Music music music

WIRELESS BROADBAND IS NOW CONNECTED
Signal strength: Excellent
So now I can type from the leaba which, I'm ashamed to admit, I have resorted to following a fairly hectic six nights of fabulous Cork music.

Matthew Shipp at the Triskel - stellar.
John Williams at the school - sublime.
Ladyfest opening night - rockin. (esp. Lazik)
Saturday Ladyfest - brilliant (esp. Bela Emerson and Ixi)
Mikel Rouse at dOpera House - go next time, I loved it.
Trad in Charlie's, the Pav and Sin E - mighty
Ladyfest all-girl trad session - smashing
Gary, Breandain, Tomas and bass at Crane Lane - irrestibly danceable


A night in - priceless!


So what's in store this week? Of course the big news is the Choral Festival with one of their best-ever programmes - far too many events to list fully so look at the EVENT GUIDE or click HERE to sign up for their newsletter.


Wednesday 30th

7.30pm City Hall The opening concert of the Choral Festival will introduce Touché, a highly entertaining a cappella jazz ensemble from Denmark.

9.30 The Quad, Tuckey Street. Holy crap if the Quad are going to be offering free gigs every week with my favourite progishrockish Kerrymen (and I'm certain if I knew em all, past present and future, these'd still be my favourite) Ten Past Seven and and Colm's excellent Charlie Don't Surf I'll soon get over my prejudice against the place.

9pm Cyprus Avenue a weirdly cheap €3 ticket for one of Cork's hippest current exports Hooray for Humans.


Thursday 1st

1.10pm Crawford Gallery I got given a flyer today by someone who knows their stuff for a pianist who is playing in the Crawford Gallery and he said I'd enjoy it (and he knows what I like. Though we discovered today that we disagreeon Avishai Cohen's pianists). The flyer has miraculously wriggled free of my back pocket (God it must have been uncomfortable in there) - I remember there'll be some Beethoven but the rest will have to be a surprise.

8pm City Hall I think my hottest tip for the Choral Festival has to be Musica Intima from Canada who often their make their own arrangements of some fantastic music - Arvo Part (Eoin will be pleased), Tallis, there's even an Inuit hunting song in there...

9pm The Roundy Having checked out their first gig together a fortnight ago I can wholeheartedly recommend Colin Mclean's new latino band with himself and Mick Cummins on guitars and my double bass teacher Dave Whitla providing the low frequencies.


Friday 2nd

7.30 St Fin Barre's The National Chamber Choir have a gorgeous programme on offer at the invitation of the Choral Fest under Danish conductor Bo Holden, who composed one of the pieces they'll sing. Particularly exciting to see they're singing the glorious (I use that word because it is the only one to come close the the work) Totus Tuum by Gorecki which we rather unforgiveably screwed up royally in college in the Honan chapel many moons ago.

9pm The Whisky, Union Quay I've a notion I saw ska band the Naildrivers sometime and they were rockin but I'm not definite.

10.30 North Cathedral Pretty magic to have a choir of the calibre of Amacord from Germany perform in Shandon's North Catherdral, their programme will transport us back centuries in a highly atmospheric concert.


Saturday 3rd

3pm and 8pm City Hall There's nothing amateur about the fifteen choirs from 9 countries that compete for the Fleishmann Trophy which is genuinely coveted internationally, and the competition buzz makes the whole thing doubly exciting.


Sunday 4th

Your local church may well be hosting one of the brilliant visiting choirs to the city - check HERE to find out.

10pm Charlie's The Lynch Mob haven't played Charlie's in a while have they? Should be great craic.


Monday 4th

9.30 Charlie's Hank 'n' Ray will be there to play ya few stories and chase bank holiday Monday evening blues out the door.



Wednesday 6th

9pm Cyprus Ave Guitar trainspotters will likely be checking out youtube star (13million views earns that title, no?) Andy McKee and his extraordinary technical approach, he's touring with Don Ross - you can find their myspace at http://www.myspace.com/andymckee2 (the description of them on it as 'progressive' is perhaps a touch misleading).

9pm Triskel The Carroll and Rigby Quartet features Justin Carroll (who I've been nursing a blushworthy crush on for some time) on Hammond and New York saxophonist Jason Rigby (http://www.myspace.com/jasonrigbyquartet) don't bother trying to get any sense out of me coming out of the gig I'd say!




That's it from me for this week...