Frenzy…and moonstruck madness.
According to an unconfirmed source, the inhabitants of w[r]itenoise HQ were last seen disappearing behind immense and tottering piles of work (of one kind or another), so ‘yours truly’ has stepped up to the plate to sneak a guest blog under the radar!
All of us involved with w[r]itenoise are, it must be said, all-rounders. Not just your everyday sort of intellectual, creative types, we are more like examples of the old fashioned polymath. How’s that for trumpet blowing? Rather than fill us with a self-satisfied, fat-’n'-greasy sort of glee, this fact adds increasingly to our day to day activities and the general air of amazed frenzy which surrounds each of us. Rather like wrackspurts, I suppose.
Frenzy; such is the week that is. Despite M & D’s copy writing industriousness, there is a wealth of happenings happening, or preparing to happen. This Friday, for talk’s sake, is CultureNight! For those not in the know, CultureNight is a very European initiative where uber-creative arts events happen in unusual and everyday places. This is Belfast’s first outing on the CultureNight scene, and the pilot is taking place in the well-trodden Cathedral Quarter. Despite the fact that we are almost back-to-back with festivals these days, this one is worth turning out for. I have spent most of the week upon scaffolding and ascending ladders placing candles in unreachable places for the candlelit recital in Saint Patrick’s Church on Donegall Street, given by Saint Peter’s Cathedral Schola. Events will by happening between 4.00pm and 10.00 pm and are free. Details can be garnered from here.
The upcoming musical loveliness does not stop there, either. Oh no. Although November is traditionally observed by being cold, losing umbrellas and drinking, this year a gaggle of church music malcontents (in addition to these time-honoured activities) will be performing Victoria’s Requiem on Saturday 7 November at 1.00pm. This group, who number among recent endeavours such highs as singing Gregorian Chant in the Duke of York (not really advisable), like to sing less-heard choral music in its authentic context.
Written in 1605, Spaniard Tomas Luis de Victoria’s setting of this staple of the composer’s craft is written for six voices and is representative of his beautiful musical style; rich in homophonic textures and luscious chords as well as sometimes moving and yet playful rhythmical expression. Fun. It’s not commonly heard these days, so it will be a lot of fun to sing and hopefully pleasing to listen to! The group will also perform Alonso Lobo’s Versa Est In Luctum, a motet composed for the funeral rites of Phillip II of Spain. Why not come along to this Mass, close your eyes and pretend you are in El Escorial surrounded by extras from The Tudors!
