A heart warming Dancing at Lughnasa by Ennis Players

By Guest Blogger John Hartery
The Ennis Players performed an outstanding version of Brian Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa at Glór this week. The play is marked by a wonderful ensemble that brought to life the Donegal man's masterpiece. Lughnasa was first performed in 1990 and went on to harvest a raft  of awards including a Tony and was captured on film with Meryl Streep.

The play is set in the traditional setting for Friel's work, the village of Ballybeg in Donegal. It  is1936. The work is masterfully constructed around the characters of 5 very different sisters who live together in a rural setting. Their life is disrupted by the  arrival of Uncle Jack from the missions in Africa with a suspect past.

In the Ennis Players version,  Jim Manning is sure footed and confident narrator that interprets the action  and places the events of that Summer in the lives of all the characters. Rachel Cullihan plays  the school teacher / matriarch pious sister. Bríd Finnegan was an hilarious Maggie, the funny one who always looks on the bright

Film Poster

side. Saoirse Byrne was very impressive as Agnes and Emer O'Flaherty was the immature youngest that the rest of the siblings looked out for. Tara Manning played  Chris whose face lit up when her lover managed to show up. Veteran of the Ennis  Players John Finn carried off the pivotal role of Uncle Jack with aplomb and was at his best in the monologue in the second act. Joe Varden played a fine role as Gerry Evans, the Lothario,  whose life outside Ballybeg was a mystery.

The set,designed by Allen Flynn and Mike Kelly, was  excellent and made full use of the large Glór stage. Lighting was by Mike Kelly and the subtle sound by Arthur Ford was effective.
Plaudits to director Jackie Sheridan for a show that offered  the subtlety, power and sharp characterisation of the original and used a well chosen ensemble of actors.

This was one of the best amateur production I have  seen and it   runs till 11th April

More by Ennis Players here

A Musical Bouillabaisse: Dán premiere gig at Glór

        Dán rehearsing at Glór Ennis for premiere performance



It is refreshing to go along to a gig where the music is so newly minted that you have no idea what sounds will be created with no recording or YouTube clips available  to preview the performance, The blurb suggested a pan Celtic ensemble with a bit of poetry thrown in. They may have had a diminuitive title but the fourteen members of  Dán spread out to fill the large Glór stage last night to form an impressive large  ensemble. The group  it appears are an amalgam of three groups from Ireland (Guidewires), England (Kan) and Brittany (The Breton Quartet) augmented further by a  Scottish female vocalist Alyth Mc Cormack .  The result  was a sort of spicy musical bouillabaisse with jazz and traditional  elements, a dash of tango over a base of  a counterpoint of minimalist instrumental riffs .

 The line up featured drums and bass guitar, two fiddles, two flutes, four guitar plus bazouki, concertina , accordion. I was reminded of Andy Irvine's Mozaik experiment with the Balkan cross rhythms and changing time signatures and also Penguin Cafe in the scale of the ensemble and the approach of layering musical patterns. While there was great energy in the whole ensemble segments, I enjoyed the smaller more flexible groupings .  Lively Breton box player Janick Martin  had a  pivitol role at the centre flanked on either side by twin flute and fiddles .  The occasional  poems worked very well  recited by McCormack with rhapsodic accompaniment from the reduced ensemble, Tola Custy's violin melodic line fitting very well with the meter of Theo Dorgan's maritime poem. In contrast,  the first half included a poem by Northumbrian poet Tickell, on a coal mining theme. All in all it mostly worked very well , sometimes hitting rich veins  and was never less than interersting .  There were some well known faces in the audience including  fiddler Siobhan Peoples and flautist  Kevin Crawford of Lúnasa. Dán will play at the National Concert Hall tonight (Thursday),  as part of Fleadh Cheoil in Cavan on Saturday and at the close of  Kilkenny Arts Festival on Sunday

**It would have been pleasant to linger a while at this convivial venue after a novel musical venture to guage reactions but sadly there was no post show mingling of performers and listeners.  Perhaps it was the lack of  the imperative of a CD to sell or  pressure of a gig at the NCH next day but no musicians came front of house following the perfromance.  As in UCH Limerick, the bar was closed and patrons left fairly promptly.

Related Article  Journal of Music : http://journalofmusic.com/radar/dan-collaboration

Denouement of 'Drama at Ennis' - The All Ireland One Act Plays

Winners All

All Ireland One Act Play Winners 
MACE Best Actor Award: Irene Kelleher from Kilmeen Drama Group
Best Overall Performance: Irene Kelleher from Kilmeen Drama Group
Winners of the Confined Section : Corofin Dramatic Society (2nd place to Compantas Lir of Claregalway; 3rd to Breffni Players of Carrick on Shannon)
Winners of the Open Section: Kilmeen Drama Group (2nd place to Prosperous Drama Society; 3rd place to Athlone Little Theatre)
Adjudicator's awards go to: actor Robert Massey from Prosperous Drama Society and Director TJ Duggan from Prosperous Dramatic  Society
DLI Scholarship goes to: John Dennehy from Bradán Óg, Leixlip

   Reviews here


Following fast on the heels of Druid's Big Maggie, I attended another festive evening of theatre at Glór, Ennis the culmination of a weekend packed with drama when the winners of the One Act Drama Finals were announced.

 Patrons were greeted by masked giant doormen a la Macnas setting the party atmosphere at the door and the foyer bar was buzzing when we arrived as thespians discussed the events of the weekend.  The first play was a rather dark tale of a victim meeting her attacker after ten  years suffering the consequences of their last encounter.  It was followed by a slice of life as observed by Alan Bennett, in a trademark exposition of the tragedy of ordinary middle class lives.  In this offering by Bray Arts,  the sense of achievement of  lifetime by  amiable retiree Dodsworth is decimated in the space of afternoon tea by a visit from  Mrs. Protheroe.
 
It was a pleasure to hear voices projected clearly without any amplification. MC John Finn was greeted warmly by the audiences and his drole introductions  with impeccable comic timing drew lots of laughter.  Anna Walker as adjudicator  was excellent in delivering constructive criticism with a  sense warm empathy


Tumble Circus were  bit of a slow burner and took a little time to win their audience around but maybe it was the gold spraypainted hula hoops that eventually earned them their standing ovation. This group are used to audiences standing as they are streeet entertainers after all and were a good choice to complement  the more wordy theatrical offerings.

Directors take a bow!

Eventually, we came to the final act, the awards ceremony.  This was a one act play in itself, delivered with suitable aplomb to a hushed auditorium.  The vibrant painted backdrop cast a glow,  'actors' were accompanied on stage by the giant masked  figures band  to a blast of suitable music, 'Oscars'  style.  Everybody hammed it up a bit and it was all the better for it. There were speeches from stakeholders, Chairman Allen Flynn, Chairman of Drama League of Ireland and adjudicators Paul Cusack and Anna Walker. 

My guest blogger who saw all the performances felt that the adjudicators had got it right, althought Two by Jim Cartwright was his personal favourite.  Overall the consensus from the experts I spoke to were in agreement with the choices and readily agreed that Disco Pigs was a memorable piece. Anna Walker made the interesting point that there is a blurring of lines between amateur and professional scenes in Ireland and some of the most relevant theatre she has seen is on the amateur circuit. Perhaps being free of the commercial restraints gives the amateur societies  more freedom to present cutting edge work.

There was a sense of glee and collegiality as whole sections of the audience hooped and hollered and jumped up and down as the results were announced and this was particularly so from the local winners Corofin Dramatic Society  With many of the participants staying in town, patrons lingered in the foyer and the place  was buzzing with post performance adrenaline as the results were mulled over.  It was great to see Glór full for every performance. It was a very suitable venue for this endeavour.  Bravo! to the  Ennis Players and chairman Allen Flynn, who were excellent hosts and worked hard to make their guests feel at home.  Next year to Ballyduff in West Waterford  renowned for a long and proud tradition of amateur drama.  We'll be there!

An English pub, three sisters' secret & a suburban comedy - Session 3 of the One Act Finals

By Guest Blogger

The audience was all present and correct at 2pm for the 3rd session of the All Ireland One Act Plays. Despite the late night at the splendid Festival Club at the  Old Ground Hotel, the drama afficionados were all set. The foyer  chatter was about adjudicator Anna Walker and speculation as to  how she would mark the overall competition.
Master of Ceremonies John Finn has by now cemented his reputation as one of the out-of-competition stars of the  weekend. His serial jokes about Maria Moloney's mobile phone are delivered to comic perfection. I like his brief vignettes where he recoounts his backstage conversation with each company.

Reviews
First up was locals Corofin Dramatic Society with 'What's For Pudding' by David Tristram.  This was a suburban comedy much in the style of the Terry & June TV sitcom of the 70's /80's,  complete with drinks trolley. The play was directed by Eileen Lahiffe and she did a fine job in creating a very funny comedy. The plotline is about a  bored married, couple Jack (Peter Daffy) and Mary (Sandra Cox), who  interrupted on a Saturday evening by their friends Ted (Kevin Glynn) and Maureen (Maria McCahill) and Denis (Pat O'Reilly) and what follows is a number of gags that lead to thawing in the relationship.  Maria McCahill was the stand out character with a great sense of comic timing that wrung every bit of humour from the script. The set was terrific and could be any suburban sitting room.  The audience with lots of home town support loved this show and hooted with laughter at  the many scripted and visual jokes. A well delivered farce.

The second play was Two by Jim Cartwright presented by the Athlone Little Theatre and directed by Oliver Hegarty. This is a true gem of a play that is set in a North of England pub populated  with a range of  characters and centres around the landlord and landlady. In all there were 14 characters but only two actors. Anne Hoey played the landlady and John McGlynn was the landlord. I thought that John McGlynn was outstanding and his characters ranged from a genial 'mine host' through to a young schoolboy and  a brutal wife beater. Anne Hoey was particulary effective as the defeated wife. The final scene between two was delivered brilliantly and there were a few eyes dabbed around me. The play reminded me of The TV series Early Doors  with its pathos and Northern bluntness.  The set design was by Pat Finneran, lighting and sound by Paddy Martin with Bernie Naughton responsible for stage management and costumes. Two's  production and acting will surely be in the frame when the gongs are handed out. Bravo!

The third play this afternoon was The Donahue Sisters by Geraldine Aron which was directed by Dermot Hession. The company  was the Compántas Lír from  Claregalway. The three actresses in the play  were; Mary McCarthy, Breda Hannon and Mary Killackey and they formed a fine ensemble. The story is of  three middle aged women gathering in their parents' attic to relive memories. Their lives and loves have developed  in different ways but they quickly reconnect  and we get a scene of sisters with an indelible bond. However this is a strange bond as a memory is recalled and we  see them recreate a terror. The crime scene was compelling and I liked the changes in delivery as each spoke the  voice of the victim.
A fine piece of work very well produced.

John Hartery

Druid brings Big Maggie to Glór Party

Druid cast at Glór for 10th anniversary

New Glór director Gemma Carcaterra

Tom Coughlan

The Glór arts centre was opened in Ennis 2001 in another economic age. Ten years on, the decade of delivering arts in The Banner County was marked with  a gala celebration and a performance of Big Maggie.(Review Below)

Before the performance, Glór hosted a pre-show reception to acknowledge the support of  its various stakeholders; sponsors, friends, local press and Clare County Council. There was a convivial glass of wine and delicious canapés courtesy of Dromoland Castle and Old Ground Hotel with both Mark Nolan and Allen Flynn in attendance. Among the guests, I met Terence Mangan, of Mangan Holdings Bros long standing sponsors, with his antipodean guest Alan Aughney and Madeline McAleer of Clare Focus, Eoin O Neill of the Ceili Bandits and media expert, Ciana Campbell . 

Garry Hynes

Val Balance

Speakers included; Chairman of Clare County Council Tom Coughlan and Garry Hynes of Druid Theatre who stressed the importance of state sponsored professional live theatre and that  she was delighted that her company had featured in 9 of  last 10 years programming at the venue. Val Balance representing the Arts Council spoke of the great record of Glór in delivering live entertainment and he particularly highlighted the commitment of Clare County Council to the arts. The contribution of the outgoing director Katie Verling was lauded and  new director Gemma Carcaterra was introduced by the chairman and she spoke of her delight at assuming the role. The audience boasted not one but two Clare mayors, as Alan Augney the Mayor of Clare in Southern Australia and Pat Hayes the 'local' Mayor of Clare were both in attendance.

Review of Big Maggie: There was a full house for the set piece of the evening, the Druid Theatre's production of John B Keane's 'Big Maggie'. The play is at the early stages of a national tour, it  recently finished a week in Dublin, and is  selling out in most venues. The eponymous Big Maggie character is a rarity in drama or literature; a malevelont female lead, her blackness exceeded only by Greek anti heroine, Medea. Aisling O'Sullivan dominated the play as she delivered a compelling performance as the grotesque matriarch that overpowered her family. Recently widowed, Maggie is driven by the need to instil independence in her children and to protect  her recently secured financial freedom after the death of her husband. All this within  a   valley  of the squinting mirrors type community when an anonymous letter  updates her an the indiscreet daliance of her daughter. In a brave move (with perhaps an eye on expanding their audience demographic), Druid cast Keith Duffy, the pop star and soap actor, as Teddy Heelin the playboy charmer and he was quite convincing in the role. It was good to see Abbey Theatre veterans John Olohan and Des Nealon among the cast, a blend of youth and experience.  I particularly liked Olohan's performance as as the gossipy stonemason and would-be suitor.

 John B Keane wrote Big Maggie in 1969 and whilst as a country we have undoubtedly moved on from the vice-like-grip of church imposed morals of that time, the play stands up well and the timeless tale of divvying up family assets amongst children is a good plotline.

Anna Managhan the original Big Maggie

Anne Marie Hourihane, writing in yesterday's Irish Times, claims 'nostalgia is a growth industry in these tough times' and the number of people I met  who claim to have been at the Gaiety in 1969 to see Anna Manahan's legendary portrayal of Maggie Polpin was reminiscent of the legions purporting to be present in the GPO in 1916! It seems that many of the successful  productions we see now are revivals with audiences  seeking to relive theatrical experiences of the past.
  There is of course  room for nostalgia,  particularly when it is as well executed as this production. But, I believe current theatre programming in general lacks  the rough edgy sense  of  drama of recent decades when premiers were more prevalent. Is theatre in Ireland in the 21st century 'a glorious anachronism, a form revelling in its own afterlife? as claimed by Fintan  O'Toole in a  recent piece. Where are the Brenton, Hare, Churchill  and John B Keane's of this era who  are not afraid to tackle heavyweight  modern social or political plotlines?  The truth is, I can't think of an Irish contemporary equivalent and yet there is a wealth of good source material.  My impression  is that we look  outside mainstream theatre  for our commentary and satire of the present age.  The success of the recent Kilkenomics Festival, where  relatively young audiences in great numbers paid good money to hear comedians debate with economists might seem bizarre but suggests a demand  for a live forum for airing of weighty topics. Comedian Mario Rosenstock sells out regularly in his solo stand comedy routines lampooning major figures in our contemporary national scene.   Aristophanes must be turning in his grave.

John B

 I enjoyed this production enormously.  It was very funny and  I was reminded of some of my own granny's acerbic repartee. The performances  were flawless. Mostly I enjoyed the sense of bustle of a community gathering for the telling of a tale,  the enhancement effect of laughter when it is shared by 400 people all  on the same wavelength, the common talking points at the interval and the party atmosphere and sense of occasion at the pre show celebration . I look forward to more drama at Inis We don't have too wait too long as the finals of the country's amateur one act drama competitions  will be held in Glór this weekend.

November Remembrance in Clare with The Three Legged-Stool Poets.



 
 




Guest Edward O Dwyer at Clare Poets Meeting



 

Maybe it was the installation of a poet in the Áras, the uncharacteristic intense November sunshine bathing the Clare county town or perhaps it was the oxygen of publicity for the meeting in the local press that drew  the largest gathering to date to Glór in Ennis for the monthly gathering of the Three Legged-Stool Poets on Saturday afternoon.   Young Limerick based poet Edward O Dwyer, as guest, opened the procedings and read a selection of poems beginning with We will Always Have Paris. Arthur Watson presided over the proceedings and there were something in the region of a dozen contributers with poems reflecting a range of themes at the open mike. Too many to mention all contributions but  I loved Jinny'Thomas' humourous extended metaphor, The Train of Thought. There  was a lyrical quality to Rosemary Power's lovely translations.  Noel Harrington who will be guest poet next month gave a glimpse of what to expect in Apologies to Teenagers No. 2. Fred Johnson made some thought provoking observations on the response of poets to politics in Possibilities of the Sonnet . Patrick's Stack's poems had an anti war theme and Michael Reeve's poem drew on ballroom dance forms tango and rhumba in his offering. 

Poets Joe Cronin & Peter Kay and a blogger



In our thoughts was the late Brendan O Beirne who was guest poet  when I first played for the group. Can it really be a year since  Julie Feeney  delighted the group with her songs in memory of the late Brecan Mooney.

      
  





As musical guest today, I had the privilege of punctuating the procedings with some musical interludes. Taking the theme of remembrance, I thanked the Clare Poets for their help in recording my grandmother, Helen Sheehan's poems earlier this year and offered two of her favourite tunes as an opener. Later I played a movement from a solo Bach suite, perhaps the musical equivalent of a sonnet and the signature music for Bowman on Sunday, based on radio archives. I   paired the Courante with the theme Gabriel's Oboe , Oboe being the title of one of O Dwyer's collections. For a close to the procedings, picking up the World War One theme I played the popular melody for Roses of Pickardy.

Eamonn an Chnoic                 Irish Air          
Andulko                                  Czech Folksong
Courant
  Cello Suite no 1 G major     Bach
Gabriel's Oboe                       Morricone
Roses of Pickardy                 Haydn Wood/ Weatherly

More info on the group's activities can be found on  http://www.clarepoets.com/

Remembering Clare's Fallen Victims of World War 1 : Exhibition compiled by Peadar McNamara continues until November 30th at Clare Museum , Ennis

When Jolie Met Christie at Glór Ennis

Christie Hennessy, Aonghus McAnally, Al Jolsen

It is said that of all the performers of national and international standing that performed in Glór, the only one that a local enclosed order of nuns invited to tea in their parlour was Christie Hennessy who delighted the sisters with a selection of  hits.  There was a good crowd gathered in Glor Ennis  tonight (Mon) for When Jolie Met Christie, a new musical theatre piece inspired by the life and music of the late Tralee born, singer songwriter,  whose songs have been recorded by numerous Irish artists. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this tribute show but this was a multi layered and highly entertaining presentation . 

The show is based on the premise that Christie Hennessy and Al Jolsen meet in heaven and the iconic jazz singer Jolsen becomes in effect the narrator who charts Christie's jouney through life, punctuated by Christie's songs .  A similar device was used in  the Avignon OFF production of Beethoevn Ce Manouche where the plot is built around a celestial meeting of Beethoven and Django Reinhardt.  Here McAnally's  monologues are a central part of the production rather than just  a device to move from one number to the next. There were resonances also in Sandy Kelly's retelling of the  Patsy Cline biography at this venue.

Aonghus McAnally, well known as a broadcaster shod in blue suede shoes demonstrates an impressive dramatic and vocal  range as well as skillful guitar playing and portrays the egotistical Jolson and the mild mannered Christie with equal facility  The story is a heart warming and compelling one, that of an orphaned illiterate emigrant, turned travelling troubadour who despite terrible travails gradually achieves 'stardom' .  There are many noteworthy elements  to the production directed by Ray Yeates. The set  designed by Robert Ballagh is  effective, the  taut beautifully written script  by Sean McCarthy sustains the pace throughout .  McAnally who delivers a compelling performance, is well supported on stage by musicians Nuala Ni Chanainn  on  violin, vocals , percussion and pianist Ivan McKenna.  The amplification mercifully is unobtrusive and the colour of the string timbres is not distorted.

The show opens and closes with 'I am a Star' (Rolling Back the Clouds) and the closing number was greeted by a  standing ovation by the  audience .  In Ennis the show attracted a relatively senior audience. McAnally who seemed positively energised by his experience on the Glor stage spoke to me about the role. You can hear the passion and enthusiasm for his subject in this interview following the show.  Nearing the end of an extensive tour, a few opportunities  remain to see the production in Castlebar, Leitrim, Drogheda and Bray. It is well worth a visit.




Aonghus McAnally talks about his role -foyer interview

Classical Twist at Glór

Young Slovakian violinist  Vladimir Jablokov brought his quintet to Glór Ennis as last Wednesday in a programe of jazz and rock infused music underpinned with a fine  classical virtuoso technique.   I have to confess to approaching midweek events at this venue with a sense of trepidation as turnouts can tend to be low regardless of the calibre of artist and it is not a cosy venue for small intimate audiences.   The audience in fact numbered a respectable  eighty or so and filled the back section of the stalls  and last row of front stalls with  a core of half a dozen of us occupying the front row.

Vladimir bounded onto the Glor stage, the epitomy of cool  in a natty silver grey piped suit with matching winkle pickers and ran through a set list drawn from his new album augmented with some from Fiddler on the Roof. He spoke a little bit about his background and his experiences of busking in Grafton Street where most of his fans will have heard him first. I first came across Vladimir in the Gaiety Theatre where his dulcimer ensemble attired in Hungarian costume entertained in the foyer of the Gaiety at a Jim Molloy production called the Great Waltz, a perfect aperitif to the sparkling fare that followed. The Slovak Festival Orchestra is another of his endeavours, a chamber orchestra of family members and conservatoire students who played with great verve and enthusiasm when I heard them at UCH Limerick. My review of Mario Lanza tribute show here. Classical Twist is a relatively new venture and having toured pubs last year including Upstairs at Dolan's last November (my review here ) is going into larger venues this year.

The show was great fun . Vladimir is a star, compelling to watch and plays with his usual exuberance moving around the stage like a stadium  rocker tempered with the charm of a salon performer.  He is very well served by his band. What a pleasure to hear Adam Kurac on a proper accoustic grand piano rather than an electric model . Kurac's arrangements and original compositions are subtle and viola players will appreciate the rich alto lines beautifully played by Stefan Balazovics. The line up includes Andrew Czibi on bass who aquitted himself very well on his first night with the band.  If I had a criticism, it is that Conor Murray on drums was a little heavy handed overall  particularly in Eleanor Rigby. Younger brother Victor Jablokov completed the quintet.

At this venue audiences tend to disperse favouring the tiered seats at the rear stalls leaving the large front stalls on the flat deserted which  creates  a distance between artists on stage and audience when numbers are less than a hundred. *
Many fans stayed to meet Vladimir  and his band members who graciously came front of house to meet and greet  following the show and while his new CD has   much to recommend it, this is one act you have to see live!

*Several artists have remarked on this as they peered out to see if there is anyone there. Sitting in the front row with a few fellow enthusiasts with a gap of yards between you and the next full row can make one feel a little isolated . A middle aged lady on my left remarked she felt like a groupie. There must be a way to consolidate the audience reduce the size of the auditorium to create a more intimate space for these events. Is there a way of curtaining off the wide wing areas  and introducing some subtle lighting so the artist can see his audience. Performers  on the stalls floor works but I presume there are logistical difficulties in moving the piano .

D'Unbelievables at Glór

As an extra night was added to an already sold out extended run we went along to hear  Jon Kenny and Pat Short reunited for nationwide tour. What new sharp observations would they have on contemporary rural Ireland since their last outing  some years ago? I wondered. They certainly had much potential material to work with. 

Tommy Fleming at Glór Ennis

Set List                                                                           Second half
Going Home
Dream a Little Dream                                                     Isle of Hope
Sand and Water                                                            Danny Boy
You raised me up                                                           Solitaire
The Boxer                                                                       Vincent
The Contender                                                                 All I want is you
Bright Blue Rose                                                               Carousel When You Walk
Halcyon Days                                                                    Will Ye Go Lassie Go
Christmas 1915                                                                  Hard Times
                                                                                            Encore Smile

The car park was full to overflowing when I arrived at Glór indicating a  full house for this popular entertainer and I gather he usually packs this venue on his tours here in  recent years.   I had never heard Tommy Fleming  live and my first recollection of hearing him was in an interview with Gay Byrne  following a comeback after a car accident which must have been some time ago now. So I was curious to see what sort of live performer he was and what  factor drew his consistently large audiences.

Clare Poets Take a Haiku



Yuki performs Cherry Blossom



Yuki explains her Haiku

I spent the afternnon at The Clare Three Legged Stool Poets monthly meeting at Glor.. There was quite a lot of business to conduct with the launching of the group's Haiku competition for schools.  The afternoon was ably compered by Rob Hopkins and there were many contributers today.  Fred Johnston  spoke about the technical aspects of composing a Haiku.- which is a short 17 syllable poem and not to be confused with a well known ritual tribal dance  ; teachers from Clare schools spoke about the positive impact the inititaive is having  in their schools. Yuki Nishioka spoke about the genre and demonstrated one of her own.  A multi faceted performer she sang and played some traditional Japaneese melodies    It was good to hear a young voice at the gathering and Mark James performed his rap influenced rhymes with and without guitar .


Pat MacNamara of Knockanean NS School





Fred lays down the ground rules



There was good variety in the open mic session. Ilsa Thielen opened with a poem about a horse (a common theme lately), Noel Mulqueen followed with some Yeats and MC Rob read from his own work . Peter Kay was I believe a new voice to the group and remembered the late  and sadly missed Brendan O Beirne.  Arthur Watson's work  always makes me smile and today's offerings about lawn mowers, rural  health centres and acronyms was no exception.  Brian Mooney spoke about forthcoming events and Pat MacNamara disproving the old adage,  (those who can, do and those who can't ....)closed the written word offerings with a powerful war poem of his own.



Mark Jame Poetry Slam Winner

Mary Fean of RINS Fm Shannonside Radio Station was there to conduct an interview with the main movers and shakers in the group. Unfortunately Glór, strangely enough, closed up at 5.15 pm and we had to leave - which  effectively curtailed the informal exchange that is very much part of such an occasion. Next meeting is on Saturday 19th February and features Paddy Bushe from Kerry.  Put in your diary!  http://www.clarepoets.com/

Peter Kay

Review of the Year - Some of the best musical moments of 2010

Looking back over the blog I have selected some of the most memmorable moments of 2010. Reviews on all items can be found in last year's years blog and can be found using the search button.

Conductor  David Chase conductor gave a memorable performance with the La Jolla Chorus from San Diego at Glór, Ennis. They were wonderful and he had a charming  and commanding presence.  His erudite vocal introductions to a most interesting programme added much to the pleasure of the occasion.

Performance The Good Friday concert by Limerick Choral Union including a performance of Jenkins Stabat Mater was a highlight. Conductor Malcolm Greene created a hair raising experience combining many unusual elements. It was perhaps the performance I most enjoyed participating in I  can't give a fully  unbiased review as I was playing in the viola section!

Composer  I was impressed with Sean Tyrrell's setting in a trad idiom of  The Midnight Court at the Highway Inn  in Crusheen

Best  Pub Gig  We really enjoyed Vladimir Jablokov  Classical Twist  gig upstairs in Dolan's Limerick .  He is wonderful to watch and we look forward to seeing him in the Midwestern region again.  Another Slovak young musician also impressed me at this venue, young Andreas Varedy is also one to watch

Best Debut The debut performances of the Blazing Bows and Swinging Strings String Ensembles in their school halls for fellow students, family and friends were one of my favourite occasions of the year.

Best Venue  NCH It is hard to beat the festive and grand air of the National Concert Hall. It gave me great pleasure to see assist in bringing two youth ensembles from Colaiste Muire Ennis and St Peter's College Dunboyne to perform at this prestigious venue at the IAYO Festival of Youth Orchestras. I was  especially thrilled to see some of my beginners coming through from instrumental programmes I  initiated in both schools. I enjoyed playing there  in December myself as a member if the 1st violin section of the former Irish Youth Orchestra players under Gearoid Grant

Best Musical  Shannon Musical Society for their production of Beauty and the Beast.  The school hall was again as if by magic transported to a magical place for this scintillating production which was up to the usual high standards for this company  with a  wonderful band under direction of MD Carmel Griffin

Best Male  Singer
Clarecastle tenor Dean Power gave a wonderful farewell evening before he headed off to the Bavarian State Opera to join their Young Artist's Programme . It was an evening of arias and high emotions as his local community packed the local church to hear Dean and other fine singers perform. 

Best Female Singer

I didn't post on this evening in Glor but Eddi Reader  was a wonderfully relaxed and witty performer with a  varied mix of repertoire and I look forward to hearing her when she returns in February

Best Newcomer  Bilkees Saidi    for her role as Reno in Anything Goes at Colaiste Muire  Ennis .  Geat poise and voice  from this teenage performer .


In My Thoughts  Friends of Anne Grennan were shocked and sad to learn of Anne's  untimely death  earlier this year. A wonderful teacher and choral director , she is much missed.  Remembering also Josephine Healy  who passed away in 2009 , also a wonderful teacher from whom I learned much by looking at her in action in Dunboyne

Andy Irvine at Glór

Travelling Troubadour Andy Irvine

There is something timeless about Andy Irvine  who appeared in Glór last week; a travelling troubadour with a collection of lute like stringed instruments  to support his voice , his penchant for singing to drone accompaniment creating  a wire strung  accoustic  soundworld that would not sound out of place in another century  alongside say  a 17th  century English balladeer like  John Dowland, (leaving aside occasional interludes on harmonica evoking folk giants Guthrie and Dylan).

Ag Canadh Le Ceile at Glór

Bad weather and icy road conditions had forced the rescheduling of this event showcasing the work of an  inclusive music project in West Clare schools
I was delighted to catch  it having heard good reports about Máiréad Ní Chondúin's work and it was fortuitous that I met Maireid and husband Jim Armour at a choral event the previous day  .

There were two concerts lasting an hour or so  and I heard the older group made up of 3rd to 6th classes from  5 West Clare schools.  The Junior Group under the theme title Songs From the  Music Ark  included familiar songs  Shoe the Donkey,  Dilin O Deamhas, Ill Tell me Ma, The Big Ship Sails, Bingo and Tingalayo in a set list of more than a dozen songs. 

John O'Conor at Glór

Haydn                       Sonata in b minor Hob XVI no 32
Beethoven                 Sonata in c minor Op 13 'Pathetique'
 Field                         Three Nocturnes  no 5 in B flat ; no 6 in E; no 18 'Le Midi'


Chopin                        Berceuse in D flat op 57
                                   Barcarolle  Op 60
Ginastera                    Argentinian Dances

John O Conor gave a solo piano recital at Glór tonight. The auditorium was respectably full  and it was encouraging to  see a row of youngsters towards the front of the auditorium. In the absence of programme notes, the soloist gave very interesting and humourous spoken introductions to each set of pieces and this was added much to the enjoyment of the repertoire and demonstrated his excellent  communication skills.

The programme was laid out cronologically and one had a sense of the excitement of the new sound possibilities of  the romantic  piano  released by the Romantic composers,  Field and Chopin  following the briskness of the Classical  Haydn sonata.

The audiuence included many Ennis  cognoscenti, including Kieran and  Breda O Gorman of Clare Music Circle,  soprano Maret O Hehir, Archie Simpson of Lismorahan Singers and tenor Peter O Donoghue,  Mary Ellen Nagle of Clare Music Makers  , Marie Corley of Ennis Cathedral Choir and Terence Mangan  Governer General of the Lions Club  and his wife Maureen . I was delighted to meet my neighbours Veit and Rania Kuhn of Penguin Pianos who tuned the piano for the performance .


I do like it when performers come front of house to meet and greet patrons .  I believe John O Conor did greet many of the younger audience members  backstage but I believe  this very important aspect of the evening might be better  taking  place  front of house in the foyer or the red room. There were quite a few people hovering in the foyer who would like to have met the artist and reluctant to find  the route backstage,

John O Conor's  personal remuneration package has been under some scrutiny in the press this week and while his rather plummy D4 tones do rather set my culchie teeth on edge, I was impressed with him tonight  and enjoyed the performance rather more than I thought I might.  I think John O Conor , as one of the country's most successful performers and teachers ought to be well remunerated.

One quibble, as TV sitcom character Frazier might say, a  tee shirt is an undergarment, I feel a proper shirt collar is required for a  performance, but hey, call me old fashioned .

Clare Poets November Remembrance with Kevin Higgins & Julie Feeney







Kevin Higgins



I note that it is the third Saturday of the month which means it is Clare Poets afternoon. I  am surprised to see  songstress Julie Feeney is  listed as the guest artist Surely some mistake.  My twitter updates suggest that she is probably winging her way across the Atlantic following her US tour but Julie duly arrives hotfoot from the airport  ready to perform at the monthly gathering of Clare  poets at Glór Foyer in Ennis  .  The procedings kick off with guest poet Kevin Higgins reading from his new collection .  His satirical  poems have a wry humour and there is an AA Milne ring to a poem dedicated to protesting students with its recurring lines  'who made their point politely and then went home'  probably to watch Countdown (my words not the poet's).

With the MC's lack of familiarity with the guest artist's work I am called upon to give a late  introduction. If only I had known I would have prepared better. 

 Julie, looking every  inch the star performer in high heeled red patent leather shoes which doubled as  percussion instrument and her trademark quirky millinery, punctuated procedings with a selection of numbers from her Pages and 13 Songs albums to her own piano accompaniment. With no trace of jet lag in her voice she performed for the select gathering with as much intensity  as if it had been a packed auditorium ; a consummate professional  .  The late Brecan Mooney was  remembered and  Brian Mooney his father,  read a poem dedicated to his son's memory.

The open mic follows with  MC Patrick Stack, Johhny Culliney , Jean Kavanagh, Noel Mulqueen , Fred Johnston (accompanied by his dog) and Arthur Watson contributing . I loved Arthur's performance of the Karaoke Blues . I must look up the Portsmouth Sinfonia  he referred to in his introduction. It sounds like my kind of band .

A very special afternoon in Ennis with the Clare Poets .

Julie's selection

Mr Rovin Eye Guy

Scots Gallic number

You take the Wind Out of My sails

You're Impossibly  Beautiful

With Innocent Hearts and Expectant Faces/Knock Knock

Grace