Music
Of This and Other Worlds – an Evening of Literature and Music at the C.S. Lewis Festival, Belfast
Campbell College, Belfast Belmont Road, BelfastC.S. Lewis Festival Curator Jan Carson hosts a bespoke evening of two halves. During the first half of the performance, poet Damian Smyth, novelist, Bernie McGill and Bangor-based folk duo, The Darkling Air, playing alongside The Arco String Quartet, will tell stories and sing songs exploring real world experiences. In the second half, the performers will delve into the more magical elements of their work. To book tickets visit Belfast Welcome Centre, 9 Donegall Square North, Belfast, BT1 5GB Tel. 028 9024 6609 We’ve chosen, “Of This and Other Worlds,” as our theme for this year’s CS Lewis Festival. In the essay collection of the same name Lewis focuses his attention upon speculative writing: fantasy, science fiction and the recently emerged genre of magic realism. Lewis throughout his career was always a great champion of imagination and this year’s festival theme gives us the opportunity to explore and exercise our imaginations as we focus on non-realist art across a range of different forms and expressions. Imagination isn’t just essential to creative practice, imagination helps us to envisage what the future could look like, to find creative solutions to ongoing problems and empathise with those who see the world a little differently from us. Through […]
‘Strung on Air’: A St Brigid’s Day Celebration at Seamus Heaney HomePlace, Bellaghy
Seamus Heaney HomePlace 45 Main Street, Bellaghy, United KingdomFeaturing Moyra Donaldson, Bernie McGill and Maria McManus, with music from Brigid O’Neill ‘As if St Brigid once more Had rigged up a ray of sun Like the one she’d strung on air To dry her own cloak on’ Seamus Heaney, ‘The Clothes Shrine’ As a celebration of St Brigid’s Day, HomePlace is delighted to present three of Northern Ireland’s leading women writers, reading their work alongside the beautiful music of Brigid O’Neill. Bernie McGill is the author of two novels and one short story collection and her work has been anthologised in the award-winning collections The Long Gaze Back and The Glass Shore. She is currently Writing Fellow with the Royal Literary Fund at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University, Belfast. Maria McManus is a poet and playwright. Her most recent collection is Available Light and she has published three other collections of poetry. Maria is currently a poetry mentor for the Poetry Society and the creator of Ireland’s first Poetry Jukebox. Moyra Donaldson is a poet, creative writing facilitator and editor who has published four collections. Her most recent collection, Carnivorous, was published by Doire Press in 2019. Critically acclaimed artist Brigid O’Neill is a genre-spanning […]
Northern Lights: Bernie McGill in conversation with Jessica Bates, with music by Hannah McPhillimy
Flowerfield Arts Centre 185 Coleraine Road, PORTSTEWART, Northern Ireland, United KingdomThe Arts Service of Causeway Coast & Glens Council presents Bernie McGill in conversation with Jessica Bates, with music by Hannah McPhillimy This event is now available to view online at Flowerfield Arts Centre's YouTube channel. Join us for an evening of music and words from two acclaimed artists whose work is inspired by the distinctive land and seascapes of the Causeway Coast and Glens. North Coast native Hannah McPhillimy’s brand of thoughtful indie-pop takes its influences from artists across the Atlantic such as Regina Spektor and Feist, but retains an unpredictable beauty that is uniquely home-grown. Described by The Irish Times as ‘a bit of a wonder’, she has supported artists such as Foy Vance, SOAK and The Gloaming. Hannah recently returned from completing her masters in classical composition at the prestigious Michigan University and touring in the U.S. ‘Quietly Captivating.’ Culture NI ‘Music both stunning and moving in equal measure.’ Chordblossom ‘McPhillimy’s vocal talents hit home time and time again.’ The Thin Air ‘A real talent.’ Ralph McLean, BBC Ulster The landscape and people of the North Coast are firmly rooted in the writing of Bernie McGill. Her first novel, The Butterfly Cabinet, was set in Portstewart and inspired by the tragic […]