EVENT: NEW MUSIC DUBLIN
Ireland's foremost contemporary music festival returns to the National Concert Hall with a programme that features 27 world premieres and 17 Irish premieres, with performances from the National Symphony Orchestra, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Chamber Choir Ireland, Crash Ensemble and a host of major international performers; highlights include Saturday-night headliners A Winged Victory for the Sullen, who will play an original set in a double bill with the National Symphony Orchestra playing Jóhann Jóhannsson's symphony, A Prayer to the Dynamo. Irish composer Raymond Deane discusses his NMD event below (National Concert Hall, Dublin, April 25th - 28th)
FILM: THAT THEY MAY FACE THE RISING SUN
A deserved winner of this year's IFTA for Best Irish Film, Pat Collins' adaptation of John McGahern's final novel is a meditative tale capturing a year in the life of a rural, lakeside community in Ireland in the 1970's, and another sublime work from one of our great filmmakers. The ensemble cast includes Barry Ward, Lalor Roddy, Seán McGinley and Ruth McCabe (Selected cinemas nationwide)
TV: SONGLINES
It's a big week for filmmaker Pat Collins - not only does he have have a new movie in cinemas, RTÉ One also premiere his latest music documentary, a companion piece of sorts to his earlier Songs of the Open Road (watch it on RTÉ Player here), following Traveller singer Thomas McCarthy as he meets with an eclectic collection of Traveller singers throughout Ireland - charismatic performers and carriers of tradition but rarely seen or heard outside the Travelling community (RTÉ One, 10.15pm, Thursday May 2nd)
BOOK: OLD ROMANTICS
A woman pursues a man who cut ahead of her in a line. Two nice people report that a child is being left unsupervised at a local beach. Romances, old and new, shift and sour... Maggie Armstrong's debut is a collection of linked short stories, and another find for indie publishers Tramp Press; slippery, flawed and acute, her narrator navigates a world of awkward expectation and latent hostility. She talks to Brendan O'Connor below (Tramp Press, out now)
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MUSIC: VISIONS OF VENUS
One of Ireland's great vocalists, the incomparable Wallis Bird collaborates with German classical quintet Spark on an album showcasing 1000 years of female composers, from Clara Schumann to Joni Mitchell, Björk to Hildegard von Bingen. Highlights include inspired takes on Kate Bush’s Babooshka, Anohni’s Daylight and the Sun, Enya’s Only Time and the Bird original Dr James Barry. Listen below (Now Streaming)
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