It's time to sing again!
Arts Notes
GALWAY Choral Association is in the process of recommencing in-person rehearsals.
Under Musical Director Norman Duffy, rehearsals began last weekend, with a view to hosting a light collaborative concert in May- June 2022.
Norman said: “Our main goal is a performance of Mozart’s Requiem, with orchestra and soloists in January 2023. To start with, we’re going to work on getting the choir into singing fitness.
“This will include both individual breathing and vocal techniques, and also working to make a good choral sound. Our accompanist Dympna O’Byrne will be a great help during this period, as we start to work on more challenging pieces.”
Chairperson of Galway Choral Association Carol Duffy said: “As a choir, we were incredibly lucky. Our last concert was a performance of Haydn’s Missa in Angustiis in early March 2020. The memory of that night and the fabulous music we were able to make together has sustained us through dark days and difficult attempts at being a virtual choir and rehearsing online.”
The choir’s plans are, of course, subject to public health guidelines. They rehearse in St Patrick’s Bandhall and have been consulting with their committee about the protocols for using the hall, and using the screens and other features which have been added.
New members are welcome during the first three weeks of the season. Please contact them through Facebook or by emailing admin@galwaychoral.ie to meet Norman for a vocal assessment.
New Film Company Launched
ATLANTIC Academy – Acadamh Atlantach - is a brand-new Gaeltacht based film and TV production training company, which will support the growth in the film and TV sector across Ireland’s western region.
It was set up by Danú Media, which was established in 2015 by John Brady and Siobhán Ní Ghadhra, to produce high quality television and feature drama, for both the domestic and international markets.
Danú Media has a strong and well-established track record in the area of co-production and the principals have experience across all areas of production and also the added advantage of having a local and experienced crew base, which they have worked with consistently for many years.
The establishment of the National Talent Academy Network is part of the wider development by Fís Eireann-Screen Ireland of the screen industry. It continues to bring significant economic and cultural value, while also enhancing skills and capacity in the workforce.
The importance and potential of the screen industry was recognised by the Government in October’s Budget 2022 announcement of a 22 per cent increase in funding to Screen Ireland.
Log onto www.danumedia. com for all of their latest news, productions and developments. Follow @danumediagalway on social media channels or contact Siobhán Ní Ghadhra, CEO Danú Media siobhan@danumedia.com or phone 091 558 400.
February Over The Edge
THE February ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ takes place on Zoom on Thursday, February 24th, at the usual time of 6.30 to 8pm, with Vincent Flannery, Claire Loader, Sharon Black and Polina Cosgrave the featured readers.
There will, as always at Over The Edge: Open Readings, be an open- mic after the featured readers have finished. New readers are always especially welcome. Anyone interested in taking part in the open-mic should text Kevin Higgins on 087-6431748 or register their interest by messaging the Over The Edge Facebook page between 6pm and 6.30pm on the evening. The MC will be Susan Millar DuMars.
Vincent Flannery is a creative writing student at NUI Galway while Claire Loader, a New Zealand-born writer and photographer living in Galway, has worked published in various magazines, including Poetry Bus, Splonk, Crannóg and Skylight47. She won the Women Speak Poetry Competition in 2019.
Glasgow’s Sharon Black has had her poetry published widely and she has won many prizes, including the Guernsey International Poetry Competition 2019 and The London Magazine Poetry Prizes 2019 and 2018.
Polina Cosgrave is a Russian-born writer based in Ireland. Her work in Russian was featured on Echo of Moscow radio station, Russia-K channel and the website Polutona. Her debut poetry collection My Name Is was published by Dedalus Press.
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