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Singing its praises with song

OPERA enthusiasts gathered in Kilkenny Castle earlier this month for a preview of what's to come this summer as 'Opera at the Castle' comes to Kilkenny for three days in July. By Frank Murphy - 16/06/09

Handel's Acis and Galatea and Mozart's Bastien and Bastienne will be performed in Kilkenny Castle on July 3 and 4, featuring headlining vocalists Nicola Mulligan (soprano), Dean Power (tenor) and Gavan Ring (baritone); and there will be a special 'Proms and Prams' performance at Kilkenny Castle on July 5 at 2.30pm to mark Kilkenny 400. The 'Proms and Prams' will be free to members of the public.

There will also be a "picnic interval" where opera-goers can bring their own picnic and dine al fresco or inside Kilkenny Castle, or purchase a VIP ticket that includes a gourmet supper in the castle's Great Hall.

"This is a huge step up for Blackstairs Opera, to have such a beautiful press launch. We are leaving our small beginnings and our roots," said Jeremy Hill, chairman of Blackstairs Opera, which has been presenting opera in historic homes since 2001.

"This is certainly an offer that we could not refuse," he said on behalf of Blackstairs, which brings the 'minority art form' to rural areas located far from venues where opera is typically performed.

Mr Hill welcomed the partnership with the Office of Public Works and Opera Theatre Company to stage the festival in Kilkenny, and praised Opera Theatre Company's efforts in encouraging young singers to develop the art form.

Urging potential audiences not to miss this golden opportunity, “a good news story amidst all the doom and gloom", he echoed a speaker at the Wexford Opera Festival launch, pointing out that European opera houses were able to remain open even during the height of World War II.

He thanked the sponsors, Fáilte Ireland, the Arts Council and RTÉ 'Supporting the Arts', and in particular Kilkenny County Council and Kilkenny 400, as their funding will allow 'Proms and Prams' to be a free performance for the public.

"The kids were agog at listening to the singers," he recalled of last year's event. "They were seeing classical music in its highest form, yet the kids were spellbound. You could hear a pin drop."

As a lover of opera, Martin Mansergh, Ireland’s Minister of State for the OPW and the Arts, particularly welcomed the events, in addition to Blackstairs' aim to help transform country houses which were often viewed as symbols of alienation.

He noted that a building such as Kilkenny Castle is owned by the OPW, and therefore the public as a whole. "It is no accident that places that have good cultural facilities attract other forms of investment," Minister Mansergh said.

Mary Heffernan, of the OPW, spoke similarly of the importance of putting money into Ireland and Kilkenny's cultural inheritance, and she encouraged the people of Kilkenny to partake of this offering which is right on their doorstep.

“We would like to be here next year, welcoming you back to the launch of Opera in the Castle 2010,” she said.

Local businesses are already showing their support, the organisers noted, as JJ Kavanagh’s is organising an Opera Bus to ferry attendees to and from Dublin and several hotels such as the Springhill Court Hotel are offering opera packages to entice visitors to Kilkenny for the weekend.

Tickets for Opera at the Castle cost from €85 for an opera ticket to a €145 package that includes priority seating and ‘A Taste of Kilkenny’ gourmet dining in the Great Hall.

For more information and to book tickets, go to www.ticketsireland.ie.