Venue: St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church
Date: 04 February 2020 at 1.10pm
Price: FREE (donations welcome)
This three-year lunchtime concert project celebrates the European Union’s shared musical heritage exploring its String Quartet repertoire. The series spans from September 2018 to June 2021, exploring the music culture of the 27 European Union member countries. Speakers from the featured nations, embassies and local communities introduce each concert providing unique personal perspectives on the music to be performed.
2020 starts a celebratory year as Galway both city and county becomes European Capital of Culture.
This is Year Two of the Galway Music Residency’s series celebrating the musical heritage of the European Union, which explores the string quartet repertoire from each of the 27 countries. This month, we are delighted that our guest speaker is the Galway City Arts Officer, James Harrold.
ConTempo will open the concert with the world premiere of Jane O’Leary’s quartet, Forever begin… (Fanfare for a New Year), a reflection on lines from Brendan Kennelly’s poem, Begin - ‘something that will not acknowledge conclusion, insists that we forever begin’. A fanfare is an announcement of something important which is about to happen; there is a sense of excitement, hope and optimism in this music specially composed for the start of 2020 in Galway.
While Jane’s premiere represents the 21st century, the other work on the programme is by an Irish composer who has been called ‘the most prolific and significant female composer from Ireland before 1950’. Ina Boyle's String Quartet of 1934 was performed only once during her lifetime, but is now having a welcome revival in the hands of ConTempo. Ina Boyle remained at home in Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow while most Irish artists were heading to England, and consequently her works were rarely performed. She travelled regularly to England for lessons with Ralph Vaughan Williams, who thought very highly of her.
This month we stay at home for a celebration of Ireland with music from Irish female composers Ina Boyle and Jane O'Leary (WORLD PREMIERE).
Kindly Sponsored by the Port of Galway and proudly supported by NUI Galway (Education Partner), the Arts Council, GMIT, and Galway City and County Councils, admission to this event is free, open to all and early arrival is recommended.
