Great ticket competition and some good tips too

Oh dear I hope I'm not too late for feedburner to drop this into your inboxes and tell ye about Dog Tail Soup tonight (Friday 12th) in de Crane Lane. Our Cork-by-association cellist friend Bertrand will be in the line-up, probably Marja too, so there'll be every reason to get there early and enjoy the kind of atmosphere that only happens with rare and treasured gigs. Fergus O'Farrell's (whose band Interference's CD Gold is one I sorely regret leaving in the lobby of the Town Hall theatre in Galway) project will also feature a new bass player from up North who they're excited about by the name of Gareth Hughes.

Ger Wolfe (who might be kind enough to put some more tracks on his myspace? I know, I know, buy the album...) is on in the Pavillion on Sunday 14th round 9 with the Skylarks in a Christmas special that really will be.

The Skatalites are on in the Pavillion on Wednesday 17th the tickets are in Plug'd records.

WHICH REMINDS ME! I think it's time I gave our exciting new project at work a well-deserved plug. It's Culture Vouchers man. (You, ahem, might have seen them mentioned in the Irish Times or the Evening Echo?). A gift voucher good for all the shows and gigs and everything else we do at Civic Trust House and with each voucher comes a beautiful calendar-diary jobbie designed by the rather brilliant Robin Foley of Sponge Design. They're available from me or Plugd records or the Crawford Gallery Cafe or the 12 Days of Christmas fair in the Bodega which opens on Saturday for guess-how-long, looks to be chocka and very good fun. I'll be in there selling from time to time...

and I have 2 tickets to give away for I concert I'm looking forward to on Sunday 21st, my last day in Cork before I head off to family christmas zone! The National Chamber Choir, I think our only true professional choir in the country, (though I may be wrong, I hope I am) they're singing Britten's Ceremony of carols, his music is often really beautiful but interesting too and folk-carol settings too. It'll be a nice seasonal treat I can assure. Mail me at nickiffrench@gmail.com if you want to go in a draw - it's not until Sunday 21st at 1pm in the Schol of Music so there's plenty of time, but I'll make the draw probably Monay afternoon so you have time to make arrangements.

Upcoming gigs in Cork

Finding it hard to get back into this - truth is I'm extra-busy these days since joining the double bass section of the Cork School of Music Symphony Orchestra on top of everything else. It's a touch depressing being both the oldest and the worst but sure you have to start somewhere, I can only improve!I had my first concert with them on Saturday - good buzz. Tonight we're recording a film soundtrack (featuring John Martyn - rockin huh!).

Thanks to everyone who came to see the Stockhausen gig (jayz is that really the last time I posted? oops) I hope you enjoyed it - it was a great crowd and such a turnout definitely helps pave the way for expanding future Cork Orchestral Society programmes so double thanks. Myself I have to say I enjoyed it maybe even more than I expected to and I know that Pascal and Xenia were well impressed with the size of their Cork crowd.

Ok upcoming gigs:

Wednesday 3rd
9pm The Pavillion The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - an awful lot of funky fun, get down http://www.myspace.com/hypnoticbusiness

Thursday 4th
1.35pm Honan Chapel,UCC Cantus Choralis, the UCC Music Dept's Chamber Choir with students of the Department’s Early Music Ensemble & Renaissance Vocal Ensemble will give a performance, programme to be anounced. It's free but please don't come late as it is part-exam so latecomers could not only disturb everyone in there including the musicians (what's new) but also affect their results.

8pm Aula Max, UCC The Vanbrugh Quartet's concert will be broadcast live on Lyric FM tonight so do make an extra special effort to come early as latecomers won't get in at all. In return you will get a really great concert (nothing difficlut here and special guest New York-based clarinettist Carol McGonnell) plus that extra special feeling that you're sharing it with thousands of radio listeners all over the country and beyond. Programme is - Mozart: String Quartet 'Dissonant'; Beethoven: String Quartet 'Serioso' and they will be joined by Carol McGonnell (clarinet) for Brahms: Clarinet Quintet

Friday 5th
6pm Honan Chapel, UCC The premiere of John O'Brien's new string quartet towards a new enlightenment and the launch of the recording (which will be available for free download from www.enlightenmentquartet.com ). That'd be John that I was living with last year for those of you who are housecallers - will probably be quite lush I'd say. He'll love me saying that.

8.30 The Pavillion - 'Blues Aid' Sugar Ray Norcia, sh*t-hot harmonica player, is in town and guest of Alex Orelli and the Bluesmakers. Word has it that if you like the blues this is one not to miss I'll be there anyway, along with half the town by the looks of things, and it's all in aid of the Chernobyl Children's Project so €22.50 extremely well spent. http://www.myspace.com/sugarrayandthebluetones

11pm The Quad The langers Los Langeros are playing - old favourites and stuff from their new album in-the-making . Loud and fun. http://www.myspace.com/loslangeros

Saturday 6th
3-5pm Cork Vision Centre The Cork Chamber Choir will give a free carols recital (and make a collection for Shine, the autism support org). We have a really nice sound now, some great new voices joined in the last little while, nice big sound - come and hear us! www.myspace.com/corkchamberchoir (recordings now a little out-of-date ;-) )



Sunday 7th
7pm An Crúibín nb. if you haven't been yet this is the new life of the old Lobby bar and serves almost certainly the best tapas in Cork Sunfish (that'd be Harry Moore and Tony Langlois) will be performing with guest Nora Salmon - experimental electronica and general good fun. www.myspace.com/sunfishsounds


Monday 8th
9pm The Roundy the last STeT Lab of the year, the monthly free improv event. Special guest Bruce Coates on sax (who played the first ever Stet in 2007). www.busterandfriends.com/stet/


Tuesday 9th
8.30pm The Pavillion Those who missed the Super Stan Goes Country gig at the Spiegeltent in June (and those many who had a fine time meself included) get to hear something similar in aid of the rather fantastic Mayfield Community Arts Centre. A bargain at €10!

Wednesday 10th
7pm Bodega Where's me Rights? - Massive event organised by the Ethical Development Association to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (surely one of the most significant achievements of our civilisation?). Free music (from Niwel Tsumbu, Aaron Dillon, Sudense Drum Talk, Brian Deady & Band), free food, loads of other stuff, will be great.


sorry no time for more, have to eat before rehearsal... oh look I had this one done already


Sunday 14th
8pm City Hall The Locrian Ensemble, an ensemble of top Irish classical musicians based in London give a period-costumed Christmas performance of carol arrangements 'The spirit of Christmas by candlelight'. Tickets €25/20 from Pro-Musica



now I definitely have to leggit