Sunday Roundup from the South East

It has been a hectic week on the arts scene in the South East. Here are my highlights 

New Ross Piano Festival Sunday 

FINGHIN COLLINS
Schumann Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26
MELVYN TAN & CASSIOPEIA WINDS
Rimsky-Korsakov Quintet for piano and winds in B flat major
LISE DE LA SALLE
Gerry Murphy Ros Tapestry Suite V: Battles in the Kingdom of Ossory
Bach Fantasie and Fugue
Ravel Gaspard de la Nuit

I am just back from a wonderful afternoon of music at the New Ross Piano Festival. This weekend festival  dedicated to the piano gathered a confluence of elements to make it so much more than a string of solo recitals in a scenic riverside location.  Artistic director,Finghin Collins,  to his own impeccable skills added  a quartet of European soloists at the top of their game, a wind quintet for exploring chamber music repertoire, a near perfect acoustic of an old country church and a magnificent Steinway grand piano  to produce  a terrific hive of musical activity blessed by Autumn sunshine.  Bravo Mr Collins and committee! Definitely marking the last weekend in September 2015 in my diary. 

Thrilled by an afternoon of dazzling virtuosity, chamber music conviviality, sunshine and superb musicianship Bravo tutti @newrosspnofest
— Fidleir (@fidleir) September 28, 2014

Waterford Concert Orchestra: Pictures of Ireland  Saturday 

Conductor Kevin O Carroll and the Waterford Concert Orchestra marked the Waterford 1100 year with a gala concert of pieces with an Irish connection. The headline piece was the first performance in the medieval city of Shaun Davey's Granuaile Suite. Karen Donovan was the soloist in the epic hour long work. While it was good to hear the popular work in it's entirety, it was the second half works that most impressed. In the clever arrangements of Leroy Anderson's Irish Suite, individual timbres were heard clearly in the sometimes soupy acoustic of Christchurch Cathedral. It was terrific to hear work by two local composers. Mitch Cuss is trumpet player with the orchestra. His work, a movement from his suite entitled Lineage was a pen picture of his grandparents. In the notes, Cuss informs us that his surname is derived from the Irish word cos or leg The closing work was a substantial tone poem by Greg Scanlon. Legacy closed with a stirring rendition of the Angel's Chorus from Maritana performed by a mixed choir drawn from Madrigallery, WMVC and Voci. What a pity there was no official from Waterford City/County Council to add a civic gravitas to the occasion.

Dean Friedman  Friday Garter Lane 

I didn't have high expectations for an evening with Dean Friedman. I associated him with a couple of very catchy hit songs from decades ago  but I was wowed. Sharp well crafted  lyrics, mellifluous vocals with a Sesame Street twang and impressive keyboard skills. He reminded me of Randy Newman in the soft edged but biting satire and in understated  donnish style. It pains me to record that the audience was more meagre  than an artist of this calibre merited. How best to market these events in this era of fractured information platforms is a problem but it isn't enough for an arts centre  or a promoter to put an event on a website. Clearly more of a push in the marketing is   required.

Enthralling set @DeanFriedman full of wit charm & skill Catch this distinctive NY troubadour @arthurspub #Dublin tonight Athlone Sun
— Fidleir (@fidleir) September 27, 2014

Imagine Launch St Patrick's Gateway Centre Thursday

There was a palpable buzz of anticipation  among the arts community
gathered at the newly refurbished St Patrick's Gateway Church for the launch of the Imagine Festival 2014. Cllr Jason Murphy opened the proceedings. It was good to hear poet Edward Denniston refer to the contribution of  Rev Fred Vincent in instigating the process of opening the venue to a wider congregation. Jim Nolan handed over to actor Jamie Beamish to read from his play Dreamland. Director of Imagine Ollie Breslin spoke with passion about the arts in Waterford . Finally editor of the Irish Times, Kevin O Sullivan expressed  trenchant views on the state of arts in Ireland in his substantial address. More on this evening  in my next post. But for the time being mark October 16-26th in your diaries and check out the itinerary here www.imagineartsfestival.com 

'It is very important for a city to tell it's own stories' #Imaginefest Director Ollie Breslin at launch @obwaterford
— Imagine Festival (@Imagine_Fest) September 27, 2014

Weekend Roundup from Rain Sodden South East

Finghin Collins

Christchurch Cathedral 

It was a weekend of grey skies and  floods threatened to submerge the island. On Saturday evening, amid the  shuffle of falling raindrops, the elegant 18th century interior space of Christchurch Cathedral resounded with the Latin American rhythms of beguines, tangos and two steps and  blue notes of jazz, (A preview of the evening here). While red shirted rugby fans mulled ruefully over sporting events in The Munster Bar,  Finghin Collins gave a bravura rendition of the solo piano part of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the Waterford Concert Orchestra under conductor Kevin O Carroll . At the close of the first half, audience and orchestra members  rose to their feet to applaud the virtuoso pianist.  I have to declare an interest,  as a member of the string section.  Clarinetist, Stephen Mackey shimmered in the opening opening of the emblematic work. The huge brass and wind section showed they were well able to swing it in arrangements by Bernstein, Cole Porter. Trumpet player Mitch Cuss sparkled in an homage to  'Satchmo' .  Sinead O Carroll also featured as piano soloist in the opening work Danzon by Mexican composer, Marquez. Inclement weather didn't deter patrons and in many years of attending events here, I can't remember seeing it as full as it was last night with a capacity house adding to the sense of a gala occasion. I can report that both soloist and conductor wore summer white jackets. There  was a very sociable buzz with much meeting and greeting during the generous interval. Among the patrons, we met  composer, Gerry Murphy who tells me he is working on a commemorative piece for 1916. Secretary of Cork Operatic Society,  Deirdre Long told me that work has begun on the next production Der Vampyr. A very special evening in Waterford. Great to have been there and to be a part of it!
'.

Dominic Finn 

  On Saturday morning, choral composer and Director of Music at St. Colman's Cathedral Cobh made it through wind and rain and arrived in Waterford to lead a workshop in liturgical music at St John's Pastoral Centre. Finn presented an attractive and  varied selection of  liturgical music by contemporary Irish and American composers and the ensemble drawn from choirs from around the county quickly got to grips with some serious 4 part harmony.  An engaging and good humoured facilitator, Finn shared some of his views on style and substance of liturgical music. ' A gospel acclamation should be joyful, uplifting and driven'  he said. He spoke about matching music to the surroundings. What might resonate in a great cathedral space maybe being different to what might suit a more modest parish church.

@fidleir @ArtsCathedral thanks

and bravo to Kevin and all the members of the orchestra for fine, spirited performances!
— Finghin Collins (@FinghinCollins) February 9, 2014

Neil Brand The Big Score

After a long journey on rain sodden highways, it was a relief to collapse in front of the telly on Friday evening. I don't usually mention TV programmes on these reports but Neil Brand's documentary of film music was so good that I am making an exception and  noting it here. The Sound of the Cinema was aired on Friday night, BBC 4. In the first episode, Brand gave fascinating insights into the work of 30's film composers of Steiner, Korngold and Hermann. Among the highlights, he travelled to Hollywood to peer into the hand written scores of classic movies,  The Adventures of Robin Hood and Psycho and  met one of a rare musical species, silent movie organist Bernie Anderson There are two more episodes airing on Friday evenings. I recommend staying in or setting your recorder.

First published 9th Feb , amended 10th Feb

http://cathydesmond.blogspot.ie/2013/07/credo-amen-day-at-irish-church-music.html

http://cathydesmond.blogspot.ie/2011/07/movies-in-cathedral.html