IT WAS a balmy night at Rosbrien Marquee for a concert of music drawn from various centuries, delivered effortlessly by Jablokov Brothers on violins, their quartet and soprano Suzanne Murphy.
Opening the Pig’n’Porter Festival #17 at Old Crescent RFC’s grounds, this July 5 event played was under the banner of Limerick Summer Music, pitching hard to become Limerick Summer Festival.
This will evolve into a week of musical, sports and cultural stream of high-end entertainment and international activity.
Give it time. The Old Crescent committee is tapping into the thousands drawn to the worldwide tag rugby festival this Saturday July 7, and every year.
From the production values evident in excellent acoustics emanating from within the marquee – box office run intelligently, smart programme notes – the committee sounds the right notes for the class of artist it secures.
And Limerick is delighted to be entertained within these rugby environs in the fallow month for performance that is July.
Close to 500 turned out for the good-humoured hours devised between Vladimir and Anton, pianist Durak and double bass player Csibi.
Suzanne’s irish classical repertoire allowed a nod to her success with former band WE4; and there was original composition by Anton Jablokov. His waltz ‘Lailla’ was an impressive hit.
Given the Bratislavan quartet’s ability to create an orchestral surround with four instruments, their delivery of classics such as ‘If I were a Richman’ (sic) had us humming.
The soprano’s animated arrangement of The Beatles’ ‘She Loves You’ spliced with ‘She’s Leaving Home’ from WE4 song arrangements was among several on the programme that ensures Limerick Summer Music’s mix is original. Last year Emma Langford stormed it with the Jablokovs.
Encores served the crowd that thickened with knowing opera, sport and musical theatre players. They rose happily for final honours before emerging into the outdoorsy night that was sponsored by Heineken and Bord na Móna.
Speaking to the Limerick Post on the field last evening, Old Crescent Club president Peter Doyle said he was delighted with the success of the concert and the enthusiastic support it received from Limerick music lovers.
He said, “We were privileged to host the return to the Limerick stage after six years of our own international diva, Suzanne Murphy and to have her perform with the classical violinist brothers Vladimir and Anton.
“Suzanne and the Slovak brothers put on an amazing and polished performance that belied the fact that they had met for the first time only the day before”.
He added “The Limerick Summer Music concert is the opening event in a unique combination of cultural and sporting events taking place in Old Crescent this weekend, with the famous Pig’n’ Porter Tag Rugby Festival running all day and late into the evening on Saturday in Rosbrien.”
FYI, the Slovakians return to #universityconcerthall yet again on November 30, this next tour to be ‘The Violinists’.
All photographs by Brendan Gleeson
