Kanturk festival gets to the art of the matter
AS the strains of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ echoed around the thronged Kanturk Courthouse to bring the opening concert to a magnificent end, the entire audience rose to their feet to applaud the wonderful voice of baritone Eoin Leahy and the music of classical guitarist Noel Walsh.
It was a memorable night and in addition to Noel and Eoin the packed courtroom was treated to a foot tapping interval act from the Scoil Mhuire traditional musicians and singers and the acapella group ‘Various Voices’ from Mallow. The music was superb, the winning flash fiction entries were read from the dock and prizes presented to the very worthy winners.
The ever popular ‘Night of Drama’ on the Saturday night was again packed and seven plays, especially written for the festival were staged and enjoyed by an appreciative audience.
Sunday was a busy day with Mallow Camera Club in charge of the Vintage Photo Booth, which did a brisk trade all morning and the swing dancers in the meantime were busy stepping it out in the Edel Quinn Hall.
There was just time to grab a bite to eat before it was back to the courthouse again for an afternoon of readings from invited guests, including the and special guest of the Festival, Bernard O’Donoghue, in the lovely intimate setting of the courthouse.
That night the Poetry Slam, presided over by retired district court judge Michael Pattwell, showed that poetry is alive and kicking in Duhallow and beyond, and it was a pleasure at both the ‘Night of Drama’ and the Poetry Slam to see so many talented children take to the stage.
Festival goers were also enraptured to hear the ‘ Lorraine O’Riordan Gospel Choir’ perform at the interval.
Kanturk Arts Festival 2018 truly was an embarrassment of riches with so many events and workshops, art exhibitions and musicians - from The Fandango Duo to Colaiste Treasa Trad Group, novelist Denyse Woods, artists Viv Buckley, Deborah O’Keeffe, Mary G Sheehan, poet Bernard O’Donoghue and poet Michael Pattwell, and more.
One of the organisers, Mary Angland, said it was a wonderful, fun-filled weekend and the organizers wished to thank most sincerely all those who braved the very cold weather to come out in support.
“As Patricia Messinger of 103/96 fm said in her fine speech at the opening, without an audience there can be no festival and it was great to see that all the hard work by a numerically very small arts committee during the winter months was so appreciated by so many people.
“Already, thoughts are turning towards Festival 2019 which will be even better and bigger,” said Mary.