CONCORDE, the contemporary music ensemble, are celebrating their 21st year with a high note; their first CD. Friends, audiences and well-wishers came together in the United Arts Club to help director Jane O'Leary blow out the candles and give the CD a trial.
The evening was a who's who of composers with Raymond Deane, Fergus Johnston, Colman Pearce and Roger Doyle (who last weekend won a composition prize, awarded by Bourges in France) all coming along. The music folk from the universities also made a strong showing including Seoirse Bradley from UCD, Gerard Gillen from Maynooth and Eibhlis Farrell from DIT.
Artist Nancy Wynne-Jones who, did the cover art for the disc came along with sculptor Conor Fallon. Poet Micheia O Siadhail, who is a great admirer of Concorde's work, took time out from a busy schedule preparing for a tour of America in the autumn, to offer his congratulations to the group.
After a few words by the British Council's Harold Fish, and an ebullient reading from Ulysses by actor Barry McGovern, cellist David James and soprano Tine Verbeke gave a short recital. James is principal cellist with the RTE concert orchestra, as well as working with Concorde, while Tine teaches singers Bono and Christy Moore in her spare time. The latest in the long string of celebrity pupils to come toe Tine for help in strengthening their voices is Gavin Friday, who hoped to pop up for the launch but was delayed in the recording studio.