Members of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and their many fans were celebrating more than St Valentine's Day last Saturday. The NSO is 50 years old this year and held a superb concert at the National Concert Hall to mark the occasion. The director general of RTE, Bob Collins reiterated RTE's support of classical music in Ireland and also put his money where his mouth was - as well as the invited guests he made sure that tickets were available to the public at normal NCH prices.
Normally, concert-goers would have to pay a fine whack for guest performers such as pianist Ilya Itin and opera diva Galina Gorchakova. Altogether, there was a party atmosphere on Earlscourt Terrace that was enjoyed by representatives from many sectors of Irish life - political, cultural, religious, commercial etc.
The President, Mrs McAleese was the guest of honour and was greeted by Bob Collins who was accompanied by his partner Mary Riordan, and RTE chairman, Farrell Corco- ran and his wife Mary O'Connell. Proinsias De Rossa TD and Frank Murray, secretary general to Government held the political end up, while Bill Attley and John Swift of SIPTU were among those who represented the unions.
From the halls of academe came a presidential trio, William Smith of Maynooth; Daniel O'Hare of DCU, and Art Cosgrave of UCD, as well as various professors and chairs of music, including Gerard Gillen of DCU; Harold Cox of UCC, and Harry White of UCD. John O'Conor represented the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and Eibhlis Farrell came from the College of Music.
The head honchos at the Arts Council - chair Ciaran Benson and director Patricia Quinn - were there, and the Northern Irish Arts Council was represented by Philip Hammond. Laura Magahy had two hats on; as a member of the Arts Council sub-committee on music and as head of Temple Bar Properties. Other cultural institutions were represented by Gerry Watson of Cothu; Tony O'Dalaigh of the Dublin Theatre Festival accompanied by his wife Mags; Frank O'Rourke, chair of Opera Ireland, and Hugh Duffy of IMRO.
Musical festivals and competitions also had a good showing: John O'Connor represented the Wexford Festival Opera; William Finlay and Ann Fuller represented the Guardian International Piano Competition, and Veronica Dunne, head of her own singing competition, was there too. Judge Catherine McGuinness both sings in and is chair of the Culwick choral festival which celebrated its 100th anniversary with a NSO concert yesterday.
Commercial concerns were represented by Maurice Keane, chief executive of Bank of Ireland; Ray Bates of the National Lottery; printer Pat Funge who sponsored the programme; Michael Governey of the Conrad Hotel which hosted Galina Gorchakova; Pat Barry of Guinness, and Kevin Farrell of Yamaha, which is sponsoring the new Mabel Swainson piano award to be launched next Tuesday. Mabel herself was there accompanied by her husband Ronald, and one of her most famous pupils, pianist Hugh Tinney came along for the concert too.