ONE OF Ireland’s oldest music festivals revealed a subtle name change in the Oak Room of Dublin’s Mansion House yesterday.
The KBC Music in Great Irish Houses – which brings chamber musicians from all over the world to Ireland – has become the KBC Great Music in Irish Houses.
“The name change is subtle, but it offers a wider choice of venue,” said the general manager of the festival, Laurie Cearr.
The Little Museum of Dublin on St Stephen’s Green was announced as one of the new venues for the festival, along with the Smock Alley in Temple Bar, the National Concert Hall, the Mansion House and Rathfarnham Castle. This year’s festival runs from June 12th-17th.
The Lord Mayor, Cllr Andrew Montague, gave his imprimatur to yesterday’s name change and sang a few bars of Singin’ in the Rain. He was accompanied by Dermot Dunne and Katherine Hunka on accordion and violin respectively. On June 16th Mr Montague will throw open the doors of the Mansion House for the Elias Quartet.
While Ireland has an important international football match on June 14th in Euro 2012, guitarist Xuefei Yang will pay her own musical salute to Spain and Ireland in a pre-match performance at the Little Museum of Dublin.
Other highlights include Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, which will be staged on June 13th in Smock Alley by pianist Finghin Collins, clarinettist Carol McGonnell, violinist Catherine Leonard and cellist Guy Johnston; the mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught at Killruddery House on June 16th; and the Irish premiere of Steve Reich’s Drumming by the Colin Currie Group in the National Concert Hall on June 17th.
In a new departure ticketing for all events will be processed by the National Concert Hall and, mindful of the recession, half of the concerts will have tickets available at €20 or less.