BEACONS OF LIGHT IN OLD MARKET HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

‘Irish Lights - Soilse na hEireann’ is a group exhibition of artwork on our Lighthouse Heritage - Oidhreacht ar dTithe Solais that was officially opened recently in the Old Market House Arts Centre, Lower Main St., Dungarvan.

County arts officer, Margaret Organ, explained that the arts centre undertook this themed exhibition in the lead up to Heritage Week at the end of August to celebrate this unique type of built heritage around our coasts and to offer selected artists an opportunity to showcase their artistic take on lighthouses.

On show are oils, watercolours, batiks, photographs and mixed media works by Laura Gibney, Kate Hodmon, John Eagle, Patrick Cashin, Patricia Greenwell, Brigid Hynes Roche, Maeve Doherty and Esther Heffernan.

The guest speaker on the evening was Rose Ryall, conservation officer with Waterford County Council. She spoke of the connection which people have with lighthouses and reminisced that a lot of her own childhood summers were spent visiting lighthouses as her father had worked for over 30 years with Irish Lights.

Rose will also be giving a free lunchtime talk on our lighthouse heritage in the arts centre on Wednesday 27th August at 1pm as part of Waterford County Council’s heritage week activities - members of the public are welcome to attend.

The arts centre also has the very popular ‘Market 08’ on display in the upstairs gallery with artwork changing regularly; this month there is new work by emerging photographer Ciaran Foley from Dungarvan.

Mary Flynn Co. Waterford and Eithne Ryan, Wexford are also showing here for the first time. London-based Pierce Casey who is originally from Dungarvan has now got new works on show following his last set of works being completely sold out. Several other artists are also showing in ‘Market 08’ and the passing tourist trade is snapping up original artwork from this rotating exhibition.

The arts centre is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm. These exhibitions continue until Saturday 6th September 2008. Admission is free and all are most welcome. Telephone 058/48944.

CANADIAN BLUEGRASS BAND, HUNGRY HILL IN KILWORTH ON TUESDAY NIGHT

Following a most entertaining evening with Frankie Lane at The Village Arts Centre in Kilworth on Monday night, those of us who were smitten with Canadian band, Hungry Hill last year, look forward to their return visit for some more great bluegrass music on Tuesday night next (August 26).

All the way from Canada’s northwest, Hungry Hill features five seasoned musicians with a desire to create a fresh sound, while staying true to the roots of bluegrass and old-time music. With them on tour they will have available their first album, self titled ‘Hungry Hill’, and the newest release ‘Ride’.

This cd features 11 songs, all originals by the band members, and is the best work they have done to date. Hungry Hill always had a great sound, but this project has resulted in some serious chops and you can hear that the instrumentation is tighter, faster, and their sound is polished and smooth.

The band claim they are moving away from the traditional style of bluegrass where most of the instrumental breaks are focused around the verse or chorus form.

As Jenny puts it, “We like the old-time style where the instrumental parts of a song have their own melodic hook.” You can hear this on ‘Ain’t Got No Sugar Dad Now’, ‘Broken Spoke’, ‘Crooked Log Cabin’, and ‘Gopherville’. Behind the powerful delivery of voice and instrument is the critically acclaimed songwriting of Jenny Lester, Bob Hamilton and Mark Thibeault.

Juno Award winning producer, Bob Hamilton, guides the knitting of mandolin, fiddle, dobro, banjo, guitar and doghouse bass to create a believable and honest sound of both recorded and live performance.

The quintet’s contemporary, acoustic bluegrass with a focus on original material, will even win over those who ‘don’t like’ bluegrass, with their fun, accessible sound!

Tickets now on sale from the usual Village Arts Centre outlets (Avondhu office, Fermoy 025-32227; Cotter’s Bar, Kilworth 025-27109; Hyland’s Bookshop, Mitchelstown 025-24528; from John Nyhan on 087-7921771 or on 087-6492514).

‘THAILAND: WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?’

Be Your Own Banana in association with Meridian present ‘Thailand: What’s Love Got To Do With It?’ by Mairtin de Cogain & Brian Desmond “I mean, you don’t even have to talk to them, not-a-mind chat them up!

They’re all over ya as soon as you walk through the door! Not like the ones back home that be like tigers and won’t even talk to ya! It’s brilliant!” Happy days! The economy’s flying in Celtic tiger Cork, and Declan is off to Thailand for the holiday of a lifetime with the lads.

24 years old, in a foreign land, Declan embarks on a bizarre journey of self-discovery and cheap thrills. You see, Declan’s been going through a bit of a bad patch with the ol’ dolls back home. So it’s off to Pattaya for two weeks to end the drought once and for all.

Directed by Brian Desmond and featuring internationally celebrated actor Mairtin de Cogain in a knock-out, stand-up performance, ‘Thailand: What’s Love Got To Do With It?’ is a unique take on modern Ireland and its contribution to the East Asian tourist economy.

The play originally premiered at the Cork Midsummer Festival in 2007 and was a resoundingly popular, sell-out success. It is a darkly comic, highly entertaining evening’s storytelling, featuring a stunning solo performance from Mairtin de Cogain.

Presented as part of Blood + Bandage, a new festival designed to support and foster new plays and new forms of theatre emerging in Cork, co-writer and director Brian Desmond, says it is a great opportunity to see a bundle of exciting new work at a festival specifically devoted to theatre.

“All the plays are really innovative but not willfully alternative. There are strong comic elements but with a dark edge running through all three,” he explains.

‘Thailand: What’s Love Got To Do With It?’ runs at the Granary Studio, Granary Theatre, Cork (September 10-20), at 9.30pm nightly (previews 8th and 9th Sept). Booking: 021-4904275 or in person at the Granary Box Office. (Contains strong sexual references. Not suitable for children)

EAST CORK EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL 2008

The weeks are speeding by and before you know it, it will be time, once again, for one of the country’s most exciting and prestigious festivals, the East Cork Early Music Festival!

East Cork welcomes everybody back from 17th – 21st September whether you are an old hand, or, if not, that you will join those who have travelled from Scotland or New Mexico, South Africa or Italy, or even just from down the road, to taste the musical treats in store.

Many will be thrilled at the return of soprano Emma Kirkby, she drew our biggest crowd ever in 2005, and for good reasons: not only is she the possessor of probably the iconic voice for Early Music, utterly true and pure and centered, agile and wide-ranging, clear and expressive; she is one of the most intelligent singers you could hope to hear in any genre and possesses a simple and magical presence on stage.

She will perform with the London Handel Players in CIT-Cork School of Music’s marvelous Curtis Auditorium; and also in the ultimate intimacy of Fota House’s drawing room with lutenist, Jakob Lindberg.

This programme of exquisite lute songs (which Emma and Jakob will perform twice in one evening with wine and canapes adding to the ambience) is a uniquely unmissable opportunity for yet another reason: Jakob will be playing an original lute by Sixtus Rauwolf made around 1590, probably the oldest original instrument which is in full playing condition and professionally played in public performance. The sound will be extraordinary.

The exciting programme will continue with the Irish Baroque Orchestra under Monica Huggett’s stellar leadership, and in the largest formation we’ve yet heard from them, rounding out our yearly Bach cycle with the luscious Brandenburg No. 1, together with Handel’s Water Music and Rameau’s Suite from Darnadelles.

Javier Sainz continues our early harp explorations with a mixed programme including both Spanish and Irish repertoire; local heroes Madrigal75 under their dynamic new music director James Taylor, who has devised a varied and delectable programme from Monteverdi’s Venice; chamber music with winds and strings by The Genteel Companions - an exciting young ensemble based in the Netherlands whose members’ origins stretch from Argentina to Cork to Poland, and a farewell viola da gamba recital by the festival’s founding artistic director, Sarah Cunningham, celebrating the re-release of her two solo CDs by EMI-Virgin Classics.

This is an unmissable programme with something for everybody and more details can be found on www.eastcorkearlymusic.ie. Tickets are now on sale at the Cork Opera House at 021-4270022 or on www.corkoperahouse.ie.

This Festival has been supported by and could not happen without, The Arts Council of Ireland, Cork County Council, Failte Ireland and Fota Island Resort.

FERMOY CHORAL SOCIETY

Fermoy Choral Society has announced that rehearsals for men and women for this year’s production of ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ will commence on Monday, September 1 at 8pm at the Fermoy Community Youth Centre. All are welcome.

If you are looking for something new, to do during the wet evenings come along join the fun bring a friend, make new friends. The show will run from November 15 to 22, 2008. Enquiries: (086) 8666997.

IRISH PREMIERE OF ‘VIA DOLOROSA’ AT HALF MOON THEATRE, CORK

Decadent Theatre and Galway Arts Centre presents the Irish premiere of ‘Via Dolorosa’ by David Hare from 22nd September to 4th October in the Half Moon Theatre (rear of Cork Opera House).

"Must our lives in the West necessarily be shallower than those of people for whom the stakes are so much higher?” That is the question posed by British playwright David Hare in his acclaimed play, Via Dolorosa.

This production had a sell out run at the 2008 Cuirt International Festival of Literature. A fifty-year-old writer embarks on a journey to the fifty-year-old state of Israel.

Via Dolorosa is the result of his travels and numerous conversations with politicians and artists, settlers and historians, both in Israel and the Palestinian territory.

In this penetrating political drama, Hare explores not only the landscapes, ideologies and emotions of the region, but his own values and beliefs, and those of Western civilization Directed by Andrew Flynn, the piece stars Rod Goodall.

Starts 8.30pm, tickets: €25 (booking fee may apply). Book by Phone: 021-4270022 or online at: www.halfmoontheatre.ie.