Alexandra Traditional Irish Group Visit: An International Concert

Sophie von Brauchitsch one of our form V pupil's from Germany writes about the Alexandra Trad Band visit to the school.

On Tuesday, the 8th December, nine girls and their teacher from Alexandra College, Dublin visited our school to hold a concert of traditional Irish music in the BSR.

This concert was a great opportunity for the music students in forms V and VI to hear traditionalal Irish music, an important part of the Leaving Certificate Music course, live. However, not only music pupils attended this concert. Many others curious about Irish music style came too.

The group consisted of four harps, three fiddles, a flue, a tin whistle and a bodhrán, which is a traditional Irish drum. They played twenty-two pieces in blocks of three and four, dances like Reels, Jigs, Slip jigs and Slides along with traditional Irish songs, like The South Wind, Drowsy Maggie, Trip to Sligo and Sally Gardens. In some pieces, players performed solo accompanied by the harp, presenting their instruments and how they sound on their own.

In the breaks between the blocks, Justine Heffernan, a form VI pupil from our school, preformed three traditional Irish dances, first a Reel, then a Jig and finally a Slip jig.

After the concert, everyone went up to the Cadagon main room, where the performers and the audience talked about their experiences with traditional Irish music.

This concert brought Irish music, which can sometimes seem a little dry, nearer to the us all and gave the pupils who haven’t dealt with this topic before an idea about traditional Irish music.

Alexandra Traditional Irish Group Visit

by Chris Doherty, form III

On Tuesday evening we were visited by a traditional Irish music group from Alexandra College. As one of the topics covered by the Junior Certificate course, I found it interesting to hear Irish music played live. It was a first for me and many others who attended but I think it was enjoyed by all.

They played a variety of different Irish songs like reels, hornpipes, jigs, slip-jigs and others, in sets of threes. Their band consisted of four harps, three fiddles, flutes and a bodhrán, all traditional Irish instruments. All the songs were performed to a high standard and I think the audience appreciated the quality of performance.

Along with the music performance there was also an Irish dance performance given by Juntine Heffernan, form VI. I personally have never seen Irish dancing performed live but even I could see that she executed the steps excellently and I’m sure the others would agree. She showed us three dances, a reel, a jig and a slip-jig.

Overall I think it was a very enjoyable evening giving some people, myself included, their first live performance of traditional Irish music and dance. The night was enjoyed by everyone and a big thank you on behalf of all of us who attended to those who performed, both the girls from Alexandra and Justine, and Mrs. Malone-Brady for organising the event.

Christmas Gigs

Between correcting exams and writing reports, another member of staff has found the time to prepare for two concerts. Following the success of their most recent concert, which you can read about here, The Keynotes will perform twice over the Christmas Holidays. The concerts will take place on Saturday the 20th and Monday the 21st of December in the Freemasons Hall, Molesworth street, Dublin 2.

The Keynotes are a Barbershop Quartet, consisting of five members (don't worry Mr. Finn teaches History not Maths!) with a huge repertoire of pieces and a reasonably large repertoire of jokes. Mr. Finn's performances in the school are always met with tremendous applause and these concerts promise to be of equal entertainment.

Christmas Gigs

'Ronan Swift and his trusty band' will make a popular return to the stage in Bewley's Café Theatre on Grafton Street on Thursday December 10th. Doors open at 8:30 with the sonorous musings of Mr Swift. Admission will be a recession busting €10 and the night will boast a host of new material from the man himself!