yip yip yip

Ok I am still mid-house move so I didn't put this together like I'd planned but there's hot stuff on so here's some leads the first of which I'll flag as urgent.

Friday 6th March
8pm Cork School of Music Some young buck by the name of Pierre O'Reilly's after composing a work called Ubu's Story, for Choir and orchestra and our great fiend Niwel is narrating. I will definitely be there.

Fi 6th - Sun 8th March
Make a promise to yourself and me to avail of some of the total once-off performances in this year's Cork Singer's Festival happening all this weekend. You'll find full details on my work events page (loads waiting to be uploaded for the Lifelong Learning Fest happening at the end of the month by the way, I'll get to it soon). I'll be honest and say while I recognise alot of the names though all the concerts but I'm not qualified to tip. Check out this link and see what bites you http://www.civictrusthouse.ie/events.htm

Weds 11th March
8.30-2am Crane Lane Joya's at it again with a heady night of gyptian buzz - Balkan Bohemia. Don some scarves and skirts, hitch up your boots and catch a caravan into town, cross her hands with brass and a night of jumped up jarring eastern folk from Lazik, dance tips, art and heaps of entertainment await.

Thurs 12th March
8pm Cork School of Music Jerry Creedon's guitar concert with Cork Orchestral Society last year was superstar John Williams. This year it's Xue Fei Yang. http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=L_WF2eSMwc8&feature=related

apart from that ye'll have to fend for yerselves I have guests here ;-)

Time for some more tips

Howyis.

First, two notes for performers - there are two workshops coming up that might interest people. The first is a voice workshop, A Sliver of Voice on Valentine's Day which looks dead cool, in fact I will take part myself if I get my act together to pay the deposit today. The second is an Early Music weekend workshop for voices and viols in the first weekend of March. I'm attaching information and booking form. I'm putting details of both at the foot of this post.

Upcoming gigs:

Saturday 7th:
8pm Cork School of Music: The Floating Opera is a kind of all-star Cork blues band that only gets together rarely - "fronted by the fantastic Aine Whelan and Johnny Campbell, with super session men Dick Farrelly on guitar, Paul Seymour on keyboards, Jerry Fehily on drums and John O’Connor on saxes close behind. " It's only €10 and will be well worth the investment.

Monday 9th:
11.45 Crane Lane Fans of Los Langeros will probably go for one man band Scott H. Biram. If you're recently unemployed and no longer have to worry about staying out late of a Monday night it might be one to check out... http://www.myspace.com/scotthbiram

Tues 10th:
9pm The Roundy - SteT Lab have invited a group of hardcore improvisers, Dunmall, Park, Sanders and Smith, for tonight's event at the Roundy. - full details about this month's illustrious guests here: http://www.busterandfriends.com/stet

Wednesday 11th:
1.10pm Glucksman Gallery - SteT Lab's visiting improvisers Dunmall, Park, Sanders and Smith, perform in the Glucksman gallery at lunchtime (free event).
1.10pm Cork School of Music Violinist Aoife Ní Shearccóid (0ne of last year's young musicians at the West Cork Chamber Music Fest) gives an MA performance of Bach's Sonata No. 3 in Emaj, Messiaen's Theme & Variations and Schumann's Sonata in Am Op. 105, accompanied by Santa Ignace on piano. It will be really nice, just please don't be late or leave early or go if you have a cough or anything because she will be getting marked on it so we don't want to put her off!!

Thursday 12th:
9pm The Roundy - adding a little South American sunshine vibe to our february, Cork's rather brilliant newish latin group the Colin McLean Trio features the talented himself and Michael Cummins on guitar and David Whitla (who plays witht he best orchestra in ireland, the Irish Chamber Orchestra) on double bass - real quality stuff.

Friday 13th:
7pm Blackrock Castle Hot tip alert! Only 50 tickets at t0 to see a very unusual performance by Buenos Aires vocalist and performer Maia Monaco and the composer Guillermo Pesoa who are also doing the workshop I'm excited about. Full details here or check out the poster here . With such a small capacity you'd want to book ahead.

Saturday 14th
5.45pm Blackrock Castle - No this isn't a music tip but this is my damn list!! Cork Food Web is a really exciting new community venture encouraging us to work together to grow our own food in the face of recession and global economic collapse. We're having a get-together to swap seeds (hur hur, since it's Vanentine's Day) and get to know one another. Everyone's welcome, please come and bring food to share - check out http://www.corkfoodweb.ning.com

Saturday 15th
Midnight, Crane Lane - I haven't yet mentioned funk and soul band Soul Driven in this blog and in fairness they are bloody good! www.myspace.com/departmentofsoul

Monday 16th
7pm Upstairs in Sin É The KC sessions is a nice new evening for singer-songwriters - there are 20 of em lined up for this one and I'd say it'll be jammers but well worth a visit.

Wednesday 18th
8pm Cork School of Music: Eddi Reader is back in town - think the last time was when she played the City Hall in 2005 as part of Cork Folk Festival. Anyway - fabulous voice, brilliant songwriter, very original ... €25

Thursday 19th
9pm The Roundy On another singer-songwriter tip Francesca Baines (appearing with guests) is making a name for herself here in Cork. Floaty hippy vibes with a dark jazzy edge and a nice variety in her songs - check her out on www.myspace.com/francescabaines

9.30pm Charlie's I am looking forward to seeing Mick Lynch's Don for Chickens for the first time - somewhere between punk performance poetry and the messy end of a sing song from what I gather.


Ok that's the lot for now!



WORKSHOP 1:
'A Sliver of Voice' is a workshop devised by prominent Buenos Aires performer, poet and singer Maia Monaco which focuses on exploring the colours, intensities and textures of the voice and on movement and contemporary dance techniques for expressing music and emotion. Monaco shares her own devised techniques for sonic meditation, which she terms 'the vibration of the infinite voice', focussing on exercises in vocal technique and basic guidelines for improvisation that feed the imagination and amplify hearing.

Incorporating the techniques of Guillermo Pesoa to explore connections between music and theatrical performance, workshops will enhance the participants' abilities to connect music, emotion and movement, and to improvise instinctively from music.

The workshop begins with bodily warm-ups and stretches to improve awareness of posture, relaxation and responsiveness. They then move on to exercises in vocal technique and basic guidelines of improvisation.
Different vocal qualities are explored such as 'the voice in repose', 'the voice in speech', 'the animal voice', 'the agitated voice', 'the ritual voice', with emphasise on breath and pulse as the basis of the voice, employing percussion accompaniment. Pesoa will introduce basic principles of musical analysis and composition; exploring music-based performance through a series of physical and vocal tasks and exercises based on rhythmic units, music dynamics, music structure and tempo.

Here is a link to a YouTube video of Maia Monaco performing, where you can listen to some of her work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYjBDigEFQk

Workshop Details

When? : Saturday 14th of February, 2009
What time?: 10.30am to 16.30pm
Where?: Blackrock Castle Observatory
How much: €60 per participant.

How to book a place for this workshop:

If you are interested in booking a place for this workshop please do the following:

Contact me via email (marcusbale@gmail.com) asking to book a place for the workshop. I will provissionally book a place for you.
(A booking fee of €20 will be required from all participants to be paid before the 20th of January, but I will send details on how to pay this fee after provisionally booking the places).

If you need any more information, please dont hesitate to contact me:
marcusbale@gmail.com

WORKSHOP 2:

TRIORA MUSICA
www.trioramusica.com
Flat 4 32 Adelaide Cres. Hove BN3 2JH Tel: 01273 832788 mobile:
07967689714
T
Early Music in Cork
In association with the Music Department, University College,
Cork
A week end of music making for experienced solo and consort singers, viol,
baroque violin, lute and recorder players
Friday March 6 – Sunday March 8th 2009
Directed Deborah Roberts, Alison Crum and Roy Marks
Course fee £100 (£60 students) or €120 (€80 students)
Triora Musica’s first course in Ireland will be set in the atmospheric city of
Cork and will focus on English music from the 16th and 17th centuries,
including such composers as Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, John Dowland and
Thomas Tomkins. Depending upon the range of applicants we hope to
arrange sessions for viol and recorder consorts, broken (mixed) consorts, and
vocal groups for one and two per part singing.
In addition there will be open master classes on consort songs for solo singers
and viol players. Baroque violins are also welcome as an alternative to the
treble viol.
Deborah, Alison and Roy will be giving a lunchtime concert at the University
at 1 pm on Friday, and the first introductory course session will run from 5 pm
to 7 pm. We will end with an informal concert on Sunday afternoon allowing
time for participants from the UK and Europe to catch evening flights home.
All three tutors are highly experienced performers and teachers. Alison and
Roy both play with the Rose Consort of Viols and have also led hundreds of
courses around the world. Deborah’s performing career has included taking
part in over a thousand concerts with the Tallis Scholars. In addition she is
also Co Artistic Director of Brighton Early Music Festival (www.bremf.org.uk).
RIORA MUSICA
www.trioramusica.com
Flat 4 32 Adelaide Cres. Hove BN3 2JH Tel: 01273 832788 mobile:
07967689714
T
Further information
Cork is a bustling city full of character and charm. It has it’s own international
airport within a short bus ride of the city centre, with flights from many parts
of the UK and Europe: see www.irishtourist.com/travel_info/cork_airport/
for a full list).
There is also a wide range of accommodation available from budget B&B’s to
top class hotels – many within walking distance of the UCC Music Department
where the course will take place. See www.corktourist.com for accommodation
lists and much further information about what to see and do in Cork. We can arrange
group meals and visists to some of Cork’s wonderful pubs for the Friday and Saturday
evenings following music making.
The Music Department is situated in Sundays Well Rd next to St Vincents Church,
and is not on the main UCC campus. It is a short walk from the city centre.
RIORA MUSICA
www.trioramusica.com
Flat 4 32 Adelaide Cres. Hove BN3 2JH Tel: 01273 832788 mobile:
07967689714
T
Biographies
Alison Crum is well-known throughout the Western World as both as a player and
teacher of the viol. President of the Viola da Gamba Society of Great Britain,
Professor of Viol at Trinity College of Music in London, and a visiting teacher at
several colleges and universities both in Europe and the USA, Alison has been called
the 'doyenne of British viol teachers'. She has made over eighty recordings, directs
numerous summer schools and workshops, and her highly acclaimed book, 'Play the
Viol', now in its fifth reprint, is published by Oxford University Press.
Roy Marks is married to Alison Crum. Although he played piano and guitar from
childhood, he always felt himself an artist and studied at the Royal Academy in
London. Since taking up the viol, lute and theorbo he has little time for painting but
enjoys performing, coaching on various workshops and composing original music for
period instruments.
Deborah Roberts performed over 1,200 concerts worldwide with The Tallis
Scholars and gained a deep insight into performing renaissance polyphony. She is
well known internationally as a choral course director and editor of 16th and 17th
century music. She founded and directs Musica Secreta, an ensemble of female voices
and continuo that researches and performs a repertoire of richly sensuous music
(both sacred and secular), much of it by women composers. Deborah became director
of the chamber choir Brighton Consort in 1998, founded the Celestial Sirens in 2006,
and is the visiting singing teacher at University College Cork. Deborah is founding co-
Artistic Director of the Brighton Early Music Festival, now the second largest festival
of its kind in the UK.
RIORA MUSICA
www.trioramusica.com
Flat 4 32 Adelaide Cres. Hove BN3 2JH Tel: 01273 832788 mobile:
07967689714
T
Early Music in Cork – Voices and Viols – Booking Form
Directed by Deborah Roberts, Alison Crum and Roy Marks
Friday March 6 – Sunday March 8th 2009
Complete the following and send with your remittance:
Sterling cheques (payable to Triora Musica) should be sent to:-
Deborah Roberts: Flat 4, 32 Adelaide Crescent, East Sussex BN3 2JH
Euro cheques (payable to Deborah Roberts) should be sent to:
Cork Voices & Viols c/o: Dr Melanie L. Marshall, University College Cork,
Department of Music, Cork, Co. Cork, Ireland
The closing date for booking is 20th February 2009 (but earlier booking advised)
Name: ……………………………………………………………………….
Address: ……………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………….
Telephone: ………………………. Email: .……………………………
Voice: S/A/T/B ………………………… ……….
Instrument……………………………………………..
I am interested principally in the following options (tick as many as apply):
Viol consorts…… recorder consorts….. broken consorts……. Solo/one per part
singing…….. ensemble singing with two per part……. Accompanying lute songs
Experience: including sight reading ability experience, grades
etc:……………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………
*Course tuition fee: £100 (£60 students) or €120 (€80 students)………… …….
Some music will be available to download free from www.trioramusica.com by January
09. Please include £10 (€14) if you wish all music printed and posted. ……………
(Music should be learned in advance of the course if sight reading is not strong)

Trad Fest details as promised

Hi Folks,

Here's the programme for this year's tradfest in UCC starting this Wednesday. Thanks to Stas for sending me to their Bebo page which seems to be their most active, http://www.bebo.com/UCCTradsoc

UCC TradFest 09 28th January – 1st February Wednesday 28th January 1pm - Official launch of TradFest by Mary Mitchell-Ingoldsby, of the UCC Traditional Music Archive and a lunchtime concert by the Pride of the West; John Wynne and John McEvoy. It will be held in the Seomra Caidrimh, O’Rahilly Building, UCC. Free entry. 9pm – Ceilí with UCC’c Irish speaking Society, an Chuallacht. It will be held in Plato Murphy’s Bar on Hanover St (just off Washington St). Music by Horseboxed. Entry only €2. Thursday 29th January 5pm – Seán Ó’Riada Memorial Lecture by Dr. Catherine Foley – “And then they Danced": Ethnochoreology, an Alternative Approach to Irish Dance Research.” Held in the O’Riada Hall, UCC Music Dept, Sundays Well Road, Cork. Followed by a wine and sandwich reception. Free entry. 9pm – Table Quiz in the Courtyard Bar, Hanover St (just off Washington St). Table of 5 €20. Friday 30th January 1pm – Lunchtime concert with John Carty and Matt Molloy. Held in the Lewis Glucksman Gallery, UCC, Cork. Free entry. 9pm – Concert with Dave Sheridan and friends, supported by Splanc. Held Upstairs @ the Spailpin Fanac, South Main St, Cork (opposite the Beamish Brewery). Entry €10. Saturday 31st January 11am-1pm - Sean-nos dancing workshop by Brian Cunningham. Held in the O’Riada Hall, UCC Music Dept, Sundays Well Road, Cork. Entry €10. 2pm-4pm- Sean-nos singing workshop by Máire Ni Cheilleachair. Held in the Seomra Caidrimh, O’Rahilly Building, UCC. Entry €10. Session trial: All welcome! 3-5pm – Spailpin Fanac, South Main St, Thirsty Scholar, Western Road, The Brog, Oliver Plunkett St 5-7pm – The Cruibin, Union Quay, The Old Oak, Oliver Plunkett St. 9pm – The Tap Room Trio (Harry Bradley, flute, Jesse Smith, fiddle, John Blake, guitar). Followed by Frankie Gavin and Hibernian Rhapsody (Frankie Gavin, fiddle, Michelle Lally, vocals, Eric Cunningham, percussion, Derek Hickey, button accordion, Carl Hession, piano, Tim Edey, guitar). Followed by a TradDisco by Ollie Mulloly. ALL at the Midnight Court, upstairs @ Cubins, Hanover St. Entry €20 for adults, €18 for students. Sunday 1st February 3pm – Final of the Tune Composition Competition and Presentation of prizes. 1st prize is €300 and cup. 5pm – Sliabh Notes ALL at Plato Murphys Bar, Hanover St (just off Washington St) Entry €10 (for both events)

Jamaica to the Tundra!

Friends it is time for some more gig tips - welcome especially to the new sign-ups through Feedburn thanks for inviting me into the comfort of your inboxes - and happy new year everyone.

Downturn, recession, humanity's last hope - call it what you will we're all spending a bit wiser, we have something other than the weather to talk about and the revolution's round the corner, bring it on I say. While cash still has value though be sure and do your scrimping and saving on fripperies and please not for live music - MUSIC IS NOT A LUXURY! It's food for the soul as well we all know, and what better way to unexpectedly meet friends or meet new people than by sharing great experiences together as an audience.

RE:sessions, the sessions in Sin É are as good or better than ever, Friday night was amazing with a dozen great players including four flutes and that great pair up from Killarney again - the fiddle player's name is Jeremy and he plays with a pretty jazzy guitarist whose name I don't know. Anyway the craic was mighty altogether, don't forget there's particularly great sessions there every Friday and Sunday evening.

There's a few gigs I wanted to make sure you know about.


Wednesday 21st
Damn I'm probably too late to tell you about Albert Niland tonight at the Pavillion, sorry if you're a fan.

Friday 23rd
1.10pm Aula Max, UCC Trihornophone (Bill Blackmore [trumpet]-Seán Óg [alto saxophone],
Kelan Walsh [baritone saxophone]-Dennis Cassidy [drum kit]) have been getting seriously rave reviews and by all accounts don't just tread the line between avant-garde jazz and accessibility they dance on it. Or something, I don't know, let's go and find out - it's free.


8pm Cork School of Music - Festival Favourites... the Choral Festival are putting on a lovely fundraising concert at the school of music, the tickets are just 10 euro and they have lined up a great mix of performers, including Cantemus Chamber Choir who one the National choir competition in the festival last year, the school choir of last year's festival (Presentation, Ballyphehane), as well as Colin Nicholls (organ) Keith Pascoe (violin) and Amanda Neri (mezzo-contralto). There'll even be trad as well - all in all great value and a nice opportunity to support the festival through the tough times ahead.

The Ping Pong gang have got digital rocker Max Tundra in town playing a gig at the Pavillion at 9pm http://www.myspace.com/maxtundra .



Saturday 24th
Reggae heads will be happy to see Natty Wailer in town at the Crane Lane - it's an early gig, 7.30 and 20 quid in. http://www.myspace.com/nattywailermusic



Monday 26th
If you're ever looking for a pint and some good live music of a Monday night head down to the LV on McCurtin Street where the Critters have a residency - great free tunes yee-ha!


Wednesday 28th
UCC Trad Fest starts today and runs to February 1st - but for some reason their programme still isn't up on their website. Hopefully it will be soon cause they always offer exceptional fare and lots of free stuff. Check http://www.ucc.ie/tradmus/index.htm soon is all I can say. I'll tell you what I'll post the programme when I get it.

8.30 Crane Lane Boutique Burlesque is back with another smorgasbord of lipsmacking delights - and that's just the audience! A raunchy fun-packed evening of music dance, comedy, and spectacle, ten euro don't go no further (sorry for the lingo, I still have the Critters coming out my speakers here).



Thursday 29th
Triskel, 8pm One big gig I'm looking forward to at the mo is Buffalo Collision, made up of 2 thirds of the astounding Bad Plus (pianist Ethan Iverson and drummer Dave King) along with saxophonist Tim Berne and cellist Hank Roberts, who used to be two-thirds of Miniature. It will be full-on for improv/jazz heads only, but if you think that's a good thing it will be! A taste here - http://www.last.fm/music/Buffalo+Collision/+videos/+1-beMCm4Q94R0


Aula Max UCC 8pm For the less adventurous the RTE Vanbrugh Quartet will be joined by Cian O Duill on viola for a safe but gorgeous programme Haydn String Quartet No. 5 in D major, Op. 76, Beethoven String Quartet No. 10 Mendelssohn String Quintet No. 2 in B flat major.


That's it for now folks!

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

Cork on the cutting edge

Ok, so I'm sure pedants will snigger at my claim this week that Stockhausen and Herbie Hancock are cutting edge but come on lads - this is a pretty major week for music in the city with a bewildering array of good sheet. I won't burble at all for a change but will get right into the listings.

Monday 10th November

9pm The Roundy - STeT Lab's first birthday - damn it's probably a bit late to be telling you this cause there seems to be a time delay between my posting and emails coming into the boxes but this will be a particularly good night for this regular improv event, featuring Belfast-based saxophonist-improviser-theorist Franziska Schroeder. Anyway I'll be sticking an ear in meself.


Tuesday 11th November

8pm The Savoy - Herbie Hancock with a sextet that includes an extraordinarily good harmonica player Gregoire Maret. It was a relatively late booking and at the time of writing there were still a good few tickets left so if you don't have plans or they aren't essential I say part with €44 squid or so (at Plug'd or Ticketmaster.ie) and get down this is likely to be one of the gigs of the year. Several first-hand reports from people who have seen other shows on this tour have been raving about it. And it's a 2 1/2 hour show so serious value for money (I'll have to miss the first hour but sure feck it, it'll still be worth it for an hour and a half 'm sure!)

8pm Triskel - Jonathan Sage showcasing new works for clarinet and electronics... this young British clarinettist will be playing a huge variety of contemporary clarinet (and basset clarinet) music from composers across the world including Ireland. €16/18

8.30pm The Crane Lane - Edel O'Sullivan has put together a really impressive line-up of some of the best folk/tradsters around so if you like a little less blip and bash on your Tuesday than either of the other gigs I've listed this will be well worth a trip, sweet as a nut. €10/8 http://www.edelsullivan.com




Thursday 13th November

8pm School of Music - Stockhausen's MANTRA This is the last big gig of the year that I'm involved with and it's a pretty major deal, the first performance in Ireland of this extraordinary piece that calls for 2 grand pianos, electronics and percussion and 2 exceptional pianists to pull in off. Enter Xenia Pestova RU/NZ) and Pascal Meyer (Lux) - Pascal played brilliantly here a couple of years ago and we stayed in contact since. When he went off to Banff in Canada to work on this epic piece (there is a fantasically wacky desciption of it here probably par for the course it must be said) I swore we'd get it for Cork and now the big day is nearly here. While it's definitely not our usual Cork Orchestral Society fare I'm quietly confident there'll be a good turnout because there seems to be some people travelling to Cork for it and enquiries from people who don't know the venue. Anyway, not one for your Granny most likely but will be a fairly unforgettable sonic experience. €25/20 (€15-8 with membership).

9.30 Charlie's Bar - Don for Chickens - Everyone says he's hilarious, I've never seen him but worth a look if you want some free fun.


Friday 14th

1pm Aula Max, UCC - Geoff Deibel Another reed and electronics gig, this 'rising star of contemporary music' from Michigan will offer a variety of music for Saxophone and electronics from the past few decades including Steve Reich’s New York Counterpoint and it's free, well worth a jaunt out to the college if you can fit it in. http://www.myspace.com/gdeibel

8pm Cyprus Avenue - Kíla One of Ireland's big International acts and also damn good but sure you know that already. Course if you haven't seen em, well here's another chance.

Incidentally, if you catch Jools Holland this week (Tuesday at 10pm or Friday at 11.40pm) check out the Carolina Chocolate Drops fronted by the gorgeous Rhiannon Giddens. Rhi just happens to be married to an old friend and she is very keen to play Cork. They're a pretty big act so it would be quite a major deal to get them here but when the spirit is willing ...and boy does that lady have some spirit. Anyway if you like em be sure and let me know so I can get canvassing the festivals and venues and see can we get them on their next tour).

That's it, see ya soon I hope...