JULY/ AUGUST

21 Jul 2010 – 31 Aug 2010

Summer workshops, 2009

Venue: Highlanes Gallery

Admission: EUR30.00

Programme for Children:

Join artists and facilitators in exploring the artwork and ideas in the Drogheda Municipal Art Collection and the current temporary exhibition The Marienbad Palace this summer for 3 unique workshop sessions, each over three days.

The 3-day workshop blocks are age appropriate for 5-8yr olds (W1), 9-12yr olds (W2) and teenagers 13-17yrs (W3) and delivered on Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays from 10.45am-1.00pm.
Cost: The blocks are €30 for the three days, with materials included. There is a 10% reduction for Friends of Highlanes Gallery, and for 2 or more children from one family.

5-8 years Week 1: W21, T22, F23 July, 10.45am-1.00pm (each day)
Facilitator and educator Lynn McGrane looks The Marienbad Palace with the children and considers Abstraction through shape and colour; discusses dreams and reality in a session-Mind Mobiles and facilitates and makes a memory box with the participants.

9-12 years Week 2: W28, T29, F30 July, 10.45am-1.00pm (each day)
Join artist Raphael Hynes exploring Drogheda through the Ages in considering the Drogheda Municipal Art Collection, making individual paintings and constructing a 3D model of Medieval Drogheda as a group.

13-17 years Week 3: W4, T5, F6 August, 10.45am-1.00pm (each day)
Artists Declan Kelly and Els Borghart considers perception and ideas of reality through the exhibition The Marienbad Palace. The group will consider and explores ideas of the natural world through the eyes of other creatures large and small using a broad range of media.

Programme for Adults:
Workshop: Tuesday 27 July, 11.00am-1.00pm
Drogheda as a theme
Join artist Raphael Hynes to consider the current exhibition selected from the Drogheda Municipal Art Collection that focuses on Drogheda through three centuries. Participants are invited to bring in sketches, photographs or material relating to place, be it Drogheda or their home place.
Cost: €15, 10% concessions apply for Friends of Highlanes Gallery, materials supplied

Gallery Talk: Tuesday 10 August, 1.00pm
Drogheda Municipal Art Collection: Drogheda
Join Brendan Matthews, Community Historian and Archivist at Millmount Museum, author of a History of Stamullen, the Burning of Balbriggan by the Black & Tans in 1920 and Tower of Strength; A History of the Millmount Museum Complex in Drogheda.
Cost: Free, donation of €2 encouraged

Workshop: Tuesday 3 August, 11.00am-1.00pm
An exploration of the world around us through light and shadow
Declan Kelly and Els Borghart consider the current exhibition The Marienbad Palace using some blind drawing exercises, demonstrating some drawing techniques, and looking at tone and shadow.
Cost: €15, 10% concessions apply for Friends of Highlanes Gallery, materials supplied

Heritage Week
Gallery Reading: Thursday 26 August, 12.00pm
Artist Amanda Coogan reads the short story The Enormous Space by J.G. Ballard. The story is the starting point of the current exhibition The Marienbad Palace, curated by Jacqui McIntosh.
Cost: Free, donation of €2 encouraged

Gallery Talk: Thursday 26 August, 1.30pm
Historian Seán Collins discusses the current exhibition selected from the Drogheda Municipal Art Collection featuring the mace and sword of Drogheda
Cost: Free, donation of €2 encouraged
Booking is advised; telephone Siobhan Murphy and Hilary Kelly on 041 – 9803311, places limited for all workshops.

Gallery Opening hours are:
Monday- Saturday 10.30am-5.00pm, closed Sunday and Bank Holidays
Book a free tour for groups or individuals, or drop in and ask the gallery invigilators.
And throughout the summer…
Thursdays at 11.00am: Tours for children and babies (with adults) €5, children free (complimentary coffee and scone afterwards, lemonade for children)
Fridays at 11.00am: Tours for adults €5, (complimentary coffee and scone afterwards)

Highlanes Gallery has onsite partners of Andersons Cafe and Louth Craftmark.
Highlanes Municipal Gallery, Laurence Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth T. + 353 (0) 41 9803311, W. www.highlanes.ie

The Band are busy preparing to represent Louth at the South of Ireland Band Championships to be held in Cork in July, and will preview their entertainment programme with a Free concert open to all.

The Lourdes band have won the top section of the championships many times are hope to triumph once again against a field of 20 competing Bands from travelling from Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Navan.

Saturday’s concert will showcase some of the Band most talented young musicians Cormac Black and Megan Carter who recently won the top prizes at the Irish Association’s recent solo competitions will perform hits by Robbie Williams and Elton John.

There will also be performances by local musicians Leeanne Mathews and Aislinn O’Brien who will be accompanied by guest pianist Jacqueline Mc Govern.  Leeanne and Aislinn were both winners at the Beverage Business Solutions solo competitions held in the Bandroom on Bachelors Lane.

The Band will be conducted on the night by Mr. Harry Kelly the Band’s resident conductor and by their deputy conductor Mr. Mark Shortt. The Free concert starts at 8pm, so arrive early, and will be a selection of light and entertaining music for all.

The band committee would like take the opportunity to tank the people of the town and surrounding areas for their generous support of the band’s flag day, and invite you to join them in the Arts Centre.

DROICHEAD ARTS CENTRE INVITES OPEN SUBMISSIONS FOR ITS GALLERY PROGRAMME 2011

Open submission constitutes an integral part of the Droichead Arts Centre Programme and is selected by the Droichead committee once a year.

The next submission deadline is June 25^th,2010

Submissions may be made in the following categories:

Painting | Print | Sculpture | Drawing | Photography | Video | Installation.

Proposals for installation incorporating one or a number of the above media will be considered. In the case of installation, drawings outlining the artist’s proposals may be submitted with a written description as appropriate.

Submission Guidelines

• Please mark ‘submission’ clearly on the envelope / package.
• Please contact Droichead Arts Centre if you do not receive acknowledgement of your submission within 30 days.
• If you wish to have your submission returned to you; please enclose a SAE.

Artists are advised to include:

1. A minimum of 10 images, slides or disc format.
2. A written exhibition proposal no longer than one A4, outlining the content and format of the proposed exhibition.
3. A C.V. and other supporting materials i.e. catalogue etc.

A detailed gallery plan is available upon request or visit www.droichead.com. Artists are welcome to visit the gallery space during opening hours. Please contact the Visual Arts programmer if you have any specific queries about the gallery space.

All submissions should be addressed to:

Gallery submissions,

Tony Conaghy,

Visual Arts Office,

Droichead Arts Centre,

Stockwell Street,

Drogheda,

Co. Louth.

Tel: 041-9833946     Fax: 041- 982055

Email: tconaghy@droichead.com

Web site: www.droichead.com

The Gillette Chamber Singers is a vocal ensemble comprised of musicians from Gillette, Wyoming and the surrounding area who enter the group through audition. Although greatly varied in their musical backgrounds and training, each member possesses a love of performing great and varied traditional choral music.
The ensemble will perform a selection of music from many and varied sources in St. Peter’s during their tour of Ireland in June 2010.
The programme will include a selection from the following
The Sounding Sea Eric Barnum
Polly Wolly Doodle Gail Kubik
O Lord God Paul Tschesnokoff
Ubi Caritas Maurice Duruflé
You Are the New Day John David
Seek Not Afar for Beauty Leland Sateren
My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord Moses Hogan
When I Fall in Love Kirby Shaw
Lux Arumque Eric Whitacre
Ezekiel Saw De Wheel Moses Hogan
O Magnum Mysterium Morten Lauridsen
We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace Moses Hogan
Oh Shenandoah James Erb
The Old Church Steven Paulus
Nun danket alle Gott Pachelbel
Tickets: tel: 041 9838791; email: Bookings

‘ Fields of Blue and White ‘ is Michael Holohan’s first full-length CD. The eminent Irish pianists John O’ Conor and Therese Fahy will focus on a wide range of the composer’s piano music. The recital and launch will include works which have been commissioned by The National Concert Hall and the AXA Dublin International Piano Competition. The pianists will also perform piano duets and a number of pieces by Chopin, commemorating the 200th  Anniversary of the Polish composer’s birth.This concert, which is being presented by Droichead Arts Centre is also funded by the Louth County Council and the Drogheda Borough Council. An event not to be missed!

Date:  1 June 2010

Time:   8pm

Venue: St Peter’s Church of Ireland, Drogheda

Tickets : 20 euro. (Ticket price includes a complimentary CD).

Biographies

Michael Holohan
Michael Holohan was born in Dublin in 1956 and has lived in Drogheda for the past twenty seven years, close to the Prehistoric and Early Irish Christian sites of the Boyne Valley which have been a constant source of inspiration to him as a composer. He studied music in Ireland and France. He has won numerous prizes for his compositions and his music has been performed and broadcast both in Ireland and abroad. In 1999 he was elected to Aosdana, Ireland’s state- sponsored academy of creative artists.

Therese Fahy
Therese Fahy is a Professor of Piano and Director of Chamber music at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin. A former student of John O’ Conor she is now one of Ireland’s foremost pianists and enjoys an active performing career both in Europe and the USA. She has an affinity with French music and  has been critically acclaimed for her performances of the piano music of Debussy, Ravel and particularly the great 20th Century French composer, Olivier Messiaen.

John O’Conor
The Irish pianist John O ‘ Conor has earned a worldwide reputation as a masterful interpreter of the Classic and early- Romantic repetoires. In 1973 he was unanimously awarded First prize at the International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna and in 1975 he won First Prize at the Bosendorfer Competition. He premiered Michael Holohan’s ’ Listoke Preludes’  in Drogheda  in 2002 and also performed  his piano piece  ’Monaincha’  in Bejing. He has toured the world in recital and concerto appearances and makes regular visits to Europe, Japan, Korea and China. He has been decorated by both the French and Austrian Governments for his services to music.

While these objectives espoused the provision of expert tuition, the publication of music and the establishment of a festival for the Irish harp, the society’s mission has continued to evolve and it has made a significant contribution to the development of a vibrant dynamic role for the Irish harp in Ireland and abroad.

It’s within this context, and bearing in mind the increased levels of interest in the Irish harp nationally and internationally as well as the growing numbers of harp players, that we believe it is timely to ask where we would like to see the Irish harp positioning itself in the immediate and longer term and how Cairde na Cruite could facilitate any future development.  As part of the programme for An Chúirt Chruitireachta 2010, we propose  hosting  a symposium  ‘The Irish harp – future directions ’  facilitated by Nicholas Carolan, Director of the Irish Traditional Music Archive, on Tuesday June 29 at 2.30 – 5 pm. in An Grianán, Termonfechin, Co Louth.  We hope that this initiative will provide an opportunity for everybody interested in the Irish harp to contribute to a strategy for its future.

We value your opinion and would be delighted if you could join us in An Grianán for this very important discussion.  If you would like to reserve a place at the symposium, you can RSVP your acceptance to info@communique.ie.   (Please respond in any event.) Admission is free.

We have an exciting programme of events planned for our 25th international festival. Please click here to view the attached concert programme for the festival week.

Best wishes,

Aibhlín McCrann

Director

An Chúirt Chruitireachta

Come see by joining Droichead Youth Theatre!!

Following on from the success of their production MOCK during Drogheda Arts Festival this year, Droichead Youth Theatre is recruiting new members for its summer introductory programme. This workshop programme will give you a chance to see if the youth theatre is really for you!

Drama workshops will be held every Saturday beginning on the  26^th June for a 10 week period.  The emphasis is on having fun, exploring creativity and learning about drama in a safe and supportive environment.   No previous experience is necessary. This introductory programme will give members a taste of what’s in store when the formal youth theatre schedule resumes in September.

Droichead Youth Theatre is now in its 19^th year.  There are twenty members led by Artistic Director Niall Cleary under the auspices of Droichead Arts Centre.  The summer workshops will be led by guest facilitator Gavin Logue.  If you are between the ages of 14 and 18 and interesting in joining, we would love to hear from you! Our 10 week introductory programme costs €50, for further information or to sign up please contact Carol Ann Brodigan on 041 9875140/info@droichead.com or call into Droichead Arts Centre at Barlow House on West Street, Drogheda.

Altan celebrating 25 years together in 2010.
Over those years they have established themselves as one of the most important live acts to play traditional Irish music in Ireland and on the World stage. The Boston Globe has described them as “The hottest group in the Celtic realm!” Altan have toured all over the USA and Europe. They also enjoy popularity in Japan where they frequently tour and have hosted Altan festivals in the middle of Tokyo to thousands of enthusiastic fans.
Altan have proven to be important ambassadors of the music and culture of Ireland, so much so that they were invited to accompany the Irish President, Mary McAleese on several State visits, visiting Greece, Korea and Japan. Altan were asked to play at the White House twice by US President Bill Clinton, and played again for him when he visited Ireland. In 2006, the Irish government also honoured the band by putting them on an official Irish postage stamp, one of the highest honours to bestow on any living artist in Ireland (The Chieftains, The Dubliners and Makem and Clancy were also honoured in this set of four stamps). Altan have been invited to play by Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives in 2007, and were granted the celebrated “Arkansas Traveller” award from state governor Mike Huckabee. “Tommy Bhetty’s Waltz” from the Red Crow album was featured in the oscar-winning film Good Will Hunting starring Robin Williams in 1997.

Altan have played their music in some of the most prestigious venues in the world; The Sydney Opera House, The Hollywood Bowl, The Royal Albert Hall, The Alte Opera Frankfurt, The Greek Theatre Los Angeles and many many more. They have played music and recorded with The Chieftains, Dolly Parton Bonnie Raitt, Alison Krauss, Ricky Skaggs to name but a few. In 2003 they won the award for Best Group at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. In 2005, they recorded their latest studio album “Local Ground” and like every other Altan offering it was met with positive and enthusiastic reviews. The band have gained gold and platinum satus in Ireland with their record sales and have won numerous awards in the music business as one of the most popular bands playing traditional folk or world music in the world.

In recent years Altan have been exploring and experimenting with their music using orchestral arrangements of their most popular pieces. The arrangements have been scored by the highly respected arranger, Fiachra Trench and have been performed with the Ulster Orchestra, The RTÉ Concert Orchestra and with the Royal Scottish Opera Orchestra. Altan hope to record an orchestral album soon and they are also in pre-production on another studio album which should be released by the end of 2009.
Altan will perform live at the TLT Concert Hall & Theatre in Drogheda on Saturday May 22nd as part of their 25th anniversary tour.
Altan will be supported by CEOLTÓIRÍ ÓGA LAIGHEAN (Leinster Youth Group)
The present “Ceoltóirí Óga Laighean” group consists of approximately 20 young musicians, singers and dancers who represent a wide range of counties.

They are an enthusiastic group of young people who meet several times throughout the year under the musical directorship of Gary Lynch, whose dedication to the group have resulted in the success of Ceoltóirí Óga Laighean. Gary, originaly from Co. Fermanagh, is a well respected musician in traditional music circles. Currently Gary is lecturing and teaching music in LIT.
The group has performed at numerous events, including the official opening of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2007 in Tullamore where they received a resounding standing ovation.

Sofia Gubaidulina interview in the Irish Times.

For Sofia Gubaidulina, music and spirituality are inseparable, with one informing her passion for the other.MICHAEL DERVAN meets the leading Russian composer as she prepares for her first performance in Ireland. Read more here

RTÉ Radio 1 Arts Tonight

26th April 2010 10pm

On tonight’s programme we profile the music of Russian Composer Sofia Gubaidulina. Born in Russia in 1931, she is one of the world’s most significant living composers. As a composer in Russia in the Soviet era, her music was banned and it wasn’t until the fall of the old regime that her music was widely introduced to the West. Since then,she has made up for those lean years and her music is now performed

worldwide by everyone from the New York Philharmonic to the Berlin Philharmonic and everywhere in between, including, Drogheda in Co. Louth, where a concert of her music called The Fire and the Rose will be taking place next Saturday May 1st .

Vincent Woods will be joined on the programme by Eamonn Quinn of the Louth Contemporary Music Centre who is organising this event and musician and head of Orchestral Studies at the DIT conservatory of Music and drama, Cliona Doris.

For full details on this concert please go to  www.louthcms.org

BBC Radio Ulster Arts Extra

Gerard McBurney featured on BBC Ulster Arts Extra at 6.30pm  on Monday 26 April 2010 talking about Sofia Gubaidulina

Monday 26 April 2010 .

Sunday Business Post

Classical Notes 25 April 2010  By Dick O’Riordan

Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina – regarded by many as the greatest music innovator to emerge from her country since Dmitri Shostakovich -will pay her first visit to Ireland for a showcase of her work on 1 May 1 during the Drogheda Arts Festival.

The v isit continues Louth Contemporary Music Society’s aim to attract leading international composers to the annual event. Philip Glass, Terry Riley, Valentyn Silvanov and Arvo Part are among previous participants.

The work of Gubaidulina is often compared with Part’s.Both composer infuse their music with spirituality and mysticism, creating a sense of timeless serenity.Both also felt the force of Stalin’s wrath because of their involvement with unapproved music forms and experimentation. For most of her life, Gubaiduliana, now almost 70, supported herself by writing music for films and theatre. Shostakovich recognised her special gift early on when she moved to Moscow from her home in the Tatar region of the USSR (now the Russian Federation republic of Tatarstan).

‘‘Sofia’s music, which was practically unknown in the west before the Iron Curtain fell, is now in great demand all over the world,” says Eamonn Quinn, the co-founder of Louth Contemporary Music Society.‘‘We are a small society trying to make a big difference to contemporary music in Ireland. We are becoming more recognised internationally, and this has helped us attract such important composers and performers.”

The Fire and the Rose: the Music of Sofia Gubaidulina takes place in St Peter’s Church, Drogheda, Co Louth on May 1 .

The performers include Ivan Monighetti, Dublin Guitar Quartet, Malachy Robinson, Dermot Dunne, the Oriel Trio and the Heath Quartet.

Tickets €15. A free screening of the film, A Fire And A Rose about the composer’s life and work , takes place at 5pm in Barlow House, Drogheda on May 1 .

Tickets for both events are available at 0419807114