The Louth Contemporary Music Society’s annual midsummer festival has quickly established itself as an event of prime importance, not only in Ireland but internationally. Composers and performers from around the world are drawn to Dundalk by the qualities of enthusiasm and attention they meet from a growing local audience.
This year’s instalment of “The Gathering” runs from the evening of Friday 19th – 20th of June and goes further than ever before, welcoming Cuba’s foremost composer Leo Brouwer. Half a century ago, Brouwer was the favoured guitarist of the leading German composer Hans Werner Henze. He brings to “The Gathering” a selection of his own pieces, for solo guitar and quartet, music deeply steeped in Cuban traditions. The performance will also include the world premiere of a new work Irish Landscape with ‘Rain’. Pascale Criton, whose hovering music made a big impression at last year’s festival, returns with a piece for the French guitar duo Lallement Marques Concert in An Tain Arts Centre Dundalk at 8pm Friday 19 June 2020.
A sublime programme of music will be performed by Sabine Oehring and Yuriko Ozaki at the 1pm concert on Saturday in the beautiful surroundings of St.Vincent’s School Chapel. The programme titled Silence and Sound explores the music for voice and guitar by Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa.
The German violinist Carolin Widmann lends her top virtuosity and expressive drive to a programme of new and recent solo pieces including a new work by Gloria Coates, pursuing her own fascinating course through her eighties. Carolin’s concert takes place in the Chapel of St. Vincent’s School, Jocelyn St Dundalk at 3pm on Saturday 20 June 2020.
“The Gathering” takes its name from a string quartet by the exciting Greek-Canadian composer Christos Hatzis. This will be played by Ireland’s own Esposito Quartet, on a programme that also includes music by Kevin Volans. The Esposito performance will take place in St. Nicholas Church of Ireland Dundalk at 5pm on Saturday 20 June 2020.
The festival closes with voices: the Vox Clamantis choir of Estonia, singing music by Arvo Pärt including LCMS’ commission The Deer’s Cry, Helena Tulve, Kevin Volans’ ecstatic work Glosa a lo Divino and a new work Storm in Devon by Siobhán Cleary. Vox Clamantis concert takes place at 8pm on Saturday 20 June 2020 in St.Nicholas Church of Ireland Dundalk.
Funded by the Arts Council, Create Louth, with the friendly support of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation and supported by RTE Supporting the Arts.
Programme for the Gathering.
Music of Leo Brouwer including the new work Irish Landscape with Rain.
(Andrey Lebedev, Alec O’Leary, Duo Lallement Marques and Cecilia Bignall, cello)
Friday 19 June 2020 at 8pm in An Tain. €12
Music of Toshio Hosokawa for guitar and voice
Sabine Oehring and Yuriko Ozaki
Saturday 20 June 2020 at 1pm St.Vincent’s €5
Carolin Widmann performing Bach, Hildegard, Benjamin and a new work from Gloria Coates
Saturday 20 June 2020 at 3pm St.Vincents, €5
Esposito Quartet performing Christos Hatzis The Gathering and Kevin Volans’ This is How it is.
Saturday 20 June 2020, 5pm St.Nicholas. Free.
Vox Clamantis (Estonia) singing Arvo Pärt, Kevin Volans, Helena Tulve and Siobhan Cleary
Saturday 20 June 2020 at 8pm St.Nicholas
€12
A full festival ticket for all shows costs €20 (€22.20 including booking fees) available from https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/the-gathering-festival-early-bird-ticket-tickets-74723653459
