GODS AND faeries, heroes and heroines, myth and legends, have inspired and will drive this year's Galway Early Music Festival 2018, which will feature musicians from Italy, France, and Israel, as well as from across Ireland.
The festival runs from Friday May 25 to Sunday 27 with this year's theme being 'Myths and Legends', and exploring how Europe's classical, Celtic, and Mediaeval folklore and mythology has inspired Mediaeval, Renaissance, and Baroque music.
Concert highlights include The Piper and the Fairy Queen, based on Henry Purcell's 'semi-opera', The Fairy Queen, written in 1692 and inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Taking place on Friday May 25 at 8pm, it will see the Camerata Kilkenny ensemble, and uilleann piper David Power, perform Irish music and a French baroque composition, written for pipes and string ensemble.Beasts and Gods, a concert looking at mythology in 14th century Italian song, takes place on Saturday 26 at 4pm, with Simone Sorini (lute, voice ) and Claudia Viviani. Also on Saturday, but at 8pm, the story of Tristan and Iseult, originally inspired by Celtic mythology, will be told through music by Alla Francesca’s Brigitte Lesne (vocals/harp ).
On Sunday 27 at 5pm in the Meyrick Hotel, Eyre Square, The Gregory Walkers will host an evening of collaborations with choirs and orchestras from the city. Then, at 9pm, Renaissance Songs of Darkness and Desire, a candlelit concert in St Nichola's Collegiate Church, will heart music from Galway soprano Aisling Kenny and Israeli lutenist Ziv Braha.As well as concerts, the festival will include workshops, talks, demonstrations, music on the streets, and family events. “This is an exciting treasure trove of vocal and instrumental music from Ireland and the rest of Europe," said festival artistic director, Maura Ó Cróinín, "which has something for everyone to enjoy.”
For more information and tickets see www.galwayearlymusic.com
