Last week I was up at the Courthouse Gallery in Ennistymon for a reading hosted by Jessie Lendennie & Salmon Poetry. Find out more about Salmon Poetry, and the bookshop here.
It was lovely to meet Gabriel Fitzmaurice again and to finally meet Thomas Lynch. Click on the gents’ names to find out more about them. There was also a guest star in the presence of Teresa Scollon, over from the American Mid-West. And boy, were we treated to a great evening of poetry. As I said on Facebook that evening – it was more like a session around a hearth. The banter between the poets, and the engagement with the audience, was mighty. The three read turn upon turn, which added an energy to us all – and kept the listeners on our aural toes, so to speak!
It’s always lovely to be introduced to new writing: I was really taken with Teresa’s poems; and the way she delivered them. So, off I went – fishing online. You can read more about Teresa here. And you can order some of her work such as this collection (gorgeous artwork).
So my lovelies … there’s a bit of reading for you!
The literary festival season is seriously kicking off. This weekend there are two to choose from: The Ennis Book Club Festival andDoolin Writers’ Weekend. My bi-location cloak is at the dry cleaners yet again, so what can I do? I will be in Ennis: this trip involves The Mammy, and one can’t let down one’s mammy. Especially when Sunday is Mothers’ Day.
The rest of yez can go where you like. But, may I just say that Jessie and all at Salmon Poetry will be celebrating 35 years of Salmon publishing tomorrow, Saturday 5 March in the Doolin Hotel. At 8pm they will launch a celebratory anthology, Even the Daybreak: 35 Years of Salmon Poetry
I can’t be there, unfortunately. Maybe some of you can. Either way, have a great reading weekend.
I will be reading poems with writer Frank Golden and students of the Burren College of Art at 8pm this evening, here in Ballyvaughan.
As Storm Desmond batters the country, the fire and candles will be lit in the old tower and we will hunker down and speak (if not shout) words in defiance of the weather!!
There is, in the town of Loughrea, an organisation.
A group of people capable of severe seriousness, and rowdiness of the highest order.
This group, friends, is the Baffle Writers’ Group. And they’ve been going at it hammer and tongs for many’s the year. In fact, I overheard someone say 2016 is their 30th anniversary. You can find out more about them here. And the full details of the all the events.
Now, summat baffling popped up on Facebook during the week, so I emailed a writer well-versed (ahem) in the comings and goings of said Society. Yes, she said. There’s a DO. A bit of an EVENT. An annual SHINDIG. Get over to Loughrea pronto, and join the fun. So I did.
And I was in such a rush I never posted it here under ‘Events’. Tut tut.
On Saturday night I met Anne Marie Kennedy (she being my Baffle ‘mole’) in Harney’s pub in Loughrea and registered for the Baffle poetry competition. Two heats took place in different pubs, and fifteen people were picked to compete last night in the final, which was held at the Loughrea Hotel.
Well, all I can say is: this lot know how to put on a gig! Great emceeing by Declan, and super interval music from Cian, and – important this, poets are a hungry lot – lovely finger food from the hotel. Heartiest congratulations to all on ‘de comm-itt-eeee’.
The competition for the Baffle Turnip was fierce, and there was also the People’s Choice – voted by everyone in the audience. This year’s theme was ‘The Lady’s Revenge’. Why a turnip? You might well ask. Well, this time of year has the whiff of turnips about it, and I also heard the story of a man hanged for stealing a turnip during the Famine. Now, I heard a lot of stories last night. Those Bafflers are fierce men and women for shtooooorrrries!
The competition was judged by the writer Geraldine Mills. I would urge you to seek out some of her work. Before announcing the winners, she went through the list; with a positive word for everyone. A lady.
Noelle Lynskey took first prize with a lovely poem The Bed, and Tony Callinan (hope I spelt that correctly, Tony!) won both second prize and the People’s Choice for his extremely clever and funny poem about the Bafflers’ patron saint – Lady Margaret Kildysart.
My poem ‘Elizabeth Pepys Contemplates Adultery’ took third prize; I was chuffed to bits. That totally unexpected result was the icing on the cake on my first Baffle weekend.
Then it was home, and as the bould Samuel Pepys often said, ‘So to bed.’
You can read a new blog about my trip to Beara, by clicking above on the Writer’s Blog ^^^^^^
Am just home from a trip into Galway. Haven’t been in all summer; too busy with the Radio Diploma and work experience in West Clare. It was time for a bit of necessary (ahem) shopping: a boxload of my favourite coffee in M&S, mini hot cross buns, and a coffee & walnut cake.
Treats over, there was money spent on paint and a new lampshade for the guest room, and boring but essential printer ink. WHY is printer ink so expensive? Answers on a postcard please …
First broadcast on wildatlanticwaves.wordpress.com on 30 July 2015
Thanks to my friends and family, and to the listeners who contacted the show via Twitter, and Facebook. And thanks to Sinéad, Tom, Peadar, Gerry & Heather – the people who gave radioheads like me the chance to create, broadcast and podcast my shows. And to the GRETB radioheads … it’s been a blast guys!
Thank you all. X
So: the final show from this series of The Western Skyline on Wild Atlantic Waves Radio … … The music of Woody Allen’s films, plus a track from the man himself; no mean player of New Orleans jazz clarinet. Check out the documentary film about Allen, his films, and music: Wild Man Blues
You can listen to the podcast of the show here, and the playlist is below.
The Western Skyline: Woody Allen’s Music
First broadcast 10.30-11.30am on 30 July 2015
Track Name: Theme from the Purple Rose of Cairo
Complete Work Name: Same [Purple Rose of Cairo soundtrack]
Composer: Dick Hyman
Album Title: House of Pianos
Record Label: Arbors Records 2015
Duration: 02.09
Track Name: Dancing Cheek to Cheek
Complete Work Name: Same [Purple Rose of Cairo soundtrack]
Performer: Fred Astaire
Album Title: Songs from Woody Allen Films: compilation
Record Label: WNTS 2011 (Spotify)
Duration: 03.16
Laaa di daaa (Note Annie’s clothes!)
Track Name: Moonglow
Complete Work Name: Same [Annie Hall soundtrack]
Orchestra: Artie Shaw & his orchestra
Album Title: Songs from Woody Allen Films: compilation
Record Label: WNTS 2011 (Spotify)
Duration: 03.20
Track Name: Rhapsody in Blue
Complete Work Name: Opening scene of Manhattan/ Voicover by Woody Allen
Composer: George Gershwin
Orchestra: New York Philharmonic
Downloaded from YouTube
Duration: 03.42
Martin Landau & Woody Allen
Track Name: String quartet No.15. Excerpt from the 1st Movement Allegro Molto Moderato
Complete Work Name: String Quartet in G Major #15 D887 [Crimes & Misdemeanours]
Composer: Schubert
Orchestra: Artemis Quartet
Album Title: Schubert Quartets 13,14,15
Record Label: Virgin Classics
Duration: 04.21
Track Name: Gymnopedie #3
Complete Work Name: Les Gymnopedies [Another Woman soundtrack]
It’s not often one gets to co-host a show with gremlins. But on our penultimate day in the studio, it happened to me.
Gremlins messing with the music, Man!
Today, the beginning of the show had lovely music, interspersed with …
… silence!
Direct sunlight on the presenter’s fade button meant that while it looked like everything was ticketty boo, in fact I was just talking to myself. Listeners could hear the music, however – which was the most important part of the programme.
Consequently, this show opens directly with the first track, Allegri’s Miserere Mei – all 11 minutes 52 seconds of it.
Yup, you’re not hearing things.The third track? It is the music from the Eurovision – but Charpentier preferred to call it Te Deum!
I pick up the narrative after the fourth track: Mozart’s Requiem is my Desert Island disc – especially this recording conducted by Herbert von Karajan.
Below is the podcast of the show and a full playlist. Feel free to leave comments!
The Western Skyline – Classical Choruses – First broadcast on wildatlanticwaves.wordpress.com 10.30 -11.30am Wednesday 29 July 2015:
PLAYLIST
Track Name: Miserere Mei
Complete Work Name: Miserere Mei
Composer: Gregorio Allegri
Choir: The Sixteen
Orchestra: with the Gabrielli Consort & the choir of Kings College Cambridge
Conductor:
Album Title: Allegri Miserere: Tallis: Lamentation of Jeremiah, & other Renaissance Masterpieces
Record Label: Decca Virtuoso 2011
Duration: 11.52
Track Name: Fair Phyllis I Saw Sitting Alone
Complete Work Name: Same
Composer: John Farmer
Choir: The Kings Singers
Orchestra: The Consort of Musicke
Conductor:
Album Title: The Madrigal Mystery Tour
Record Label: EMI 1989
Duration: 01.11
Track Name: Te Deum , Laudamus, Te Aeternum Patrem
Complete Work Name: Te Deum
Composer: Marc Antoine Charpentier H146
Choir: Le Poeme Harmonique, Capella Claco Viensis
Soloist: Benoit Arnould
Conductor: Vincent Dumestre
Album Title: (Live recording) La Chappelle Royale du Chateau de Versailles
Record Label: Alpha Productions 2013
Duration: 06.20
Track Name: Communio, Lux Aeterna
Complete Work Name: Requiem in D Minor, K.626
Composer: W A Mozart ( completed by Franz Xaver Sussmeyer)
Soloists: Wiener Singeren & Anna Tomowa-Sintow
Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic
Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
Album Title: Mozart, Requiem
Record Label: Deutshe Grammophon GmBH 1976/1988
Duration: 06.03
Track Name: In Paradisum
Complete Work Name: Requiem in D Minor, Opus 48
Composer: Gabriel Fauré
Orchestra: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Choir: Choir of Kings College Cambridge
Conductor: Stephen Cleobury
Album Title: Fauré Requiem & Mese Basse
Record Label: Choir Kings College 2014
Duration: 03.10
Track Name: Thine Own of Thine Own
Complete Work Name: Liturgy of St John Chrysostem in C Major, Opus 41
First broadcast on 23 July 2015 on wildatlanticwaves.wordpress.com #onlineradio
This solo hour was all about play – and playing some good music. I chose a selection from the 1960’s up: moving from soulful to music guaranteed to rock the soul. I defy you not to dance around the kitchen by the end of the show!
Here is the link to the podcast:
A show like this allows me the chance to play long songs, and songs that wouldn’t be heard much on mainstream radio. Who plays John Miles or Judie Tzuke these days?
Some of the tracks here came from re-masters or compilations. Below is the playlist:
New York Minute – Don Henley End of the Innocence (1989) 2009 Geffen Records
For You – Judie Tzuke Welcome to the Cruise (1979) 2010 Wrasse Records
Old Friends/Bookends Simon & Garfunkel Bookends 1968 Sony BMG
Dazzling Blue – Paul Simon So Beautiful, So What 2011 Star Con LLC Hear Music
If These Walls Could Speak – Jimmy Webb 10 Easy Pieces 1996 Capitol Records
Mac Arthur Park – Richard Harris (Written by Jimmy Webb, first recorded:1968) 1997 Geffen Records
Music – John Miles Rebel (1976) True Rock Compilation 2006 Spectrum Music
Gimme Some Lovin’ – Spencer Davis Group True Rock Compilation 2006 Spectrum Music
Sweet Home Alabama – Lynard Skynard True Rock Compilation 2006 Spectrum Music
Addicted to Love – Robert Palmer Riptide (1985) True Rock Compilation 2006
My 30 minute Western Skyline show this morning on Wild Atlantic Waves Radio was all about Happiness:
– what is it?
– do we deserve it?
– what makes our listeners happy?
– did you know that an Irishman inspired the writers of the American Declaration of Independence?
Life, Liberty and …
We had an old happy song courtesy of the Partridge Family. And there were a couple of newish happy songs – thank you Take That and yes, you’ve guessed it, Pharrell Williams!
There was an interview, vox pop, and a happy list.
Thanks to everyone who contacted us on Facebook and Twitter: you seem to be quite a happy bunch!
Flash of Happiness
Image: from Wikimedia Creative Commons
Have a listen to the podcast below: do you agree that Happiness and Contentment are two different things?
I’d love to read your opinion, here on the website, or on the Wild Atlantic Waves Radio Facebook page. And here’s hoping a flash of happiness flares up in your path today.
Karen J McDonnell 