Good Grief: Limerick Choral Union Easter Concert

Spirestone Mary Coll, Fiona Linnane

Che Faro  Gluck   sung by Sarah Ellen Murphy

It is ennough  Mendelssohn   Gyula Nagy

Laudate Dominum Mozart    Franzita Whelan 

Stabat Mater  Verdi             tenor Julian Hubard 

Requiem  Mozart  

Good Friday marked a milestone in an epic music  project in Limerick.   One hundred and fifty musicians and singers took to the UCH stage to perform a programme resonant with the grief laden day that was in it.  The concert by Limerick Choral Union and Orchestra marked 50 years of consistently adding to the cultural soundscape of Limerick- a remarkable achievement. I was privileged to be in the orchestra for the occasion and witnessed the final stages of the resurrection of  these sacred gems for  a full house in Limerick's largest auditorium. The evening opened with a new work by Fiona Linnane and Mary Coll prefacing  a selection of of Classical and Romantic choral pieces under conductor Malcolm Green. Mozart's Requiem is familiar to me from the movie, Amadeus and it was exciting  to finally get a chance to get inside the work as a musician.

LCU Conductor Malcolm Green in rehearsal with soprano Franzita Whelan

Over the years, LCU concerts have given Limerick audiences an opportunity to hear singers in the early stages of their professional careers alongside  more seasoned performers. On Friday we heard the much lauded soprano, Franzita Whelan with one of Limerick's own  favourite performers, Sarah Ellen Murphy. New kids on the block were two singers from the Opera Theatre Company stable.  Hungarian baritone, Gyula Nagy is one of the current crop of Young Associate Artists and English tenor, Julian Hubbard will feature in the cast of the Weills political opera, Rise and Fall of the City of Mahogany which comes to the Olympia stage in June as part of a collaboration between OTC and  Rough Magic Theatre Company.

No shelter under City of Culture Umbrellla for LCU

Given that the endeavour ticked   many cultural boxes, engaging truckloads of local performers and offering a quality programme at modest cost ,a platform for professional singers, airing of new work by a local composer etc, it was surprising that the concert was not included on the programme of the City of Culture. I have commented here before about the lack of print media attention of main stream classical events in Limerick but it seems surprising to see this well organised and hard working outfit marginalized by a local cultural initiative in a year when they might have benefited from the head wind of such  an acknowledgement. You can read a local press piece here

** Despite an busy international and national career, it was my first time to hear Franzita Whelan who is one of select group to have represented Ireland in the Cardiff singer of the World competition (2001).  She was given a most  favourable mention in a letter to the Irish Times back in 2005, which must have had the RTE musicians squirming.  I often use this in my pre-concert pep talks for my students. You can read that  letter, 'NSO and Beethoven'  below.  Judging by the audience response, it seems that the ladies and gentlemen of Limerick Choral Union and our soloists on this occasion know very well the difference between playing and performing and hopefully will continue to do so long after the dust settles on the  City of Culture hoopla.

listen to ‘Limerick Choral Union’ on Audioboo

Last minute of concert followed by sustained applause from 1min in.

    The NSO and Beethoven - Letter to the editor Irish Times 17th May 2005

Madam, - What is the matter with the National Symphony Orchestra? It takes hard work to make Beethoven's ninth symphony sound dull, but there were moments in last Friday's performance which were almost torpor inducing.

The orchestra looked bored and this attitude was more than reflected in the music. Matters were not helped by poor co-ordination and a horn section that at times struggled to hit the higher notes with any semblance of accuracy. The soloists, with the sole exception of Franzita Whelan, looked glum; Ms Whelan at least looked as if she were singing an ode to joy.

The evening was redeemed only by the magnificent singing of the choir who, apart from Ms Whelan, looked as if they were the only people on stage who were actually enjoying themselves. They deserved their standing ovation, which is more than can be said for their accompanists.

Next time the Bavarian Radio Orchestra is in town, the members of the NSO should be made to sit in the front rows in order that they can observe the difference between playing and performing. - Yours, etc.,

FRANK BANNISTER,
Morehampton Terrace,
Dublin 4

Related Posts

http://cathydesmond.blogspot.ie/2011/12/limericks-handel-for-president.html

http://cathydesmond.blogspot.ie/2010/12/limerick-chorale-union-christmas.html

http://cathydesmond.blogspot.ie/2012/04/letter-to-editor-irish-times.html

http://cathydesmond.blogspot.ie/2012/04/german-requiem-in-castletroy-auf.html

http://cathydesmond.blogspot.ie/2010/04/music-of-grief-stabat-mater.html

Celebro Laudibus : Limerick Ensembles at UCH

  Celebro , laudibus, Ring the bells, Time to celebrate
                         
Two Limerick community ensembles presented their seasonal  musical offerings at UCH this weekend .  On Saturday night the University of Limerick Orchestra welcomed  trombone player Karl Ronan who shone  in an  an attractive concerto by Rimsky Korsakov.  There was a sense of camaraderie between the soloist and conductor, both former members of the Artane Boys  Band. Conductor  Liam Daly was a  authoritative presence on the podium and drew a disciplined performance from the orchestra. There were no ragged edges as a sense of unity prevailed across all sections. Neither was there any paring down in any section with symphony proportions of wind and brass and a full complement of percussion added sparkle to the programme. After the interval, Limerick Youth Choir performed a short set of  Carol of the Bells , a Russian Hymn and a brace of Julie Feeney numbers before the concert concluded with popular Christmas repertoire.

David Howes in rehearsal with Malcolm Greene

On Sunday night, Limerick Choral Union presented a blend of Baroque and contempory in a programme of  two of their bread and butter composers. LCU provides a great platform for young rising stars and the soloist in Handel's Dettingen Te Deum was bass, David Howes, one of three  generations of Howes singing with this community choir on this occasion  Soprano,  Roisin Walshe was soloist in Jenkins seasonal cantata Stella Natalis, a very attractive work with Jenkin's trademark mix of ethnic percussion, odd metres and glorious melodies. Lee Butler's jazz infused solo trumpet was thrilling. The composer himself describes the distinctive elements in the video below. A splendid pair of trumpets  (Rick Cowen and Niall O'Sullivan) struck the key celebratory note in the Handel, Te Deum composed in a spirit of  rejoicing and jubilation in a British victory over a French Army at the Battle of Dettingen. Bravo to both LCU and ULO for a suitably festive and joyous weekend of music making  in Limerick.  I enjoyed both events, the first from a seat in the stalls and the second as a player. Plans have been announced for a joint Prom Concert  between both these community ensembles. Mark 11th May in your diary. It promises to be 'only heavenly music'

Related posts
A Handel for the President LCU review
LCU Christmas 2010
German Requiem auf Deutsche ! LCU

Limerick's Handel for the President

        How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things



There is nothing like a presidential presence to pep up the sense of occasion and there was  a capacity house at UCH Limerick when President Michael D Higgins arrived with his entourage for the performance of  Handel's evergreen oratorio,  Messiah by Limerick Choral Union and Orchestra. Considering that there must have been a plethora of  Messiahs in spitting distance of the Áras, it was quite a coup to have an tUachtaráin in the house. This was the third time that  I have had the pleasure of performing this work with the Choral Union and on this occasion, although all the soloists (all with strong connections to the region), aquitted themselves well and the orchestra  played with suitable brio it was the choir themselves who stole the show.

Malcolm Green

The 100 strong choral ensemble  fired by the enthusiasm of their director sang tunefully and with great attention to dynamic contrasts in the many wonderful choruses.  My seat in the string section of the orchestra, embedded in the delta of the tenors and the quadruple reeds of Michael Dooley's bassoon and Peter Plunkett's oboe, was a good vantage point to hear  the inner voices of this glorious work (once the boys had completed the ritual grousing about the aforementioned reeds). And also to observe the lovely sense of rapport  between the conductor Malcolm Green and his solid chorus, which appeared to harbour no passengers but sang with verve and enthusiasm throughout. Their audience was remarkably hushed throughout as if totally in thrall to the spell cast by the performers with a minimal amount of seasonal throat clearing.

Stuart O Sullivan's continuo was the solid lynchpin it needs to be to glue this work together, varying the sound occasionally to organ to good effect and Will Palmer's soprano trumpet was suitably  splendid,  filling the large auditorium with bright thrilling sound.

President Higgins

A comprehensive and well produced  programme was available with printed  libretto, biographies, notes on the LCU's history, photographs and context of the work and conveyed a sense of the volume of manpower and effort involved in mounting such a production.  Audience members lingered in the foyer for a considerable time after the performance savouring the sense of occasion .*

'Messiah, like the celebration of Christmas, is sufficiently rich and complex to speak to a range of human needs and emotions, irrespective of its' immediate Judaeo-Christian framework'  
from programme note by Dr. Paul Collins

Previous posts featuring LCU 

Report on LCU's performance of Jenkin's Stabat Mater 2010 

Best gigs of 2010 

* ( It seems a pity that UCH doesn't encourage patrons to linger following performances with bar and café closed )

Irish Times Music in the Classroom University Concert Hall Limerick


 
 

Emmanuel Lawlor and Conductor Gearoid Grant








 

4th class in the foyer

Principal Power waves us off  ' Be good!

Birds eye view of UCH

Tea for Two              most prominent instrument  / audience  conduct orchestra
Hebrides Overture    Mendelssohn    themes ABC  Ballet
Walk the World          actions
Swine Lake                Tchaikowsky
007 James Bond         For Your Eyers Only/

Ms Barry meets double bass player Seamus Doyle

                                      Goldfinger
Midsummer Night's Dream   Mendelssohn    with ballet
Overture to William Tell      Rossini
Fame
Toreadors March       complete with actions
Mary Poppins selection


The Irish times Music In The Classroom concert was in UCH last week. I'm  involved in classroom music now for a decade or so but this  was my  first experience of this popular  concert series aimed at young audiences. It is running for 21 years and is a wonderful venture. Sometimes events which promise to be fun are  anything but.  On this occasion, the promise was delivered on and it was great fun and I really enjoyed it   as did my young string students.    www.irishtimes.com

Limerick Chorale Union Christmas Baroque Favourites 2010

 Limerick Choral Union and Orchestra 



'Your 5 minute call ladies' .

 Conductor Malcolm  Greene 

Hungarian Cello Duo Livia and Peter

   Soprano Mary O'Sullivan
 Mezzo Soprano Pauline Frizelle
Bass Eunan MacDonald

Vivaldi Magnificat
Bach Cantata 140 Wachet Auf Bach
Vivaldi Magnificat
Handel Zadok the Priest
Handel Arrival of Queen of Sheeba
Bach Jesu Joy
Handel Halleluia Chorus

Limerick Choral Union gave its' annual Christmas performance at UCH Limerick last week on 9th December.  It was a warm and convivial evening and there was  the usual full house for the annual Christmas offering of this large choir. I always enjoy playing for this well organised outfit and the choir sounded well.  I most enjoyed playing the Bach canata   a work I knew well as it was on  my school music syllabus  back in 79 ( Who can forget Leo McKern and the Lloyds Bank TV ad; yes, the one with the black 'horse outside'! ) I have not had much opportunity to play a complete cantata and the music is glorious. More of these Malcolm please! The soloists are splendid and husband and wife team Eunan and aptly named Mary, clearly expecting a happy event add a Nativity air to the proceedings

The oboe section shine tonight , Peter and young Lucas who I remember  hearing in a youth orchestra about 5 years ago when he must have been about 10 or 11 and being impressed by. I was glad to meet John Daly of the eponymous Big Band who was on timps tonight. Livia on continuo  is the lynchpin of the string section for this repertoire and  Oonaghs solo violin obligato    aound  soprano and bass vocal lines in the third movement  aria of the cantata is beautiful .
An exciting year ahead, it seems for the LCU with plans to play with Karl Jenkins and I am looking forward to Mendelssohn's Eli,jah in April.


Viola duo Me and Joacim



                                                   Cello Warm Up Exercises
 

Oboe Duo Peter and Lucas





Oboe warm up exercises