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Forthcoming Events
First Irish Heritage City Fundraising Dinner on 13th February – Tables Available
As the scale and scope of Irish Heritage’s activities grow so does the organisation’s need to increase its sources of funding which is why it is holding its first City Fundraising Dinner on Thursday 13th February 2020.
Irish Heritage is fortunate to have been given access to Bakers' Hall, home of the Worshipful Company of the Bakers Guild, and it’s Livery Hall for this special dinner. With high ceilings, superb acoustics and the stunning, contemporary John Piper stained glass windows depicting the Great Fire of London, this light and airy Hall with its Minstrels Gallery will provide a very appropriate venue for the Dinner.
The evening will start with a reception at 7.00pm and be followed by a four course dinner and entertainment. The latter will feature recipients of Irish Heritage’s Bursaries with support artists.
There are only eight tables available at a cost of £1,440 each, this includes wine and liqueurs. Table holders have the option of including an Irish Heritage musician among their guests. Individual places or combinations are available at £160 each.
Please contact Tom Scanlon at tom@scanlon.london for further information and reservations.
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Kevin Jansson returns to London for solo recital with Irish Heritage
Irish Heritage is delighted to host the outstanding young pianist, Kevin Jansson when he returns to London to give a solo recital on Wednesday March 4th, this time as the recipient of the 2019 Royal Dublin Society (RDS) Music Bursary.
Kevin, who made his London debut last April in Irish Heritage’s “Showcase Ireland” concert, will perform in the same venue, the elegant Princess Alexandra Hall at Over-Seas House in St James in the West End.
Described by the RDS judges as “brilliant in all respects”, the nineteen-year-old Cork man is currently studying piano at the prestigious Juilliard Conservatoire in New York with Dr Veda Kaplinsky.
Kevin already has an impressive list of performances to his name, including with Camerata Ireland, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the Ulster Orchestra and the New York Concerti Sinfonietta in Carnegie Hall. If last year’s cameo performance was anything to go by, the audience is in for a special treat on 4th March.
Tickets are £20 each for adults (including wine reception and programme) and £5 for students on production of ID. Adult tickets are available online via www.irishheritage.co.uk (there are no booking fees) and on the door; student tickets are only available on the door on the evening.
Date: Wednesday 4th March 2020 at 7.30pm
Venue: Princess Alexandra Hall, Over-Seas House, Park Place, St James’s Street, London SW1A 1LR
Tickets: Adults £20 each on door or at www.irishheritage.co.uk in advance.
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Picture caption: Kevin Jansson
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“The Best Ever” Christmas Concert
Irish Heritage’s first bursary recipient Carolyn Holt returns for superb performance
The headline reflects the reaction on the evening and the response received over succeeding days to Irish Heritage’s “Christmas by Candlelight Concert” on Monday evening, 16th December.
The beautiful St George’s Church in Hanover Square in the heart of the West End provided an appropriate setting for an evening of carols, seasonal music and readings that the audience who thronged the church thoroughly enjoyed.
The principal soloist was mezzo-soprano Carolyn Holt, recipient of the first Irish Heritage Music Bursary for Performance awarded in 2015. Carolyn’s superb performance of “O Holy Night” with the Arb Ensemble in the early part of the concert set the standard for what was to follow.
Accompanied by another of Irish Heritage’s bursary recipients, talented pianist Brian Hughes, Carolyn also sang “He was despised” from Handel’s Messiah and Shubert’s “Ave Maria”
The Arb Ensemble performed a number of choral pieces including “The Three Kings” by Cornelius and “The Wexford Carol”.
There were readings by Cecilia Gallagher, Chair of the Women’s Irish Network and Petroc Trelawny of BBC Radio. Petroc’s lively interpretation of “The Christmas Dinner” from James Joyce’s “The Dead” was memorable.
His Excellency, the Ambassador of Ireland, Adrian O’Neill read three favourite poems including “Magi” by Collette Bryce which had the audience smiling.
A highlight of the evening was Carolyn Holt’s performance of a new arrangement of the Irish carol “Don Oiche Úd I mBeithil”. The arrangement by Audrey McKenna, producer of the concert, was dedicated to Ambassador O’Neill, First Secretary Ruaidhri Dowling, and the staff of the Embassy in London to acknowledge Irish Heritage’s appreciation of their support.
In between traditional carols were enthusiastically sung by the audience accompanied on the church’s distinctive organ, the first American built of its type in London, by Polina Sosnina.
The evening finished with an enjoyable reception where the audience had the opportunity to meet the performers and readers.
Highlights of the concert can be seen on Irish Heritage’s YouTube channel at:
https://youtu.be/Iyh-t8obadc and https://youtu.be/WL200ZOziWI
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Picture caption {left to right): Patrick Lennon, Chairman of Irish Heritage; Audrey McKenna, Artistic Adviser of Irish Heritage and producer of the concert; Petroc Trelawny of BBC; Carolyn Holt; HE the Ambassador of Ireland, Adrian O’Neill and Jonathan Darbourne of The Arb Ensemble.
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News from and about Irish Heritage Friends and Collaborators
Fiachra Garvey and the inaugural “Classical Vauxhall”
IH has received the following message from pianist Fiachra Garvey:
“I would love to put out a notice in your next newsletter about the inaugural “Classical Vauxhall” of which I am the Artistic Director and which will take place from 5th-8th February 2020.
The link to our website with full details on our international artists, programme, tickets, etc. is:
https://beinvauxhall.com/classical-vauxhall/
The Blackwater Valley Opera Festival 2020
The dates for this year’s Blackwater Valley Opera Festival are 28th – 31st May. The Irish Heritage Bursary recipients’ recital is in Dromore Yard on Friday 29th May at 12.00pm.
For further details please visit: www.blackwatervalleyoperafestival.ie
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