"If music be the food of love play on, give me excess of it..." When William Shakespeare wrote these words, he may or may not have had in mind the recent series of concerts performed live in venues close to me during August 2023.
What makes them stand out is that most were provided free of charge, all have been performed live, and each presented with such perfection as to leave a lasting impression that the world can be and is a better place.
This is in contrast to our daily exposure to a never-ending litany of national and global crises which affect us all. It's impossible to ignore events ranging from political stalemate at home and upsetting stories from the National Health Service, a horrible cost of living crisis, the horrendous impacts of climate change in so many different places with loss of life, property and natural habitats, the distressing scenes of migrants fleeing persecution and poverty attempting escape across dangerous seas, never mind the security threats posed by a despotic invasion of Europe. None of these crises makes anyone feel that the world is a better place.
Looking at the life's positives for a change, the month's extravaganza of concerts began on 4 and 11 August with two evening events in Belfast's Ulster Hall where the Ulster Orchestra performed beautiful music by big-name composers including Claude Debussy, Robert Schumann, a symphony by contemporary composer David Matthews, a beautiful suite by an "unknown" Swedish-speaking Finn Ida Moberg, a Schubert overture and Jean Sibelius's imposing 7th symphony. Quantity and quality.
In between times, the Ulster Youth Orchestra presented a celebration concert on 12 August to mark its 30th year annversary. A packed Ulster Hall heard these gifted "youngsters" play Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto with patron Barry Douglas on piano; and after the interval their other piano patron Michael McHale played Gershwin's piano concerto in F, and the Orchestra completed the programme with a rousing rendition of Bernstein's West Side Story Symphonic Dances. The outcome was the spontaneous delivery of two standing ovations from a well-pleased audience.
Bearing in mind that all of these events are taking place ahead of the start of the "New Season" for 2023/24, as the Ulster Orchestra follows its pair of lunchtime concerts in Belfast with a visit to meet its wider audience this time in Dungannon. Ranfurly House on the historic Hill of the O'Neill's has become the splendid and scenic setting for the local authority's Arts Centre. The orchestra played a programme of movie music and some classical pieces. The latter included works by Ravel and rhythmic Slavonic Dances composed by Brahms and Dvorak; the movie music featured popular themes from blockbuster films such as Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Once again the Ulster Orchestra was rewarded with a rapturous standing ovation from an enthusiastic family audience.
A week later, the Ulster Orchestra performed yet another free concert in Belfast, the Presbyterian Assembly Buildings, a rehearsal event for a Berlioz Festival taking part in La Cote-Saint-André in southern France. The final article, so to speak, will be given by the Orchestra in France on 31 August. Rugby teams preparing to visit France in September have been going through arduous "pre-season training" ahead of the Rugby World Cup also hosted by France. I'm thinking that the Ulster Orchestra is on an equivalent muscular course.
We all love traditional music, or trad - as in "folk music" more generally. My wife Marie and I have, pre-Covid, attended a variety of literary and music events at Homeplace in Bellaghy, the modern new arts centre inspired by its own Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney. On a late cancellation, I got a ticket to see the virtuosic fiddle player and composer Colm Mac Con Iomaire on 26 August perform live in the intimate setting of its Helicon auditorium. It was one of a series of events arranged to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the poet's death.
©Photo John Melrose
I'd known of Colm's rise to fame when, along with Glen Hansard they established the successful rock band The Frames back in 1990. To hear him play live, fusing celtic-inspired haunting airs and gorgeous melodies with the seemingly paradoxical addition of modern recording technology was a magnificent joy to experience. The image below is extracted from the Homeplace summary of artists appearing at the weekend anniversary commemoration.
Marie had known and admired Seamus Heaney from his short time lecturing lyrically to her English degree class at Queens University Belfast and, I think, would have approved of my return visit to Homeplace. With the imminent first anniversary of her passing in mind, I dedicate this account with love in musical memory of my late wife.
©Michael McSorley 2023
