THE 1948 Olympics in London still saw artists, musicians, painters, and architects compete for medals, alongside sportspeople, and one of the works for that olympiad has never been given a public performance.
‘Lament for Bion’, by Irish composer Ina Boyle will be given its world premiere by tenor Christopher Bowen and the ConTempo Quartet, when it is performed in NUI Galway’s Emily Anderson Concert Hall on Wednesday March 16 at 1pm.
While Boyle missed out on a medal, ‘Lament for Bion’ still received a Diplome d’Honneur at that London Olympics. The piece is an elegy for the ancient Greek musician and poet Bion. Lost to the underworld, he is grieved for by his student and by the natural world.
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The ConTempo Quartet.
The concert will also see performances of other works by Ina Boyle (1889-1967 ), from Enniskerry, Wicklow, with her ‘The Joy of Earth' and ‘A Song of Shadows’. She was also a pupil of Ralph Vaughan Williams, and to mark his 150th Birthday, Christopher Bowen and ConTempo will be joined by pianist Finghin Collins for a performance of ‘On Wenlock Edge’. William’s ‘The New Ghost’ will also be performed.
This is a ‘Music for Galwway and Arts In Action NUIG presents…’ event, in association with the Galway Music Residency present. Admission is free, although booking is advisable via Eventbrite. For more information see www.musicforgalway.ie
