Music lovers in Limerick are in for a treat this weekend as the Limerick Early Music Festival returns with a captivating line-up celebrating over a thousand years of musical heritage.
Co-director Vlad Smishkewych promises an event like no other, stating, “There’s something for everyone. Over 1000 years of music.”
So – What is the earliest music that we know existed?
“Well, the earliest music that we know existed. We have music that we can reconstruct as far back as about four or 5000 BC. So we’re talking about six, seven millennia, there are traces of music from the Phoenician Sumerian, you know, the Abyssinians and all sorts of ancient civilizations.
There’s also music a little bit closer to our times. You know, ancient Roman, Greeks and Egyptians, just going back a couple 1000 years.
Most of the music that folks will hear at the festival, though, comes from the last 1000 years.”
A festival for families
Saturday March 22, is packed with family-friendly activities. Musicians will parade through Limerick’s iconic Milk Market in the morning, accompanied by puppet-making artist Rose Minnema, to give the public a taste of the festival’s vibrant atmosphere.
Following this, families are invited to the Belltable Hub on O’Connell Street for a hands-on puppet-making workshop. The day’s events continue with an interactive family concert by Classicalkids.ie, featuring a trio of Ireland’s top early music specialists, promising a fun and engaging experience for young audiences.
Music and history
Beyond family activities, the festival offers something for all tastes. Dr. Eoin Callery will present a fascinating exploration of architecture and sound, while Slovo: The Tale of Igor will bring a dramatic retelling of a 12th-century Slavic epic to life with voice, lyre, early percussion, and bowed strings.
Sunday highlights contemporary compositions for early instruments in Still, She Rises! at Belltable, featuring works by Brooke Green and the world premiere of Baile by Xenia Pestova Bennett. Smishkewych highlights the festival’s innovative approach: “A lot of things we are doing is new music on old instruments. You’ll hear catchy, contemporary tunes, even drum and bass-inspired pieces played on Baroque instruments.”
Unforgettable experience
With a mission to bridge the gap between past and present, the Limerick Early Music Festival offers a unique experience that challenges perceptions of early music. “It’s not a stodgy old classical music festival,” Smishkewych assures, “It’s about bringing music from centuries ago to the person on the street, to families, and to schools. After all, every piece of music was once new.”
For full details, visit www.limerickearlymusic.com.
Also, tune in to Vox Nostra with Vlad Smishkewych on RTÉ Lyric FM (Sundays, 7am-10am) The festival runs from Thursday
