Report by Rose Rushe
May gala concert at St Joseph’s
THE annual Queen of the May Concert will take place in St Joseph’s Church, O’Connell Avenue, Limerick on Wednesday May 21, 8pm.
The event, which will raise funds for the St Joseph’s Church Restoration Fund and Alzheimer Society of Ireland (Limerick), will host tenor Michael Nash, soprano Eve Stafford, the Dolmen String Quartet and Seoda Chamber Choir conducted by Maire Keary-Scanlon.
The musical director is Bryan Meehan while Tony Doyle is master of ceremonies. These two have been with the ‘A Night to Remember’ annual fundraising concert for the Alzheimer respite care cause in a leading role for years, engaging national and local artists who give their services freely.
Tickets are €10 each for May 21 and can be purchased from St Joseph’s Presbytery, Alzheimer Society branches and on the door.
Topsey Turvey
SPOTLIGHT Stage School is staging ‘Topsey Turvey’ for its annual production on May 17 and 18 at 7.30pm in University Concert Hall.
“This year’s show ‘Topsey Turvey’ takes you on a journey via the medium of a magical fairground,” reports Spotlight’s Judy O’Connor. “Each ride will propel characters into different scenes, such as the Land of Oz, Aladdin, Stone Age land with the Flintstone characters, Casper and his buddies and not forgetting Loppy and all her circus friends”.
By the end of act 1 however, the magical fairground takes a sinister twist with the evil character Facilier deporting villagers on a runaway rollercoaster to his ‘house of fun’ island…
A spectacular show is promised to be enjoyed by all the family. Tickets at box office www.uch.ie
Jazz Freeplay on Sunday 25
ANOTHER night of jazz will bring joy to the Pegasus Suite at Clarion Hotel, Steamboat Quay on Sunday May 25 at 7.30pm. Freeplay is a band put together by guitarist Joe O’Callaghan, stalwart of Limerick Jazz Society, and features Joe on acoustic guitar, Derek Whyte on bass, Matt Berrill on sax and clarinet and Mr Phil MacMullan on drums.
This band plays original compositions by Joe O’Callaghan that contain a combination of written passages and free improvisation: “The emphasis is on quieter, more reflective music”, is his comment.
Support on the night will be by great local Limerick jazz duo Sian Murray (vocals) and Kevin Lynch (guitar). Everybody is welcome and the modest dul isteach is €7.
Cathedral pipes
St Mary’s Cathedral continues its excellent Wednesday series of lunchtime free concerts that run 1.15pm to 2pm to grace the hearts of us cubicle drones.
Next Wednesday May 21, organist Mark Duley will play works by Mendelssohn, Alain, Bovet, Hesse and Vierne as part of Pipeworks 20CC Marathon.
On Wednesday June 4, Stuart O’Sullivan plays Chopin piano music.
As ever, this almost weekly series is a gift to Limerick but there is a retiring collection to keep the cathedral’s music programme tuned.
