant venue, the company of musicians . No better way to spend a Lenten Sunday afternoon.
Weary of Oh Holy Night Already? Originally banned by the church and part of a seminal moment of the history of recording, have a listen to the fascinating history of the uber popular French carol here courtesy of Fionn Davenport's Newstalk podcasts.My first memory of hearing this carol was at a Lord Mayor's concert in City Hall, Cork about thirty years ago, sung by teenage soprano, Mary Hegarty, a clear and powerful voice soaring over the orchestra in the large hall.
Here is a round up of the various renditions I have heard in Clare in the last fortnight. Even in this heartland of traditional Irish music, this French operatic carol has taken firm root and features on most carol evenings in the run up to the 25th Dec. Fond and all as I am of it, I suggest some ground rules to preserve some of its 'je ne sais quoi' How about 'No singer to be allowed to perform it twice in a a two week period unless in a different language or backwards and no performance during daylight hours (which God knows are very brief enough anyway), for starters.Perhaps the parish musical director could arrange a licencing scheme, any breaches punishable by excommunication or early morning cantor duty for a suitably punitive period !
For a brief moment I thought I might be called upon to emulate radio engineer Reginald Fessendon's historic task of broadcasting a solo violin version when not one but two guest sopranos were indisposed on Christmas Eve. (yes, one could quote Oscar Wilde, to lose one, most unfortunate but two!..), but parish radio listeners were spared when Tony Murray (most recently seen as Mr Bumble in Ennis Musical Society's production of Oliver) stepped forward from the tenor ranks to perform the favourite. Bravo Tony! Bravo indeed sir!
