AIB* and Wondering graciously invited me to the BBC St. Patrick's Night concert at the Waterfront Hall, and it was a feast for the eyes and ears. The Ulster Symphony performance featured poetry, Irish dance, flamenco, Ullieann pipes, harps, and tour de force fiddles.
I loved it.
The entire concert was a celebration of the music of Riverdance creator Bill Whelan. Did you know "Riverdance" began as a 7-minute piece performed at the intermission of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest? I didn't.**
"Riverdance" is a cultural phenomenon, but it wasn't the highlight of the show for me. That would be "The Seville Suite," a 1992 orchestral work that fuses Celtic and Spanish / Latin music. It tells the story of Red Hugh O'Donnell's defeat at the Battle of Kinsale in 1601 and subsequent journey to Spain. It was very enjoyable to hear and to watch, with a Celtic dancer and a Flamenco dancer squaring off in front of the orchestra. Throughout the piece I kept wondering how Whelan would unite the two strains but the conclusion was amazing.
I'm sure mixing sangria and Guinness wouldn't go over as well, so I stuck to the black stuff for the post-concert libation.
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* AIB had a blog entry and photos up within hours of the actual event. I don't know how he does it.
** Do people in the States even know what the Eurovision Song Contest is? I didn't until I moved here.
*** Where is my Riverdance pal today? Not a clue.
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