Sir James Galway to perform at the Perot Theatre
A living legend and otherworldly talent with the flute, Sir James Galway, will grace Texarkana with his presence to perform 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at the Perot Theatre.
Sir James and his wife, Lady Galway, will perform contemporary numbers and classical compositions during the evening. Galway has sold more than 30 million records and performed with tremendous musicians of all sorts, ranging from Elton John to Stevie Wonder. This Northern Ireland native’s work even appeared
on the soundtrack for “The Lord of the Rings.”
We caught up with Galway for an email interview. The Galways now live in Switzerland. Here’s what he had to say about his career, his love for the flute and his upcoming Perot concert with his wife.
Q: Growing up in Belfast, what was it about the flute that excited you enough to stick with it as an instrument? You found great success at such a young age.
A: Well, growing up in Belfast, I grew up (with) my dad playing the flute, my granddad playing the flute, my Uncle Joe playing the flute, and he taught me and he learnt from my grandfather, so it was sort of in the family. Nevertheless, there were other people in the street who played the flute, so it was quite a common thing to do.
Q: Before going out on your own as a solo player, you worked years as an orchestral performer. What did that experience give you that helped you to succeed on your own?
A: Playing in an orchestra, you learn how to play with other people and when you go out on your own, you draw on all this experience and it is much easier to stand out in front of an orchestra and play a solo if you have actually played in an orchestra.
Q: What inspired you to go out and be a solo artist?
A: Well, it got to the point in the Berlin Philharmonic, when I could not get enough time off to do the things I wanted. So I took the only logical step and left the orchestra … for the unknown!
Q: You’ve recorded dozens of albums and sold millions of them worldwide. Are there any you’re most proud of that the public may not pay as much attention to but you really treasure? Also, are there any musicians with whom you’ve performed live or on record that are most memorable for you personally?
A: Oh yes, the concertos of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, the concertos of Telemann and “The Four Seasons,” the Quantz concertos and quite a few others.
I cannot single one person out—I have had the pleasure of enjoying working with everyone I have been lucky to have performed with.
Q: Performing with Lady Galway. Tell us about what is rewarding in this experience. Also, what do you have planned for this stateside tour stop here in Texarkana at the historic Perot Theatre? Irish folk songs are on the repertoire—can you tell us about those selections?
A: It is a funny thing to do, a cute thing to do to play with your wife on stage, looking wonderful and playing great beside you.
Well, I put together a programme of French and Irish Music. The first half we are going to start by playing Gaubert No 3, fol- lowed by Fauré’s “Morceau de Concours” and the Poulenc “Sonate,” which is very dear to me. It reminds me of living in a hotel. The sort of main theme is like the tipping part of staying in a hotel—you cannot get around without it, and you cannot leave without it! The slow movement is a very nice movement, where Poulenc is reputed to have gone for a walk in the middle, and the last movement is like the normal racket going on in a hotel, people arguing and you can hear everything through the walls!
Yes, these are three of my favourite tunes, and I had my friend David Overton arrange them for flute and piano. But of course the “In Ireland” is by Hamilton Harty and is a funny piece, because it says at the beginning, “Two Irish musicians are walking the streets playing at dusk” … one is playing a golden flute … the other playing a Steinway piano. Haha!
Q: At your website, there’s an intriguing quote: “I do not consider myself as having mastered the flute, but I get a real kick out of trying.” What does this quote mean to you? It sounds remarkably humble and yet enthusiastic in the same breath.
A: I am enthusiastic about playing the flute and practicing as well. It is very difficult to say you have mastered something, because there is always someone who can show you something else. I get a kick out of listening to my students play, and some of them are really fantastic and inspiring and they inspire me to go to greater heights to inspire them. So it is a roundabout situation.
Q: What does the Galway Flute Academy mean to you and Lady Galway? What’s important about passing on the legacy of fine flute playing to younger players?
A: It is part of our way of life now, we have been doing it for coming up 30 years now. I cannot imagine a year going by without it.
It is important to show them how to do it and help them get onto a higher level, so when they go to audition for a job, they can do it with confidence and to the very best of their ability.
Q: What sort of reflections and emotions run through your mind as you head out on the road to perform now?
A: I am really looking forward to coming to Texas. I am so looking forward to catching up with old friends and to go out for a good Mexican meal!
(Tickets: $52-$33. For ticket purchase or more information, call the Perot Theatre box office at 903-792-4992 or visit TRAHC.org.)