4 minute read
1The IGA Committee
Margaret Franklin: Retired chemistry lecturer & IGA Committee member. Margaret was a Senior Lecturer in chemistry at the Athlone Institute of Technology and a former President of the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland (2015–2017). She is passionate about communicating science to the public, and she has deep musical roots. She recited a poem and sang two vocal numbers.
The Ballad of Ireland’s Rocks – Margaret Franklin. An original geological poem, written by a chemist. The Elements – Tom Lehrer. This piece is included to mark the International Year of the Periodic Table 2019. It is a skilful musical arrangement, written in 1959, naming all the elements of the periodic table up to number 102, sung to a tune from The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan. Good People All, This Christmas Time – A traditional carol from Co. Wexford. Margaret’s grandfather was W.H. Grattan Flood, organist of Enniscorthy Cathedral (1895 - 1928), who collected this carol from a traditional singer in County Wexford and arranged it for choir and organ accompaniment.
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The Enducon Trio: Andrew Enright, tuba; Gilles Dupouy, piano; Raymond Conlin, clarinet.
All three are students at NUI Galway. Andrew (Tuba) is a final year Earth and Ocean Science student. This ensemble met through the NUIG Orchestra Society and often play for different events within the campus. Salut d’Amore – Edward Elgar. Key: B flat major. A classical piece, also known as Liebesgruß (“Loves Greeting”). Composed in 1888 and presented as an engagement present to the author Caroline Alice Roberts. Tico-Tico No Fubá – Zequinha de Abreu. Key: A minor. The piece, written in 1917, is a classic of the Brazilian Choro style, and the title translates from the Portuguese as “Sparrow in the Cornmeal”. Vamo’ Alla Flamenco – Nobuo Uematsu. Uematsu is a Japanese composer (born 1959) who specialises in video game music. This piece translates as “Let’s Go, Flamenco” – an idiom from southern Spain – and was written in about 1999 as part of the video game music for Final Fantasy 9 (released in July 2000). Eamonn Kelly: Eamonn is a geological draughtsman at the SLR geological consultancy firm. In his spare time, he plays in a traditional Irish group. Flute solo: Anach Cuain – Traditional melody. This song describes the tragedy of the sinking of the small boat Caisleán Nua on 28 September 1828 in the River Corrib (County Galway) with the loss of 19 lives. The remains of the boat were finally discovered in 1978. Patrick Roycroft Editorial staff of Elements; Editor of Irish Lives Remembered; Staff Genealogist at the Irish Family History Centre (Dublin); IGA Committee. Patrick currently has experience in geology, editing and genealogy, is a former President of the IGA and has had an interest in music since childhood. Piano solo Coventry Carol – Medieval carol (1591). This carol is about the biblical Massacre of the Innocents, in which mothers sing a lullaby to comfort their male babies who are soon to be slaughtered by King Herod’s army.
Solfegietto – CPE Bach. The great Johann Sebastian Bach had two wives and some 20 children, most of whom died young but of those that survived to adulthood were musical: Carl Philip Emmanuel is child number five. The Solfegietto is probably his most played work.
Editor: M. Franklin IGA Newsletter 2020 February 2021 Patrick Royceoft’s recital (continued)
Prelude in C# minor (op.3 no 2) – Sergei Rachmaninov. Written in 1892 when Rachmaninov was 19, this short prelude is one of his most famous pieces and is thought to have been inspired by Russian bells. It is written in a three-part form and demands a huge dynamic range, from ppp to a massive sffff. Brain Damage/Eclipse – From the legendary 1973 progressive rock concept album “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd. Key: D major. This part of the concept deals with mental illness, possibly inspired by the breakdown of original band member Syd Barrett in the late 1960s. Patrick Joseph (PJ) Walls - Patrick is a retired dermatologist with qualifications from the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland. He is a very keen naturalist and a long-time supporter of the IGA.
Vocal solo I Wandered Today to the Hills Maggie – George W. Johnson. This song was written in 1866 near Hamilton (Ontario, Canada) about the passing of George’s wife, Maggie Clark. Loves Old Sweet Song – C. C. Bingham and James L. Molloy. A popular Victorian parlour song, written around 1884, and sung by the character of Molly Bloom in James Joyce’s magisterial Ulysses.
FINALE: Eamonn Kelly - SLR Consulting A selection of Irish traditional reels and jigs.
The Concert was followed by refreshments and good conversation, enjoyed by all.
