Spring Update - 2018

Hello all, just another update on my latest comings and goings. I had a few really great gigs these past few months that were really significant and I thought I'd write a quick report on some of them.

First saw a performance with the Royal Irish Academy of Music's Opera department at the Peacock Theater in Dublin. I played in an opera by Judith Weir called 'Scipio's Dream' based off of a Mozart opera titled 'Il Sogno di Scipione.' It was great to be able to play some Mozart, as a guitarist we rarely have the chance. The opera was highly recomposed for a 25 minute show, but it's amazing how Weir was able to 'speak' through Mozart, as if she was playing a finely crafted instrument.

The staging saw 'Fortune' and 'Constancy' dressed as Angela Merkel and Theresa May, tempting Scipio, dressed as none other than Leo Varadkar. While this choice ran the risk of seeming heavy handed the music, acting and story of the opera lent itself well to this sort of commentary and came off as funny, and light hearted.

Fellow RIAM guitarist Katie Neville and I performed at the National Gallery as part of the 'Artist's Choice' concert. The gig was well received and we plan to play a bit more later in the month!

Lastly, Anne Randolph and company performed another great gig at the Sugar Club here in Dublin. The set list was a bit more 'urban' with a few jazz standards and of course an ode to Dublin, our fair city.

See you all soon!

m