PERFECT 10
HERE’S OUR TOP TEN THINGS TO DO IN CORK THIS WEEK
ELLEN KENT TO BRING VERDI’S ‘AIDA’ TO CORK
THE Cork Opera House will tonight (Thursday) host a performance of Ellen Kent’s award winning interpretation of Verdi classic Opera ‘Aida’ starring French soprano Olga Perrier and Romanian mezzo Liza Kadelnik.
Set against the grandeur of Rome’s Coliseum, this story of war, jealously and revenge is brought to life to a backdrop of some of the greatest pieces of music ever wrote including ‘Celeste Aida’, ‘Rhorna Vincitor’ and the Triumphal March.
Sung in Italian with English subtitles, it features a temple dance, cascades of glittering gold and amazing fire performances.
Tickets priced a €26, €36 and €41 from the Opera house box office on 021 427 0022.
MARLENE ENRIGHT BACK HOME WITH NEW TRACKS
CORK based singer/songwriter Marlene Enright and her band will launch her eagerly awaited debut album ‘Placemats and Second Cuts’ at a gig tonight (Thursday) in Coughlans Live on Douglas Street.
The launch comes after what has been a busy 12-months for Enright, which included sell-out gigs across the country and an appearance at the prestigious Other Voices Festival.
Influenced by acts as diverse as Bon Iver, Feist and the all-girl of the 60’s such as The Ronettes and the Shirelles, Enright has developed an eclectic sound that combines roots with contemporary indie pop to create a style that is easy on the ear.
Tickets for the gig, which will include support from Ailbhe Reidy, from the www.coughlans.ie priced at €12.
THE COMPLETE MOZART SONATAS AT THE TRISKEL
ACCLAIMED Irish pianist Dr Fionnuala Moynihan will play the penultimate recital of a five concert series featuring the complete cycle of Mozart’s piano sonatas at the Triskel Christchurch Arts centre on Friday.
The multi-award winning pianist has a particular affinity with the works of both baroque and classical composers, previously performing complete cycle of Mozart’s sonatas over four months in 2010 and the complete piano sonatas of Haydn over two years.
Friday’s recital will feature sonata no.11 A major K331, sonata no.12 F Major K.322 and sonata no.13 in B flat major K.333.
The fifth and final recital of the series will take place at the Triskel on the evening of Friday, May 19.
MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR AT THE EVERYMAN
FANS of the ‘Fab Four’ have been invited on a Magical Mystery Tour with at the Everyman Palace Theatre in the company of one of the leading Beatles tribute bands.
On Sunday evening the Cavern Beatles will take fans back to the swinging sixties, replicating in sight and sound the excitement and energy of Beatlemania, the psychedelic genius of ‘Sgt Pepper’s’ and the creative masterpieces that are ‘Abbey Road’ and ‘ The White Album’.
As well as being talented musicians and singers, the band are hugely dedicated Beatles fans, with their uncanny vocal resemblance to the Fab Four due in no small measure to the fact that they all grew up in Liverpool, a city that remains immensely proud of the legacy the Beatles left behind.
Tickets for the gig from the Everyman box office on 021 450 1673 priced at €26.
THE HIGH KINGS LIVE AND LOUD AT THE INEC
POPULAR trad quartet The High Kings will bring their latest Irish tour to the stage of the INEC in Killarney on Sunday night.
The band members, Finbarr Clancy, Brian Dunphy, Martin Furey and Darren Holden, grew up in households steeped in the Irish musical tradition, witnessing at first hand the power trad Irish music holds over audiences.
Since their formation in 2008, the band have recorded five albums, with another due out this summer, and earned a rich reputation for their live shows selling out venues in Ireland and across the US.
Tickets for the show from the INEC box office on 064 667 1555 priced at €27.90.
ACOUSTIC GIG WITH LUAN PARLE AND CLIVE BARNES
METEOR award winning singer/songwriter Luan Parle will bring her latest Irish tour to the White Horse in Ballincollig next Thursday night accompanied by acclaimed guitarist Clive Barnes.
Parle, who is perhaps best known for her top 10 hit single ‘Ghosts’, will play an intimate acoustic set that will include songs from her back catalogue as well as tracks from her most recent EP ‘ The Dice’ and her eagerly anticipated album which is due for released soon.
Together she and Barnes, who is widely regarded as one of finest guitarists on the roots circuit, create a stunning live show that combines county, folk, pop and rock in one unmissable night.
Tickets €5 from www.ticketweb.ie.
ANDY GOING FULL CIRCLE AT THE OLIVER PLUNKETT
CORK singer/songwriter Andy Dunne will continue his ‘Full Circle’ residency at the Oliver Plunkett Bar with a free late-night gig at the Cork City venue next Saturday night.
Not a man to be stereotyped in any particular genre, Dunne performs possibly the most eclectic set you will ever hear from a solo performer, with his genial wit and onstage banter adding another dimension to his live performances.
Although he generally performs well-honed cover versions, Dunne adds some of his own compositions into his set, ranging from trad to quirky blues songs all accompanied by his unique acoustic guitar style.
NIGHT OF MAGIC WITH KEITH IN CHARLEVILE
THE inimitable Keith Barry will bring his new Hypno Magick show to the Charleville Park Hotel on Sunday night.
Prepare to have your mind blown with original feats of mind-reading and magic, coupled with mind bending illusions and demonstrations of mass hypnosis and mind reading involving the whole audience.
During the second half of the show Barry will invite more than 100 people on stage where he hypnotises them to execute mental and outlandish feats they would never ordinarily do.
The only question is will you be brave enough to join him on stage or will you stay in the safety and comfort of your seat?
Tickets from the venue on 063 33701 priced at €30. Text intro
WITH LOVE FROM DENVER: MIKE TO PLAY GLENEAGLE
ONE of the darlings of the Irish county music circuit, Mike Denver, will bring his live show the stage Gleneagle Ballroom Killarney on Saturday night.
Widely regarded as one of the brightest young stars of the genre, Denver is a relative newcomer to the Irish music scene, only performing his first professional live performance back in 2003.
Since them he has gone onto achieve huge recognition, recording more than a dozen albums, various DVD’s and selling out venues across the country.
Denver’s love shows are always an eclectic mix of self-penned hits, country classic and middle of the road favourite’s that appeal to all ages.
Admission, priced at €20 on the door only.
A NIGHT FOR THE SKA HEADS DOWN THE LANE
THE all-star UK ska band Ska-Boom will bring their hi-octane live show to the stage of Cork’s Crane Lane Theatre for a free gig at 9pm tonight (Thursday).
Since the eight-piece band was formed in 2008 it has performed more that 2,000 live shows, with the members mutual love of ska music and all things 2-Tone driving them on to earn the tag of being “one of the hardest working” ska bands on the UK music scene.
Their live sets incorporate classics by icons of the ska and mod movements including The Specials, The Beat, Madness, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, The Jam and Toots and the Maytals.
Their well-earned reputation for putting on foot-stomping, high energy live shows has earned the band legions of fans and a night in their company is guaranteed to be great.