No doubting the big musical event this month: it’s American conductor JoAnn Falletta’s visit to Belfast to conduct the Ulster Orchestra in arguably the most imposing work of the entire choral repertoire, Verdi’s Requiem.
From the thinnest thread of string tone at the outset, to the thunderous eruption of the “Dies Irae” (Judgement Day) movement, the Requiem is a tremendous audio-visual experience in a concert-hall setting. The Belfast Philharmonic Choir is joined for the occasion by Codetta, the crack chamber choir from Derry-Londonderry, so weight of numbers should ensure an awesome body of sound on the evening. There are two performances – one in Belfast’s Ulster Hall on May 17, the other the following evening at The Venue, Derry-Londonderry, part of the UK City of Culture 2013 celebrations. ulsterorchestra.com
The Ulster Orchestra also features in a one-off concert celebrating the 225th anniversary of the Linenhall Library, one of Belfast’s most venerable cultural institutions.
The story of the library will be sketched in readings from its archives by author Glenn Patterson, interspersed with celebratory musical items by Copland, Beethoven, Mozart and others. A brand-new work by local composer Neil Martin is also promised. There’s a rare appearance by rising Northern Irish soprano Aoife Miskelly, and the combined school choirs of St Malachy’s College, Belfast and Sullivan Upper, Holywood will also feature. Altogether this looks a highly entertaining evening, full of variety and enlightenment. May 13, ulsterorchestra.com
Guitar fans also have a major treat coming in the shape of the Katona Twins, who play a single show at the MAC in Belfast on May 19.
The pair are Hungarians, and though their core repertoire is classical, they bestraddle other genres too, including tango and Spanish. Both are seriously hot players, and boast a formidable musical pedigree, including spells of study with guitar greats Julian Bream and John Williams. This is undoubtedly a night for local fret-pickers to attend and relish. MAC-ites will also want to check out “Northern Ireland: Thirty Years of Photography”, a major new exhibition the venue is hosting in conjunction with Belfast Exposed, which looks fascinating. themaclive.com
On the theatre front, if you haven’t seen the Lyric’s world premiere production of Belfast playwright Graham Reid’s Love, Billy yet, you have till May 25 to update yourself on the latest developments in the Martin family, first encountered in the famous trilogy of so-called “Billy plays” Reid wrote for BBC television in the 1980s.
Another local writer, David Ireland, provides this month’s new Lyric production Can’t Forget About You, commencing May 23 in the Naughton Studio. Ireland recently spent a year as the Lyric Theatre’s Playwright-in-Residence, and has won major awards for his drama, so this new comedy about a twenty-five year old East Belfast man who falls in love with a Glaswegian twice his age should be worth catching. The presence in the director’s chair of Ballycastle actor Conleth Hill, fresh from a triumphant run in the Rowan Atkinson-fronted Quartermaine’s Terms in London, adds further interest. lyrictheatre.co.uk
Arts Rundown
Date: 15/05/2013
