Irish Youth Wind Ensemble
| Finnegan's Wake | A.J. Potter |
| Trumpet Concerto | Kamillo Lendvay |
| Vranjanka | Kenneth Hesketh |
| Interval/Intermission | |
| Prelude and Toccata | John Kinsella |
| Image in Stone | Stephen McNeff |
| Samurai | Nigel Clarke |
Concert Review
The Irish Youth Wind Ensemble performed a truly remarkable concert this afternoon [July 08]. Founded in 1985 by James Cavanagh and Col. Fred O’Callaghan, the group was certainly up to task in the performance of some very difficult music.
The concert opened with A. J. Potter’s Finnegan’s Wake, a brief symphonic poem from 1957 based upon the James Joyce epic.
The Trumpet Concerto of Kamillo Lendvay followed. It is a three movement work. The first movement is in 6 contrasting sections; the second is labelled Intermezzo Lirico while the third is a Rondo in Modo Classico. Trumpet Soloist Mark O’Keefe, a native of Cork County, performed magnificently over the course of this concerto.
Kenneth Hesketh’s Vranjanka, a 2005 composition commissioned by Timothy and Hillary Reynish as part of the ongoing series of works in memory of their son William, ended the first half. Based on a Serbia folk tune, the work, largely in 7/8, offered many rhythmic challenges.
John Kinsella’s Prelude and Toccata, composed for symphonic orchestral winds, opened up the second half of the program. The woodwinds were doubled for this performance of this brilliant work.
Timothy Reynish conducted Stephen McNeff’s Image in Stone, a four-movement work for soprano and wind ensemble that is somewhat reminiscent of Richard Strauss’ Four Last Songs. A very moving work in four movements, it is another of the series of excellence works commissioned by Timothy and Hillary Reynish in memory of their son William. Soprano soloist Nora King sang beautifully.
The very successful concert ended with the rather bombastic Samurai by Nigel Clarke.
©2007 WASBE and/or the contributing author/photographer