Aug/090
The orchestra in Kilmallock for SMS opera
From left to right: Tanja Fritschi (FLT), Sara Okamoto (PNO), Conor Sheil (CLT), Maria Ryan (VLN), Jon Beder (PER)
Alex Nichol (BAS)
Aug/090
Hasta la vista amigos – au revoir nos amis!
I was so exhausted last night that I didn’t get to say goodbye to many of the faculty who left early this morning. This was not helped by there being a second concert in Kilrush, after the grand finale concert in UCH. Personally, I don’t think this was a good idea, because it meant that the faculty and staff didn’t have the chance for a final farewell party which has always happened in the past.
Some of the people I missed were:
- Oboe master Tim Hurtz from Penn State, who left early Monday morning while I was still dead to the world. When SMS 2006 came round I had been dithering for about a year as to what instrument to take up and had more or less plumbed for the clarinet. It was Tim’s marvelous rendition of the Oboe Concerto at the Georgian House that finally tipped the balance in favour of the oboe. Curiously, I was seated in the front row in UCH when Ray Still, one of the all time great oboe players, played at one of the first SMS concerts in UCH I was at – I think the year was 2003. I got some great shots of Ray playing. I hardly knew what an oboe was then, let alone that I would fall in love with it enough to take it up through one of Ray Still’s star students within three years!
- Clarinetist Gene Ramsbottom and his lovely wife Maureen and their two gorgeous sons, for whom SMS 2009 was their first year. Hope to see you all again in 2010.
- Pianist Mina Perry, who left last week, and whom I didn’t get to say goodbye to for the second year in a row! I’ll send you on some haiku, Mina! In the meantime stay well and happy.
If I missed you and you’re not in the above (very short) list, it’s because it’s late and I’m tired and still not left Brookfield Hall as the SMS Office in UCH is only half dismounted. There’s another half day to go!
Aug/091
Programme for Grand Finale
Here is the programme for the Grand Finale concert of Sunday August 16th last which was streamed live on the web. I had intended on putting it up before the concert but that proved impossible due to the amount of other work which took priority.
- “Two Egwali” (L. Beethoven)
“Andante & Minuetto (W. Mozart)
“Ronde et Salterelle” (Tielman Susato)
Performed by the Brass Ensemble. Leader: Dennis Miller - “The Blues Brothers Revue” (Jay Bocook)
“Mamma Mia” (Michael Brown)
Performed by SMS Wind Band. Conductor: Fred Hannaford - “Petite Sinfonie” – 1st Movement (Gounod)
Performed by SMS Wind Ensemble - “Pictures at an Exhibition” (Mussorgsky)
- “Promenade”
- “The Gnome”
Performed by SMS Senior Orchestra. Conductor: Josef Calef
- “La Clemenza di Tito, ‘Parto, Parto’” (W.A. Mozart)
Performed by Roisin Walshe (Soprano) - “Reformation Symphony” (Mendelssohn)
- “Andante & Chorale”
Performed by SMS Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Bruce Dunn.
I N T E R V A L
- “Danny Boy” (traditional)
Performed by Fiona Last (Oboe), Margaret Cleary (Bassoon), James Hodges (Bassoon), Alex Walker (Bassoon) - “Mary Rose” (Anita Hewitt-Jones)
“Musette” (J.S. Bach, arr. Edward Jurey)
Performed by SMS Intermediate String Ensemble. Conductor: Edmond Dwan - “Mo Ghile Mear” (traditional)
“The Song of the Chanter” (traditional)
“Slow Irish Air” (traditional)
Polkas: “The Kerry Polka” / “Ryan’s Polka” (traditional)
Jigs: “Saddle the Pony” / “The Blackthorn Stick” (traditional)
Performed by SMS Irish Trad Music Group. Director: Christina Vaughan - “Consolation in Db Major” (F. Liszt)
Performed by Paul O’Gorman (Piano) - “The Metronome” (L. Beethoven)
Performed by Eavan Kane & Aifric McArdle (Piano duet) - “Flute Concerto” – 2nd Movement (Reinecke)
Performed by Deirdre Stack Marques (Flute), Allardyce Mallon (Piano) - “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 5″ (Brahms)
“The Pink Panther” (H. Mancini)
Performed by SMS Flute Ensemble. Conductors: Tanja Fritschi, Myra Bennett - “Toy Symphony” – 3rd Movement (J. Haydn)
Performed by SMS Senior Orchestra. Conductor: Josef Calef.
Unfortunately Edmond Dwan could not be with us on the day as he had a prior musical engagement of considerable significance in Kilkenny. In his absence, Joanne Cater conducted the SMS Intermediate String Ensemble.
The live streaming of this concert has been saved and will be made available on the Summer Music on the Shannon web site as soon as it has been edited. This will take several weeks.
Aug/091
Departures this week so far
We’ve had a couple of departures this week so far with the Piano programme now finished for 2009. Sara Okamoto went back to Canada yesterday and Mina Perry returned to Los Angeles, California this morning. I did get to say goodbye, or should I see “au revoir” to Sara on Sunday evening when I met her returning from a jog (she not me!). Unfortunately, I missed Mina. Looking forward to seeing you both again next year, I hope.
Aug/092
Mozart + at The Georgian House tonight
Tonight, Tuesday 11 August 2009, sees the sixth of seven Mozart+ concerts at the Georgian House in Pery Square, Limerick. Tonight’s programme is as follows:
- “Flutes en Vacances” (Jacques Casterede)
Performed by:- Chris Lacey, Tanja Fritschi, Joanne Cater, and Deirdre Stack - Poems
“The Caravels” (Sir John Squire)
“In Memory of My Mother” (Patrick Kavanagh)
“On Westminster Bridge” (William Wordsworth)
Recited by:- David Banfield - “Consolation Study” (Liszt)
Performed by:- Paul O’Gorman, Piano. - A Canto of Poems (Patrick Stack)
Performed by:- Patrick Stack; Tim Hurtz, oboe; Fabio Eduardo de Oliveira, trumpet; John Beder, percussion - “Clarinet Quintet 1st Movement” (Mozart)
Performed by:- Maria Ryan (violin); Gillian Mott (violin); Elaine Kenny (viola); Sharon Nye (cello); Conor Sheil (clarinet) - “Deh Vieni Non Tardar” (Mozart)
Performed by:- Elinor Moran (soprano); Denella Sing (piano) - “Viola Sonata No.1 in F minor 1st Movement” (Brahms)
Performed by:- Elaine Kenny (viola); Denella Sing (piano) - Three Preludes (Gershwin)
Performed by:- Laurissa Chitty (violin); Allardyce Mallon (piano).
Aug/090
Departures
This weekend sees the first departures of faculty and students who have come for one week. The most notable among the faculty to leave are violinist and Conductor Paul Ezergailis who left a couple of hours ago. Fernando Gualda, Oboe, is leaving for Belfast, where he is based, this evening. His wife, pianist Regiane Yamaguchi leaves in the morning. Fernando is being replaced by Agnieszka Mazur from Poland who arrives tomorrow. Cellist Jane Hughes from Derry, who is based in Dublin, left us yesterday evening. We are really going to miss Jane as she was hugely helpful in the office.
I’m kicking myself that I missed Paul Ezergailis by minutes as I wanted to get a couple of quotes from him for the blog. I’ll have to chase him up on e-mail later.
Aug/090
John Perry & Mina Perry after their duet
They played “Petite Suite” by Claude Debussy… delightfully.
Aug/092
Fantastic concert last night
Last night’s concert was really outstanding, as everyone from the large crowd will attest. And the live streaming worked really well also I’m told. So a second live-streaming event is looking likely in the next couple of weeks, though no decision has been made yet. I’m looking forward to seeing Paul O’Mahony’s posts on it – and the many photographs he took afterward of the musicians.
John Perry has just left with the SMS Director of Transportation, Colie Tubridy, for Dublin from where he catches his flight back to the US at 4 this afternoon. Mina Perry is missing him already.
Colie will arrive back later this evening with Josef Calef the Cellist. Josef has been coming to SMS for many years now and is an esteemed and very well liked member of the faculty.
Jul/090
Live streaming tomorrow night from UCH
For more information on our first ever live-streaming from Summer Music on the Shannon tomorrow evening 1st August at 8.00pm from the University Concert Hall in UL, check out the live streaming page on Summer Music on the Shannon.
Many thanks to HEAnet, ITD, UCH and LIT for their support and help in this exciting venture.