BELFAST Music Society will kick off its centenary celebrations with a series of five events as part of its growing Northern Lights’ Mini-Fest.
Local, national and international talent will take part in the Mini-Fest, which will be held online this year. The recitals, running between October 16 and 27 as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival, promise to be a feast for the acoustic senses.
First up a performance from St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh, with Derry cellist Kim Vaughan, who will be joined by her husband and fellow cellist Philip Higham as well as double bassist Nikita Naumov from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
“This concert, Follies and Finery, explores music from Italy and France in the 17th and 18th centuries. These often opposing musical styles often sparked fierce debate and opposition between artists and commentators at the time,” explains Vaughan, who is still involved in the innovative Northern Ireland Quercus Ensembus.
"In France the influence of the court of Louis XIV and his love of ballet, opera and spectacle is felt at every turn. In Italy we were witnessing the rise of the dazzling violin virtuoso with composers such as Corelli and Vivaldi leading the way.
“The performance culminates in a transcription of Corelli’s set of variations on La Folia, possibly one of the oldest tunes in the history of music. Its name ‘folly’, or ‘madness’ describes the frenzied folk dance that would have accompanied it."
Newry-born Ben McAteer, a former winner of Glenarm Festival of Voice, will be joined by Scottish pianist Iain Burnside in a world premiere of a new work by Elaine Agnew, which sets music to poetry by Belfast poet Ciaran Carson.
Other highlights include a programme of Beethoven sonatas to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth from renowned Dublin pianist John O’Conor, while the Piatti Quartet, joined by Canadian classical pianist, Janina Fialkowska, will also perform Beethoven.
Finally, the Ulster Orchestra Chamber Ensemble will perform music by Mozart, Ravel, Glazunov, Strauss and De Falla.
All concerts will be first broadcast on the Belfast International Arts Festival digital channel and will then be available to view for one month on the Belfast Music Society website. Booking at Belfastmusicsociety.org. Events free of charge, donations welcome.
