Music

Quartet Slavey is a Bulgarian vocal group specialising in traditional folk music, and we are pleased to welcome their unique sound to Saint Bartholomew’s on Saturday, 7 December at 5.00pm for an a cappella Christmas performance.  Their repertoire comprises folk music from all parts of Bulgaria, along with Church Slavonic chants from the 19^th and 20^th centuries and original arrangements of some of Bulgaria’s best-known composers.  The creation of Nadka Karadjova, known as “the nightingale of Bulgaria,” Quartet Slavey has performed over 3000 concerts worldwide since its founding in 1991.  They have also featured on Hollywood soundtracks and collaborated with numerous pop singers.  Admission to this concert is free, but it is strongly recommended that you reserve a spot on Eventbrite.

This concert is organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Ireland.

For more information, please visit Quartet Slavey’s official website.

The Mornington Singers return to Saint Bartholomew’s on Saturday, 15 June at 6.00pm for Natural History: Musical Explorations of the Natural Universe.  Conducted by Orla Flanagan, this concert is a choral exploration of the natural world featuring pieces by such classical composers as Stanford, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, and Alfvén; as well as contemporary works by Eoghan Desmond, Emma O’Halloran, Roxanna Panufnik, Chris Sivak, and Laura Sheils.  Tickets are €15 (€10 concession) and may be found on Eventbrite.

All are invited to a lunchtime recital at Saint Bartholomew’s on Saturday, 18 May given by baritone Padraig O’Rourke and pianist Michael Grant.  The programme features Copland’s Old American Songs and Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte.

The Old American Songs were written in the 1950s and comprised two sets.  The first was premiered by Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten; the second by William Warfield.  They are an expression of Copland’s modernism and his distinctly American style, which utilised simple harmonies, folk melodies, and a lucid orchestration.

An die ferne Geliebte (To The Distant Beloved) was written in 1816 and was Beethoven’s only song cycle.  Its text was written by an Austrian doctor and writer named Alois Isidor Jeitteles, possibly at Beethoven’s request.  The composition’s theme is that of intense and painful longing, likely a reflection of the failed romance with the “Immortal Beloved” of Beethoven’s famous 1812 letter.

Padraig and Michael’s musical collaboration spans more than fifty years.  Their talents have seen them feature in a large number of concerts, operas, and recitals worldwide.  Both have also enjoyed extensive careers as broadcasters, with Padraig’s Music Choice classical music programme being a Sunday morning staple of RTÉ’s Radio 1 for twenty-three years.  Michael’s annual series of lectures for Dublin City Libraries is widely acclaimed and regarded as a highlight of the library service.

This recital is free of charge, but donations to the organ restoration fund will be most gratefully received.