GALWAY EARLY MUSIC
FESTIVAL Something Old
May 19-21 2017
Something New!
What happens when old music meets new music? Along with musical innovation in 14th-century Italy, the Festival celebrates some beautiful and intriguing marriages of early music with jazz, contemporary and traditional music.
Galway early Music would like to thank its sponsors and friends, without whose support the Festival would not happen.
Funded by
MedIA SponSorS
prInt pArtnerS
Venue SponSorS
Supported by
Galway Early Music is a member of REMA - The European Early Music Network Galway Early Music
@gwy_earlymusic
Something Old, Something New! Welcome to the 22nd Galway Early Music Festival! This year’s programme is a medley of old favorites and surprising new combinations. A bit of an adventure for us all! You’ll find early choral music woven through with improvisational saxophone, recorders playing new music, clarinets playing old music, 14thcentury music that challenged the musical tastes of the time, and an amazing combination of local musicians, young and old, who are experiencing something new by performing old music. And you might notice a bit of a wedding theme along the way! Concerts, workshops and many free and family friendly events bring the medieval city of Galway alive! Enjoy!
ConCert
tIMe - trAVeL
temenos Laoise o’brien, recorder / paul roe, clarinet Time-Travel is a programme which not only takes the audience from early music to new music, but also explores how styles and fashions in music change both in history and in the present day. The pieces contrast the music of well-known early composers such as C.P.E. Bach, Jean Baptiste Loeillet, Mozart and an anonymous 14th-century composer with contemporary compositions written for Temenos by Sebastian Adams, Kenneth Edge and Ultan O’Brien. temenos, n. Ancient Greek Hist. A piece of ground surrounding or adjacent to a temple; a sacred enclosure or precinct Musicians who enjoy unearthing old music and advancing new music respectively. Together they are exploring soundscapes, examining the shared features of their instruments, and discovering Fri. 19 May, 1 pm the commonality of their distant and distinctive repertoire. Chapel of the Poor Clares, Nuns Island
€15 / €12 / €6
Laoise O'Brien's mesmerising skill... The Irish Times Paul Roe…gave a magical performance. M. Dungan
ConCert
roMAnCe & reVerenCe
Crux Vocal ensemble dir. Paul McGough
natalia, saxophone Crux Vocal Ensemble sings of love and commitment in this concert of vocal music from the Ars Antiqua to the Late Renaissance. Encompassed by Church blessing – heard in the music of Perotin, Tallis, Gesualdo and Purcell – our lovers navigate the rise and fall of life and love; a familiar human endeavour undiminished by time. Ten voices, a peal of handbells, a frill of instruments and the extraordinary talents of soprano saxophonist, Natalia. A new halo of beauty Fri. 19 May, 8 pm illuminates this ancient music. Something St Nicholas old, something new. Collegiate Church
Some of the finest singing I have heard from an Irish Choir. Tim Thurston
€18 / €14 / €6
ConCert
MuSICA noVA Musical Innovation in 14th-century Italy
Micrologus Simone Sorini (voice, gittern), Goffredo degli esposti (double flute, shawm, bagpipes), Gabriele russo (viol, rebec, medieval trumpet), enea Sorini (voice, percussion)
The Italian Trecento (14th century) was the age of Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio. It saw the rising splendour of the Tuscan cities and the misery of the Black Death. It also saw a musical revolution that would be felt for centuries to come. Micrologus performs famous ballatas, madrigals singing of love, anonymous instrumental dances like the saltarelli and the istampitte, and pieces by great 14th-century Florentine composers such as Gherardello, Lorenzo Masi and Francesco Landini. Founded in 1984, Italian ensemble Micrologus was among the first ensembles who promoted the rediscovery of medieval music in Italy, by means of new interpretative ways that helped Sat. 20 May, 8 pm this music to be increasingly appreciated by a growing public, both in Italy and in Europe. St Nicholas This is their first visit to Ireland. Collegiate Church
€20 / €15 / €6
Imagine a medieval band cutting loose in the village square on a festival day! The Boston Globe
ConCert
HASte to tHe WeddInG
the Gregory Walkers Athenry Music School Horizon Orchestra, St Nicholas Choristers, Galway Adult Strings, the Red Earl’s Musicke, Frenchville Brass Ensemble
Haste to the Wedding is a celebration of love and marriage from times gone by. The Gregory Walkers will lead an ensemble of diverse musicians from the county of Galway in a programme which will include love songs, wedding vows, dance tunes, and songs of merriment. With music spanning the middle ages, renaissance and baroque periods, this promises to be a concert filled with joy, happiness and lots of love. The concert is the culmination of Galway Early Music’s Early Music for Young Musicians workshops and Adult Ensemble workshops led by the Gregory Walkers in April and May. .
Supported by Galway County Council Community Arts funding
A Gregory Walkers concert emphasises communication and spontaneity - you'll be delighted by the foot-tapping dynamism of this vintage repertoire.
Sun. 21 May, 5 pm St Nicholas Collegiate Church
€7 / children free
CoFFee ConCert
drop-In CoFFee ConCert
Take a break from shopping, or from your round of Galway Early Music free events, and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere of St Nick’s, tea/coffee and cake, and music. This is a drop-in concert – come and go as you please. The event runs from 11am to 1pm and features: Jacopo bisagni plays European medieval and traditional pipes. He will talk about the instruments as well as get your feet tapping. nuada is Ireland’s most versatile medieval street band, playing medieval top hits on a wide variety of intriguing instruments. brenda Malloy plays historical harps of many types, from the early Irish harp to the renaissance harp and the baroque triple harp. the Frenchville brass ensemble is a group of local brass players that explore classical and early repertoire. It’s a great sound!
Sat. 20 May 11 am - 1 pm
St Nicholas Collegiate Church Free event
FAMILy FrIendLy
MuSIC In tHe LAtIn QuArter
the streets of the Latin Quarter will come alive with medieval musicians! Pipes, recorders, harp, lute, hurdy-gurdy, and brass! The music starts at the Hall of the Red Earl in Druid Lane and winds its way through the streets of the Latin Quarter. Groups include Jacopo Bisagni (pipes), Nuada (a variety of instruments), Brenda Malloy (harp), and the Frenchville Brass Ensemble. enjoy the atmosphere, and do drop in to some of the other free events and concerts of this year’s Galway early Music Festival.
Sat. 20 May 11 am - 3 pm
The Latin Quarter Free event
FAMILy FrIendLy
CHArLIe byrne’S Story tIMe
Charlie Byrne’s Story Time is going medieval on Saturday, May 20, in association with The Galway Early Music Festival! Mary and Michaela have found some wonderful picture books that feature dragons and knights and princesses for the children to choose from. And one of the Red Earl’s Musicke will be there to improvise a soundtrack to whichever book is picked!
Sat. 20 May 11 am
Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop Free event
FAMILy FrIendLy
FLoWer & Fur, FIn & FAIry
tHe SpontAneouS tHeAtre peopLe Órla Mc Govern, niceol blue, Joanne Web The Spontaneous Theatre People present an afternoon of mythical tales and songs from the past. They bring you stories from near and far sprinkled lightly with songs. Hear about the wild adventures of the tiny boy, a chance meeting with the wolf people, and the strange tale of the ship of roses. Stories and songs of mystery, adventure and humour for all ages from the creators of the Sky babies Improv and Galway’s Moth and butterfly – this family event is always one of the most popular free events of the festival. Don’t miss it!
Sat. 20 May 12 pm
The Ruby Room, The Kings Head Pub Free event
proGrAMMe FrIdAy 19 MAy 1:00 pm
tIMe - trAVeL temenos Chapel of the Poor Clares, Nuns Island €15/€12 concession/€6 student
8:00 pm
roMAnCe & reVerenCe Crux Vocal ensemble & natalia, sax St Nicholas Collegiate Church €18/€14 concession/€6 student
SAturdAy 20 MAy 11:00 am- MuSICAL GIFtS FroM AnIMALS 2:00 pm Ancient Music Ireland free
11:00 am free
Mechanics Institute, Middle St
CHArLIe byrne’S Story tIMe Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop, Middle St
11:00 am- CoFFee ConCert St Nicholas Collegiate Church 1:00 pm free
10:30 am- MuSIC In tHe LAtIn QuArter 3:00 pm Starting in the Hall of the red earl free
12:00 pm free
FLoWer & FIn, Fur & FAIry the Spontaneous theatre people Ruby Room, Kings Head Pub
e dAy-by-dAy SAturdAy 20 MAy cont’d 2:00 pm free
MuSICAL GIFtS FroM AnIMALS tALK & deMonStrAtIon Ancient Music Ireland Mechanics Institute, Middle St
8:00 pm
MuSICA noVA: Musical Innovation in 14th-Century Italy Micrologus St Nicholas Collegiate Church €20/€15 concession/€6 student
SundAy 21 MAy 12:00 pm free
MedIeVAL dAnCe - tHen & noW Workshop The Hall @ Busker Brownes
2:00 pm
eArLy IrISH HArp tASter WorKSHop The Hall @ Busker Brownes
free
5:00 pm
HASte to tHe WeddInG the Gregory Walkers & Friends St Nicholas Collegiate Church €7 / children free
tICKetS town Hall theatre / tht.ie / 091 569 777 www.galwayearlymusic.com & at the door
FeStIVAL tICKet: €50 / €40 Enjoy the full festival experience and immerse yourself in a weekend of glorious music!
FAMILy FrIendLy
MuSICAL GIFtS FroM AnIMALS exhibition & Illustrated talk
AnCIent MuSIC IreLAnd Simon o’dwyer, Maria Cullen o’dwyer Many musical instruments have their origins in animal material. Early flutes were made from bird bones. Ancient Irish bronze trumpets are derived from domestic animal horns, e.g. cattle, sheep and goats. Skin and bones are used for percussion. Simple flute stones, which occur naturally on the sea shore, are made by shellfish that drill holes into them. Seashells have been sounded as musical horns for thousands of years. Ancient Music Ireland’s presentation will especially feature the evolution of the great horn and trumpet tradition of Ireland and Britain from ancient cattle horns to ritualised Bronze Age instruments and culminating in the great trumpas of the Iron Age.
Sat. 20 May Exhibition
11 am - 2 pm Illustrated Talk
2 pm
Mechanics Institute, Middle St Free event
WorKSHop
MedIeVAL dAnCe tHen & noW
Lise Carrel & Jacopo bisagni In this workshop we will try and move beyond the modern popular perception of what Medieval dances looked like, by looking at – and by trying to apply in practice! – the evidence found in three kinds of sources: (1) textual and iconographic sources that give us indications about dancing in the Middle Ages, dating from the period before the publication of the earliest Italian dance treatises (Domenico da Piacenza, etc.), that is before the mid-fifteenth century; (2) French Renaissance treatises preserving dances that had roots in the Medieval past, such as the various types of bransle; (3) traditional French dances of modern attestation but of probable or possible Medieval or Renaissance origin, such as the farandole, the rondeau (accompanied by the dancers’ own singing – as shown in some sources), the bourrée, etc. Before each dance, we will look at the manuscripts, paintings and texts that allow us to reconstruct a certain choreography, and then all the participants will be welcome to join the re-enactment of the dances – all of which will be accompanied by live music.
Sun. 21 May 12 pm
The Hall, Busker Brownes, Cross St Free event
WorKSHop
eArLy IrISH HArp tASter WorKSHop
Sylvia Crawford If you’ve always wanted to play a harp, this is the workshop for you. But the harp featured is not just any old harp, it is the harp that was played in Ireland from c. 1200 right up to the end of the 18th century. Sylvia will talk about what makes this harp different from harps being played elsewhere in Europe, about the place of the harp in early Irish society, and about the repertoire for the harp. Participants will be given a harp to play and will learn one of the first tunes learned by the early Irish harpers. this event is free and observers are welcome.
Sun. 21 May 2 pm
The Hall, Busker Brownes, Cross St Free event
dIGItAL AdVentureS
MedIeVAL SMArtpHone AppS Join us in two adventures with digital time travel! Commissioned by Galway Early Music for past festivals, these smartphone apps are available all-year-round.
GeMF Musical tour of Medieval Galway The GEMF Walking Tour of Medieval Galway is time-travelling at its best. Spanish merchant Captain Moreno has arrived in Galway, a town he knows well and loves, with a shipment of wine. He takes his shipmate (that’s you!) on a tour of this lively town. Along the way you visit some of the famous sites in Galway and hear the sounds and the music of a medieval town. Designed by Máiréad Ní Chróinín using 7Scenes. Instruction cards at the Museum and The Hall of the Red Earl. youtube info video: search for GEMF Musical Tour of Medieval Galway.
Carolan’s Lost tune - Galway Ghost Hunt Hear ye, hear ye! The ghost of Carolan, a famous Irish harper, needs your help. His most haunting tune has been stolen by four ancient and malevolent ghosts. Do you dare hunt them down and find the missing melody? Carolan’s Lost Tune is an outdoors game that turns your smartphone into a spooky paranormal detection device. Download the free Haunted Planet app to start your medieval ghostbusting career!
All day every day
Start both apps outside the City Museum
MA RITUAL CHANT AND SONG
Explore Gregorian chant and ritual song repertoires through personalised classes with expert scholars and international specialists.
www.irishworldacademy.ie
Venue MAp
1. St nicholas Collegiate Church, Lombard St 2. Chapel of the poor Clares, nuns Island 3. Charlie byrne’s bookshop, Middle St 4. the Kings Head, High St 5. busker brownes, Cross St 6. Mechanics Institute, Middle St
About GALWAy eArLy MuSIC
Galway Early Music was founded when a group of Galway musicians travelled to the Lismore Early Music Festival in 1994. It was there that the idea was born: why not bring this rich and sometimes exotic music to the medieval city of Galway? Our first festival was in 1996 and has been held annually ever since. Past festivals have featured outstanding international musicians and ensembles such as Jordi Savall, Andrew Lawrence-King & the Harp Consort, Red Priest, Ensemble Unicorn, Sequentia, Franรงois Lazarevitch and Alla Francesca, plus outstanding Irish artists such as Siobhรกn Armstrong, Malcolm Proud, The Gregory Walkers, Mark Duley and Resurgam Chamber Choir, amongst many others. The Festival is known for its lively programming and its attention to the place of Irish music and musicians in the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque European music scene. Galway Early Music is run by a voluntary committee and is a member of REMA, The European Early Music Network.
www.galwayearlymusic.com / info@galwayearlymusic.com Facebook: Galway early Music / twitter: gwy_earlymusic +353 83 461 9039
tHAnK you!
Fergal McGrath and staff at the Town Hall Theatre for ticketing support; all the businesses in the Latin Quarter for their support and promotion of the Festival; Deirdre Grandi; Chris Coughlan; Marianne Ní Chinnéide and the Centre for Theatre & Performance NUI Galway, for rehearsal space; all our volunteers; Sorcha Ní Chróinín for windows in Neachtains and the Library; Charlie Byrne and staff for a great window and making Story Time medieval. GeMF StAFF 2017 FeStIVAL dIreCtor: Maura Ó Cróinín produCtIon MAnAGer: Emma O’Grady deSIGn: Mojo Workin’ GeM CoMMIttee: Maura Ó Cróinín, Jacopo Bisagni, Kimberly Lo Prete, Nicola Murphy, Natalia Surina, Lise Carrel FeStIVAL Intern: Lea Foesterling
noteS
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