Kaleidoscope Night, held every first Tuesday at the Odessa Club in Dublin, is one of the coolest things going. It’s one of those life-saving, spirit-lifting, pioneering Cultural Ventures we keep hearing about – the sort of thing our Cultural Ambassador should be shouting about. It’s a night of fine music, created out of sheer passion and commitment by organisers Clíodhna Ryan and Kate Ellis.
It began in the winter months and is now a sell-out event that could easily travel the country to other smart venues. It has all the right ingredients: top musicians, a completely mixed, unpredictable programme, and a relaxed atmosphere for an audience of about 80 people. That’s cosy. And so much more fun than the stuffiness of many another concert hall. Cost? €10 at the door.
The standard of musicianship is startling. Next Tuesday you can hear a cello premiere performance, the RIAM string quartet, Dublin Brass, a trio playing from the Goldberg Variationsand a Satsuma Biwarecitation – which is a new one on me (something to do with sung narratives with melodic intervals on the lute).
Clíodhna Ryan and Kate Ellis are heroes. Booking is essential; keep an eye on kaleidoscopenight.com
