14 minute read
Leisure & Lifestyle
Dancing with Declan Christmas Party
Frosty Fest in New Ross
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The Dancing with Declan Christmas Party (see accompanying graphic) is open to everyone, so give Declan a text on 085 708 9128 if you’d like to go
and he’ll arrange your e-ticket. n
This Christmas you can enjoy a socially distanced, free Christmas concert in St. Michael's Theatre, New Ross.
Featuring fantastic music from all-girl band Maċa, soprano Emma Rochford, The Nomads (who are launching their debut CD that night), and the legendary Corkman Seán Ó Sé.
An evening of magical talent brought to you by Wexford County Council under the Local Live Performance
Scheme. n
Panto time in Wexford
Wexford Pantomime Society is delighted to announce its upcoming production of Aladdin in the National Opera House running from 19th to 23rd January.
The box office in the National Opera House will open this coming Saturday, December 4th, 2021, and tickets can be purchased in person, over the phone and online on www.national-
operahouse.ie n
For full details and booking on all events in Wexford Arts Centre and The Presentation Centre, Enniscorthy, see https://www.wexfordartscentre.ie/events/
PIERCE TURNER
Wexford Arts Centre 23 Dec 2021, 8.30pm
JMA PERFORMING THE CLASSIC SONGS OF BOB DYLAN AND NEIL YOUNG Wexford Arts Centre, 18 Dec 2021, 8.30pm
The Slaney News can highly recommend...
Join multi-award-winning singer Tony Carty and his band Blackjack for a warm, cozy and comforting evening of Crooning and Christmas classics in the beautiful surroundings of St. Iberius Church, Wexford town. This concert was a sell-out last year, so hurry, hurry, hurry for tickets to this year’s show. Tickets from the National Opera House website www.nationaloperahouse.ie
Featuring Tony Carty and wonderful musicians Fintan Cleary, Nick Bailey and Colette Cleary along with some special guest performers singing your favourite yuletide songs. A wonderful way to enjoy the Christmas season.
Sublime Sunday sounds
A Musici Ireland String Quartet recital that was originally scheduled for 2020 to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of Beethoven’s birth and the centenary of 19th century composer Max Bruch’s death, was hosted in front of a very appreciative audience at The Presentation Centre on a beautiful November Sunday recently, providing sublime afternoon entertainment at the iconic Enniscorthy location.
The Musici Ireland String Quartet of Mia Cooper and Victor Vigas on violin, Beth McNinch and Gawain Usher on viola, and Katie Tertell on Cello, presented an elaborate programme of spirited and pacing movements, beautiful melodies, lyrical in character and of delicate voicing, romantic and classically Beethoven, who needs no introduction as one of the most famous composers ever. Max Bruch, on the other hand, born in Cologne in Germany in 1838, was one of the major composers of the 19th century, but is only known for a handful of works, despite having written three symphonies and numerous concerti, along with being a prolific writer of chamber music.
Pic: Maria Nolan Towards the end of his life, he wrote three major chamber pieces, of which the String Quartet in E-flat performed at the Presentation was one, with a bit of an intriguing story attached to it.
It’s odyssey is one of the strangest in the annals of any composer’s output, being completed in 1918, the score was lost after Bruch’s death and didn’t turn up for nearly nine decades, when Sothebys auctioned a fair copy of the score and parts in 2006.
The much belated premiere took place in London on 23rd July 2008, and we were indeed privileged to hear it performed exquisitely right here in Enniscorthy.
The music was heavenly and sublime and with the low November sunshine streaming through the magnificent stained glass window providing the perfect backdrop, it was an afternoon of inspirational and elevated entertainment and all I want to say to The Presentation Centre is... ‘Can we have some more please.’ – Maria Nolan
Pic: Maria Nolan
The Fureys – legends of Irish music and song – to play two Co. Wexford venues
Legends of Irish music and song, the FUREYS return to the live stage for the first time in almost two years. On this tour they include the Ashdown Park Hotel, Gorey, on Sunday 2nd January and the National Opera House, Wexford, on Saturday 15th January.
A Fureys concert guarantees a night of pure music magic, songs and nostalgia.
Fans will be taken on a compelling winding journey through more than four decades of The Furey’s legendary classics, including I Will Love You, When You Were Sweet 16, The Old Man, Red Rose Café, Her Father Didn’t Like Me Anyway, Leaving Nancy, From Clare to Here and The Green Fields of France.
The Fureys have seen and done it all. They’ve played for Irish presidents, enchanted world leaders and enjoyed standing ovations in the most prestigious concert halls all over the world. Their story began to take shape with the great folk revival of the 1960s when Eddie Furey met up with then unknown folk singers Billy Connolly, Gerry Rafferty and Alex Campbell. The seeds were well and truly sown when Eddie and Finbar joined the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem as special guests on their 1969 American tour.
The band has naturally gone through change with Finbar leaving the band in 1996 and Paul’s passing in 2002. The legend of The Fureys continues to shine as brightly as ever with Eddie and George steering the band through the last two decades. They remain one of the hardest working music acts on the live circuit and in 2019 played more concerts than during any of their previous 40 years on the road!
Now that they are up and running again, Eddie and George have no plans to stop anytime soon. Eddie says: "We'll keep it going. As long as people want us to play and sing, we'll be around.” Tickets for The Fureys at the Ashdown Park Hotel, Gorey are on sale from the hotel reception or www.ticketmaster.ie and for the National Opera House from the box office (053) 9122144 or www.nationaloperahouse.ie n
POSTPONED! NEW DATE WILL BE CONFIRMED EARLY IN 2022
Panto at The Pres
The Presentation Centre in Enniscorthy is looking very festive at present as it gets ready for Panto time there very soon – December 11th to be exact when Little Red Riding Hood's Christmas Adventure will have us all shouting out "Granny, what big teeth you've got!" With wolfy antics and lots of jammy donuts, this festive show is fun for the whole family. Tickets are available now at www.presentationcentre.ie or by calling 053 9233000. All Covid restrictions will be adhered to. n
Screen Wexford Showcase
Wexford Arts Centre, 2 December 2021
A Screen Wexford showcase screening event will take place on Thursday 2nd December at Wexford Arts Centre. Tickets are limited to 2 per person. Advance booking essential.
SCREEN WEXFORD HAS HAD A BUSY 2021!
To celebrate, the team at Screen Wexford would like to announce an end of year Showcase Event taking place in Wexford Art Centre on Thursday 2nd December 2021 from 7-9pm. This event will include short films screenings, launch of Screen Wexford’s new website, and be an opportunity to meet the team behind Screen Wexford and learn of new and exciting plans for 2022. Screen Wexford was established in 2020 and is the Co. Wexford designated Screen Office responsible for film and TV development. An initiative of Wexford County Council’s Arts and Economics development departments with the support of Bodecii Film, the Screen Office facilitates the development of the industry in the region, supporting incoming and indigenous production and making the county ‘film friendly'.
This showcase event will include: NEW VOICES SHORT FILM AWARDEES
In December 2020, from a highly competitive slate of submissions, three Wexford based teams were selected to receive production finance; equipment support from lighting company Teach Solais; and a professional mentor to support the filmmakers throughout the production process. The three winning projects being presented in the showcase are: ‘Sonny, Mammy and Patch the Dog’ by Sinead O’Quigley, Richard Deering and Adam Hart, is a dark comedy about how life can be put back together after a bereavement. Samsara by Unity, a collaboration between artists Mirona Mara and Jonathan Murphy who have made an animated short about the cyclical nature of life, death and rebirth. Halted by Robert Tyrell and Joanne Heffernan – a documentary about the everyday lives of the Travelling Community in Wexford.
Please note that due to the latest government guidelines only those in possession of a COVID vaccination cert will be admitted unless patrons can provide proof of exemption. n
Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy at the Bunclody Tidy Town stand with Niall Ó Muirí and Ger Ó Muirí.
Right: Bunclody Christmas Market is in the Square, Bunclody, every Saturday until Christmas. Young Mathew Tully shows off his homemade Christmas candle holders and ornaments to Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy. Mathew is helped by fellow FCJ pupil Robbie Chapman.
Bunclody’s weekly Christmas Market
Above left: Linda Murphy with her soft toys. Is Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy buying one for everybody on the Council!!! Above centre: Bunclody Community Park volunteers and their stand at the market, Mary T McKeown and Mary Dowling. Above right: At their Christmas decorations stand were Natalya Ryl and Agnusxka Kaminski at Bunclody Christmas Market in the Square Bunclody, open every Saturday until Christmas.
Left: Young Killian O’Leary was on a spending spree.
Right: Ellie and Ruby Dempsey.
Ballymurn Christmas F
Ballymurn Community Hall, Sunday 28th Nove
Fair
ember
Left: Christmas decorations and candles were all the rage at Jodie Codd and Lindy O’Mahoney’s stand. Above left: Taking a break for a nice cup of tea were Pam and Tony O’Connor. Above right: Karen Cullen after purchasing one of artist Mick Devereux’s paintings.
Above left: Raven and Wren stand was the place to go for all your Christmas items with Geraldine Watters on hand to help you decide. Above right: Exhibitors Lily and Caroline O’Leary.
Wexford Has Talent is back!
The much-missed Wexford Has Talent Competition is back for 2022. The organisers of Wexford Has Talent have announced details for the 2022 competition with auditions set to take place on Sunday, January 9th, at Clayton Whites Hotel. Competitors are now invited to book a free audition place for Sunday, January 9th, in Wexford from 12 noon to 6pm. Wexford Has Talent is kindly sponsored by The Wexford People newspaper Group and has taken place in Wexford town annually since 2015 except for 2021 when Covid restrictions prevented the show from going ahead. The event has grown to become recognised as ‘the' talent competition in the county launching and awarding talents like the band Fit for Kings, gymnast Tara Doyle Robinson, musical ensemble Seventh Fret, singer/songwriters Rachel Grace and Luke Spellacy Shaw and dancer Alex Saunders who have all gone on to perform across the country, release albums and films, and who have appeared on stage at some of the biggest music festivals in Ireland.
During the auditions, a panel of at least three judges will help performers through the audition stages. The competition is open to all ages and all manner of talents and is free to enter with the winner walking away with a €2,000 prize. Two additional prizes of €500 will also be awarded to runners-up. Organisers say this year is going to be ‘the best yet’. Two semi-finals will take place following the auditions; these will be on Saturday and Sunday, January 22nd and 23rd, and the Grand Final will take place on Saturday, February 12th. All shows will take place in Clayton Whites Hotel and will be organised under the Covid restrictions in place at that time.
Commenting at the launch, the Chair of the organising committee Enda Whelan said, "We have no doubt that this will be the best Wexford Has Talent yet. It has been a hugely difficult couple of years particularly for those involved in the arts and we are delighted to offer a platform to nurture and showcase the immense talent of those involved in the arts in County Wexford. We look forward to welcoming lots of entrants, old and new, at the free audition day on January 9th." Audition appointments can be booked in
Wexford Has Talent. Pictured are Ella Grant, Katie O’Connor and Anna Jeffares from the Sullivan Academy of Irish Dance. Pics above and below: Patrick Browne.
advance via www.wexfordhastalent.com
From this audition process, a shortlist of between 24 and 30 acts will go forward to take part in the live audience semi-finals and the semi-final winners will go on to perform at the Wexford Has Talent Grand Final on Saturday, February 12th, 2022. Tickets to the Wexford Has Talent SemiFinals and Grand Final are now on sale at Clayton Whites Hotel priced at €10 for each semi-final of Wexford Has Talent and €15 for the Grand Final. All live shows commence at 8pm sharp. For further details and Wexford Has Talent news see www.wexfordhastalent.com or join the event on www.Facebook.com/WexfordHasTalent and Instagram - @WexfordHasTalent n
Jimi’s new album
Gorey’s Jimi Cullen is delighted to be launching his new album 'Folk Manifesto Pt.2' this Friday, 3rd of December, on BandCamp and YouTube. It will also be released on Spotify and all other streaming services shortly after. The album will be preceded by his latest single 'The Internationale'.
Jimi has been described as being from the old school style of singer-songwriters – “Pure, honest songs, from the heart, without the bullshit, take it or leave it!”
Jimi’s website is https://www.jimicullen.ie where you’ll find links to all his wonderful songs. n
Jimi Cullen –Gorey-based folk singer, musician, songwriter, producer and activist.
Enniscorthy’s favourite musical duo –Kermie (Kerry and Jamie) are back on the road! Jamie Murphy tells us, “Lads... we'd love to play anywhere at this stage... We are back at it. Give us a bell and let us bring some much needed joy to you!!! We do dos and functions, weddings and wakes....” Contact the duo through Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamieandkerry
Kerry and Jamie –back on the road.
