19 October - 4 November 2012
Press Room
Valery Gergiev with the Mariinsky Orchestra
"The opening concert of the festival was an ear-opener, with Valery Gergiev and his Mariinsky Orchestra playing a programme both challenging and absorbing. Henri Dutilleux's Correspondences is a gem of a work for soprano and orchestra... Shostakovich's 'Leningrad' Symphony reflects a turbulent, difficult time in Russia's history, writ large on a grand orchestral canvas." News Letter
Polish Passions
"It is an orchestral tour de force, and in this fine performance under Dworzynski it pulsates with energy, vitality and brilliance. Rarely are we afforded the chance to hear such an expansive - and expensive - array of forces in such stirring, exciting and approachable twentieth century music. What an excellent bookend this concert makes, in contrast to the opening Gergiev concert." Culture NI
Fascinating Aida
"They encore with a little pre-planned song about Belfast which manages to fit in the Waterfront Hall, Twelfth of July and Nuala with the Hula. They didn't need to endear themselves any further, but it is this last, skilful manipulation that induces a standing ovation. With nary a dry eye in the house by this stage, it's as effusive and spontaneous a reception as you'll see at this year's Belfast Festival." Culture NI
Warsaw Village Band
"The Spiegeltent is the ideal setting for this raggle-taggle army of laments, percusssive grooves, oompah chic and outright party stompers that this defiantly modernist traditional outfit deliver with considerable warmth and charm... The number of Polish people in the audience is a reassuring reflection of the increasingly diverse make-up of Belfast society and especially the city's burgeoning Polish community, which pleasingly seems to have developed in confidence in recent years." Culture NI
The Table
"When the four men from Karbido take their seats at the wooden table which gives the show this title, there are few signs - on the surface at least - that it's anything other than the common or garden kitchen variety. In fact, it is fairly thrumming with amplifiers capable of transforming the brush of a finger tip and the swipe of a blade into electrifying sounds... This avant garde concert lasts just an hour - the sheer inventiveness and brio the musicians bring to the table makes every minute a revelation." Belfast Telegraph
Macbeth
Polish company Biuro Podrozy's outdoor drama is one of the highlights of this festival - an exhilarating blood-and-thunder spectacle of flickering flames, acrid smoke, revving motorbikes, stiltwalkers and singing... Poetry takes a back seat to pyrotechnics. But there's no difficulty in following the rise and fall of the Macbeths which is told here with daring and - at times - subtlety." Belfast Telegraph
Terminus
"Dublin has come north in Mark O'Rowe's soaring, exuberant, heartbreaking tale of loneliness and isolation that explores the ache for connection and redemption... Engaging and provoking, Terminus is a pulsating and effervescent piece of theatre that could send you out into the Belfast night listening for the beat of leathery wings." News Letter
Colm Tóibín
Hand-in-hand with Colm Tóibín's status as a literary heavyweight, it was an unassuming and extremely witty individual who entertained a packed auditorium at the Baby Grand last night... It was like a master class in novel writing as he told how he warned his Texan students to avoid back story, facial descriptions, adverbs and too many adjectives." Belfast Telegraph
Seamus Heaney and Michael Longley with the Ulster Orchestra
"Combining the poetry of Seamus Heaney and Michael Longley with excerpts of classical music in a 70th birthday celebration for the two great bards on Saturday night at the Waterfront was inspired." Belfast Telegraph
James Hunter
"Backed up by an impressive line-up of drums, upright bass, keyboards and dual saxophones, Hunter proved to be a force to be reckoned with on electric guitar... We were treated to a set of vintage covers, original material and jazz standards, boasting tight ensemble musicianship, all held together by Hunter's soulful vocals." Belfast Telegraph
Forward the 42nd! Gregory Burke’s glorious drama about the Black Watch regiment brought the audience at the Girls Model School to its feet last night.
Based on interviews with former soldiers from the regiment about their experiences in Iraq, it paints a vivid picture of the boredom, blood and brotherhood that makes up life in the army.
Performed superbly by a cast of 10, who’ve formed a bond as tight as any crack unit, and directed by John Tiffany, the story flits between pool room and desert, past and present.
Ex-squaddies are interviewed by a writer (so far, so fact) about what it was like to serve in Iraq. The soldiers had been moved to Fallujah, to the ‘triangle of death’ to fill in for US troops who have gone on an offensive.
Black Watch has a revered role in Scotland, with men following their fathers and grandfathers into the regiment — a “golden thread” that links past, present and future.
As 800 men from the 42nd try to fill the gap left by 4,000 marines, they learn their regiment is to be amalgamated with other Scottish divisions — an ill-timed betrayal, many felt, by an uncaring government.
The action unfurls in a heart-pumping blend of words, music, movement and mime. While the squaddies cheer at news of a kill, they weep on receiving their letters from home.
Each scene brings another facet of soldiering into the spotlight.
“It’s not like you’re doing the job you trained for,” says one. “It’s not like there’s a threat to our country or anything.”
After watching in stunned awe at a US attack on a village, another says: “This isn’t fighting — it’s bullying.”
The men have no concept of their enemies — what have the Iraqis got to do with their crude games and lewd pictures and arguments over cheese on toast?
It’s clear that war is fought not on the battlefield, but for the hearts of these warriors.
And they fight not for king or country, but for the man standing next to them.
Black Watch has marched into history.
The story it tells is still being told, in foreign fields across the world.
Grania McFadden
Three is a magic number as Trilogy grabs the heart
Saturday, 23 October 2010
They give themselves over to the music, jumping and jiggling, beautiful in their un-selfconsciousness.
From the start, Nic Green’s Trilogy grabs us by the heart and refuses to let go, while taking us through the emotional alphabet. We relearn how irrelevant our appearance really is — how what goes on inside matters so much more. This highly political piece of work reminds us of our debt to feminism — particularly the younger members of the audience, for whom it has become a dirty word. And it’s a reminder that the fight for equality is a long way from being won, and that liberation is a different battle altogether.
The first part of this exuberant evening looks at how we live with our bodies, which culminates in that joyous dance by dozens of naked women. Well, not all of them are naked. One is wearing glasses, another is leaning on a crutch. They’re all smiling.
The second section takes a step back in time to the 1971 Town Bloody Hall debate in New York about the women’s liberation movement — to the days when Germaine Greer was still fabulous, and Norman Mailer sexy.The cast moves around the stage as we watch part of the event: Mailer dismissing poet and feminist Jill Johnston; Greer describing how they are improper goddesses and unwilling menials.
We hear Greer’s speech about Mozart’s sister, in which she outlines the ego of male artists like Mailer. Check, mate.
Just as locusts lie dormant below the surface, only to emerge when conditions are right, Green and collaborator Laura Bradshaw aim to persuade us that now is the time to change the world through direct action. Naive? Perhaps. But it’s a start.
The final part of Trilogy is a difficult watch, with its bloody images of mutilation and murder.
But Green refuses to let the story end there, and sends us homewards, suffragette song in our hearts, feeling that the future is waiting for us to claim it.
Grania McFadden
Below you can find some reviews from our old 2009 / 2010 festivals. We will be updating the site with some information relating to the Festival and providing more information about the upcoming 2011 Festival set to launch this August, but with some shows having recently been released.
Until then, enjoy some historical comments below.
Posted Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:07:40 BST
The Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen's are pleased to announce that friend of the Festival Brian Kennedy will be returning in a performance with Dervish. Belfast born musician Brian Kennedy has been hugely successful over the years with a catalogue of ten albums behind him. Adored by his fans Brian Kennedy is the ultimate live performer, the second he bursts onto stage, grabs his guitar and belts out his first note you know that magic is about to happen. Brian will join Adrian McNally and Rachel Unthank as the special guests who will be performing along side Dervish.
Dervish were formed in 1989 by a group of five musicians, Liam Kelly, Shane Mitchell, Martin Mc Ginley, Brian Mc Donagh and Michael Holmes who came together to record an album of local music which was released as The Boys of Sligo. Joined in 1991 by singer Cathy Jordan and all Ireland champion fiddle player Shane Mc Aleer the band produced the first Dervish album Harmony Hill which was released in 1992. In 2010 Dervish celebrated 21 years at the forefront of Irish traditional music. The band marked the occasion with four special concerts which brought together musical friends and influential musicians from their career including several they had never worked with before. The resulting shows were fantastic events from both an artist and audience viewpoint, and inspired by the reaction and the musical bridges these shows created, Dervish have continued to bring together diverse but compelling musical line-ups.
Posted Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:37:19 BST
The Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen's are pleased to announce that friend of the Festival Brian Kennedy will be returning in a performance with Dervish. Belfast born musician Brian Kennedy has been hugely successful over the years with a catalogue of ten albums behind him. Adored by his fans Brian Kennedy is the ultimate live performer, the second he bursts onto stage, grabs his guitar and belts out his first note you know that magic is about to happen. Brian will join Adrian McNally and Rachel Unthank as the special guests who will be performing along side Dervish.
Dervish were formed in 1989 by a group of five musicians, Liam Kelly, Shane Mitchell, Martin Mc Ginley, Brian Mc Donagh and Michael Holmes who came together to record an album of local music which was released as The Boys of Sligo. Joined in 1991 by singer Cathy Jordan and all Ireland champion fiddle player Shane Mc Aleer the band produced the first Dervish album Harmony Hill which was released in 1992. In 2010 Dervish celebrated 21 years at the forefront of Irish traditional music. The band marked the occasion with four special concerts which brought together musical friends and influential musicians from their career including several they had never worked with before. The resulting shows were fantastic events from both an artist and audience viewpoint, and inspired by the reaction and the musical bridges these shows created, Dervish have continued to bring together diverse but compelling musical line-ups.
Do you think there should be statutory regulation of the news media?
In the aftermath of the great phone-hacking controversy - your chance to have your say at the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s Europa Debate
Hear a panel of prominent speakers, have your say and vote on what you think.
Chaired by: Noel Thompson - Presenter BBC Newsline and Hearts and Minds
Introduction: Sir Billy Hastings
Speakers:
Chris Bryant MP - Labour MP for the Rhondda
Paul Tweed - Belfast based International libel and defamation lawyer
Bob Satchwell - Director Society of Editors
Suzanne Breen - Freelance journalist
Penthouse Suite Europa Hotel Belfast Tuesday 25 October 2011 at 7.30pm
Afterwards stay for a drink at the Penthouse Press Club Bar. Open until 12.30am.
Do you think there should be statutory regulation of the news media?
In the aftermath of the great phone-hacking controversy - your chance to have your say at the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s Europa Debate
Hear a panel of prominent speakers, have your say and vote on what you think.
Chaired by: Noel Thompson - Presenter BBC Newsline and Hearts and Minds
Introduction: Sir Billy Hastings
Speakers:
Chris Bryant MP - Labour MP for the Rhondda
Paul Tweed - Belfast based International libel and defamation lawyer
Bob Satchwell - Director Society of Editors
Suzanne Breen - Freelance journalist
Penthouse Suite Europa Hotel Belfast Tuesday 25 October 2011 at 7.30pm
Afterwards stay for a drink at the Penthouse Press Club Bar. Open until 12.30am.
A NIGHT FOR BELFAST
There are a few events this year you can book for a Night for Belfast, these include
- Carlos Acosta (available via the Grand Opera House on 02890 241919, quote Night for Belfast)
- Hamlet
- Total Football
- Enchanted Garden (choose 7pm arrival)
- ONJ : Robert Wyatt (choose downstairs while booking)
- KT Tunstall (choose downstairs while booking)
500 free tickets are up for grabs for the Festival’s Night for Belfast on Thursday 27 October. Tickets to Carlos Acosta, Total Football, KT Tunstall, Orchestre National de Jazz and Enchanted Garden. There are a limited number of tickets per show, so you need to apply early.
Find the performance on the website and go through the booking process as per normal, follow the guide below for more details.
Remember to choose Thursday 27 October and when you go to checkout, it’s free.
The promoter reserves the right to alter, amend or foreclose the promotion without prior notice.
The promoter is Ulster Bank Limited. Registered in Northern Ireland. Registration Number R733. Registered Office: 11-16 Donegall Square East, Belfast BT1 5UB
How do I book tickets?
Book Online - preferred method
The prefered method is to book online as our phone lines are likely to be very busy and the Internet is the fastest method with which to book.
If you need to contact us however our telephone line is
BOX OFFICE : 02890 97 11 97.
To book tickets for these events you can just use our online booking system, and then enter the promo code at the correct point.
First Choose the event (see above list) and when choosing the date it has to be on the 27th of October.
Below is the example of HAMLET.
You can enter the PROMO code N4BELFAST (all in CAPITALS) into the Promotion Code window as shown.
If there are a choice of sections in which to be seated (as for KT Tunstal and Orchestre National De Jazz) then choose the Downstairs option. For the Enchanted Garden you have to choose the 7pm guideline time.
If there are no sections to choose you will be asked for the number of tickets you require.
Choose no more than 2 tickets or you will be given an error as places are limited.
Then choose your delivery method, and then to to confirm and book your tickets.
You will be asked to login using your account details, if you havent registered with us before , you will have to register a new account.
If you know your account details, just log in here.
If not , you will have to register, by clicking on the REGISTER NOW button, and filling out your details.
Your tickets will be posted to you in the next few days.
Customers are limited to 2 tickets each.
- There are a limited number of tickets, and once these are gone there will be no more.
- Tickets cannot be exchanged.
A NIGHT FOR BELFAST
There are a few events this year you can book for a Night for Belfast, these include
- Carlos Acosta (available via the Grand Opera House on 02890 241919, quote Night for Belfast)
- Hamlet
- Total Football
- Enchanted Garden (choose 7pm arrival)
- ONJ : Robert Wyatt (choose downstairs while booking)
- KT Tunstall (choose downstairs while booking)
500 free tickets are up for grabs for the Festival’s Night for Belfast on Thursday 27 October. Tickets to Carlos Acosta, Total Football, KT Tunstall, Orchestre National de Jazz and Enchanted Garden. There are a limited number of tickets per show, so you need to apply early.
Find the performance on the website and go through the booking process as per normal, follow the guide below for more details.
Remember to choose Thursday 27 October and when you go to checkout, it’s free.
The promoter reserves the right to alter, amend or foreclose the promotion without prior notice.
The promoter is Ulster Bank Limited. Registered in Northern Ireland. Registration Number R733. Registered Office: 11-16 Donegall Square East, Belfast BT1 5UB
How do I book tickets?
Book Online - preferred method
The prefered method is to book online as our phone lines are likely to be very busy and the Internet is the fastest method with which to book.
If you need to contact us however our telephone line is
BOX OFFICE : 02890 97 11 97.
To book tickets for these events you can just use our online booking system, and then enter the promo code at the correct point.
First Choose the event (see above list) and when choosing the date it has to be on the 27th of October.
Below is the example of HAMLET.
You can enter the PROMO code N4BELFAST (all in CAPITALS) into the Promotion Code window as shown.
If there are a choice of sections in which to be seated (as for KT Tunstal and Orchestre National De Jazz) then choose the Downstairs option. For the Enchanted Garden you have to choose the 7pm guideline time.
If there are no sections to choose you will be asked for the number of tickets you require.
Choose no more than 2 tickets or you will be given an error as places are limited.
Then choose your delivery method, and then to to confirm and book your tickets.
You will be asked to login using your account details, if you havent registered with us before , you will have to register a new account.
If you know your account details, just log in here.
If not , you will have to register, by clicking on the REGISTER NOW button, and filling out your details.
Your tickets will be posted to you in the next few days.
Customers are limited to 2 tickets each.
- There are a limited number of tickets, and once these are gone there will be no more.
- Tickets cannot be exchanged.
Ben McAteer from Newry was recently crowned the winner of NI Opera’s first ever Festival of Voice, having competed against four other young singers in a rigorous vocal competition this weekend in Glenarm.
In opera’s answer to the X-Factor, the five young singers battled it out on stage in front of a panel of judges and a paying audience, for the chance to win the once-in-a-lifetime prize of sharing a stage with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa at her concert in Belfast this October. NI Opera, which is funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, organised the Festival of Voice to give young Irish singers a valuable opportunity to perform, receive mentoring from professional singers and to develop their careers. In addition to winning the performance with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, baritone Ben has received a £2,000 cash prize.
Ben will perform his duet with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa on 30th October at the Ulster Hall as part of an NI Opera concert with the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s.
