Music of Count McCormack is celebrated in Dungan’s show

THE Count, The Countess & The Tommy returns to Ireland’s theatres this Autumn for a short tour.

And on November 8th, Myles Dungan’s show comes to the Hawk’s Well Theatre.

Starring international soloists Simon Morgan and Lisa Lambe and baritone Brendan McQuaile, this hugely-entertaining show for all the family features popular songs and stories from the Ireland of a hundred years ago, centering on the life and works of the celebrated Irish tenor John, Count McCormack.

“The idea was to do a show that complimented a series of lectures about 1916. It’s mostly music around the period of World War One and Republic music from 1916 and that,” Dr. Myles Dungan told The Sligo Champion.

The RTE presenter and historian became interested in the work of Count McCormack when he began holding talks on the music of World War One.

One thing lead to another, then, and this production came together.

“The show is probably two thirds music, and one third is what I write and it is integrated into the music. There are three characters, the Count who is John McCormack, the Countess and Tommy.

“I got interested in McCormack in this context when I started doing talks on the music of World War One, and radio documentaries on the topic. I realosed how good he was, and the contrast between him and the other voices. So I became interested in him and started to explore his story.

“When war was declared he made a decision to go to America. It was a career move and he started taking off in America.

“He then started doing concerts to fundraise, for relief kind of, and he was sort of the Bob Geldof of that period.”

Having worked previously with Simon Morgan, Brendan McQuaile and Lisa Lambe, Myles decided to develop something surrounding the topic and including them in the show.

“They can all tell their own stories, they each have their own monologue,” he added.

Tickets on sale at hawkswell.com