SACRED SONGS OF VALENTYN SILVESTROV
St Peter’s Church of Ireland, Drogheda Thurs 8pm €15 01-8721122
Suddenly, September is extremely busy. The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra season got underway last week. The Ulster Orchestra follows this Friday, and the Irish Chamber Orchestras three-city season opens in Limerick on Thursday. The East Cork Early Music Festival and Clifden Arts Week are in full swing. Camerata Ireland have a weekend festival at Castletown House in Co Kildare. The early music ensemble eX is offering Shipwrecked, “a cabaret oratorio” at IMMA on Sunday.
A four-concert series of choral and organ music by Bach and Mendelssohn gets underway at St Audoen’s in Dublin on Tuesday. There are new music concerts in Dublin from Ensemble ICC (Wednesday) and the Homburger/Guy duo (Thursday).
However, pride of place goes to the Louth Contemporary Music Society, which presents the first portrait concert of work by leading Ukrainian composer Valentyn Silvestrov (above) at St Peter’s Church of Ireland in Drogheda on Thursday. Elizabeth Cooney and Elisaveta Blumina will play works for violin and piano, Estonian conductor Tõnu Kaljuste will conduct the specially assembled choir Louth Voices, and Silvestrov himself will offer a selection of piano pieces. The programme includes world premieres of 5 New Pieces for violin and piano, and 5 Sacred Songs.
