Irish Chamber Orchestra’s first concert of its Spring Season is a voyage of rich imagination featuring two all-time great symphonies, a unique Irish song cycle and so much more at University Concert Hall on Friday February 9.
The concert will be conducted by Killian Farrell, one of Ireland’s rising young stars. ICO’s Artist-in residence, Sharon Carty adds to an all-Irish line-up.
Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony is a miniature marvel, infused by his quirky sense of humour. Full of vitality and fun, it is a thrill from start to finish. A snappy Allegro, a songful Larghetto, a courtly Gavotte, and a Molto vivace finale with the most infectious and stirring of endings will enthral audiences.
A remarkable mother and son journey, The Stones of Life will stimulate the senses sweeping audiences to places beyond the imagination. Deirdre Gribbin’s song cycle takes on a life of its own with the fantastical lyrics by her son Ethan Stein, a young poet with Down Syndrome.
Journey with Ethan from London, through visions of a wider world responding to climate change, to love, to inner struggles, to finding resolve and joy in his surroundings. Layers of sound unfurl as Sharon Carty (Mezzo Soprano) brings it all to life as both narrator and commentator.
From one great song cycle to another Mahler’s Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen, (I am lost to the world) from Rückert Lieder brims with emotion and is one of Mahler’s finest, most beautiful and moving of songs.
Finally, we delve into the greatest of Mozart symphonies, transporting our audiences to the realm of the sublime and the beautiful. Symphony No. 41 (Jupiter) reflects the invincible spirit that drove Mozart to succeed against the odds, with its Olympian character and the greatest of all finales. Experience an unsurpassed range of emotions in this exhilarating masterpiece.
