This year’s Annual Gala Christmas Cabaret in aid of Croí, (The West of Ireland Cardiology Foundation ) will take place next Wednesday night (Dec 3 ), in The Inis Mór Ballroom, Radisson SAS Hotel, Galway, and the line up of performers is spectacular.
For the last few years the cabaret has been a sell-out success, with more than 1,000 patrons attending, and the demand for tickets is increasing every year. Producer Mary A Cunningham has promised all patrons a night of top-class entertainment, wonderful song, music and dance. Every musical genre is being catered for – classical, jazz, traditional, Spanish, and tango dancing and Irish stepdancing will complete a brilliant night’s entertainment.
For patrons who like to arrive early to the cabaret, there is a real treat in store for them, with Christmas carols, and a jazz band, playing in the foyer, the combination of which will get everybody into a really happy, festive mood.
Mark Keane, conductor, (founder/director of The Galway Choral Association ), with some of his members from the Galway Chamber Choir - will sing a wide selection of popular, well-loved Christmas carols in the hotel foyer, commencing at 7.00pm. This will be a real treat, and will set the mood for a truly memorable and enjoyable evening, of song, music, and dance.
The Guinness Jazz Band will commence playing in the foyer at 7.30pm, playing with their usual verve and brilliance, while the star of the show will be singer/songwriter Liam Lawton.
Since “The Clouds Veil” became, in late 2002, arguably the most universally used piece of music in churches across all denominations around New York and throughout the United States in the aftermath of the tragic events of 9/11, the name of Liam Lawton has taken on a new resonance and meaning across the United States
Lawton is now embarking on a new chapter. After a long and enforced two year absence from writing, he is composing new works again, a small collection of which should be ready for release on CD and sheet music in early 2009.
Last year Liam Lawton made a short guest appearance at the cabaret. This year, however, the cabaret committee have confirmed that next week they are having the full Liam Lawton show, which will include his Band. Other performers include Marion & Enrique, the internationally famous tango dancers, who have just returned from Spain, where they performed at the Mallorca International Tango Festival along with four of the best tango couples in the world. They will be dancing in the National Concert Hall in June 2009, as the leader dancers of a tango show with a live orchestra.
Croí is the only organisation for which they perform, completely free of charge, and the organisers are deeply grateful to them. There will also be dancers from the Celine Hession School of Dance, members of whom are winners of world and national titles.
This is the eighth year that the Christmas cabaret has been organised by Mary A Cunningham, and to date, almost €200,000 has been collected for this very worthy, local cause. Every year the cabaret gets better, more professional, with more highly talented participants, and after each show the producer wonders if she can ever produce a cabaret as good as the previous year. However, it just happens again the following year!
Because of the economic situation, Ms Cunningham has decided not to have corporate tables this year. However, if anybody wishes to forward a sponsorship cheque, or a valuable item for the monster raffle, held on the night, she can be contacted via the Croí office, at (091 ) 544310.
