19 October - 4 November 2012
Press releases
As part of the Festival Augustine Leudar, the man who brought the sound installations for the biospheres at the Eden Project is bringing his work into Enchanted Garden.
The Biomes at night sound installation was originally heard in the Eden projects tropical biome and was the largest multichannel sound installation in the world . It is the culmination of a decade of work by sonic artist Augustine Leudar. During this time he lived in the town of Pucallpa in the Peruvian Amazon jungle and in Khao Yai National Park in Thailand, immersing himself in the environments and the languages and customs of the local peoples.
Augustine's "sonic photographs" combine to create a surround-sound jungle environment. This unique soundscape features a heady blend of authentic recordings and auditory illusions to fire the imagination and includes the icaros (magical songs) of Peruvian healer Dax Escallante Mac Millan. http://augustineleudar.110mb.com/
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Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares |
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"A breathtakingly beautiful sound like nothing else in the history of music." NME |
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Listen: http://soundcloud.com/barbican-music/le-mystere-des-voix-bulgares-3
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Internationally renowned vocal ensemble Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares blend traditional songs with contemporary arrangements. Formerly known as the Bulgarian State Radio & Television Female Vocal Choir, the group was created in Bulgaria by Philip Koutev, aka ‘the father of Bulgarian concert folk music’.
It was the release of Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares Vol.1 in 1986 on British indie label 4AD that brought the choir to the attention of the wider world. The album had first been released in 1975 on Disques Cellier, a small label run by Swiss ethnomusicologist and producer Marcel Cellier who had been working on the project for some 15 years by then. In the 80s, Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of 4AD, was introduced to the choir from a third or fourth generation audio cassette lent to him by Peter Murphy, singer from the band Bauhaus. Watts-Russell became entranced by the music, and tracked down and licensed the recordings from Cellier.
The Observer wrote about the release: "When this thrilling, spine-tingling soundtrack first struck Western ears, back in 1986, the effect seemed almost frightening in its intensity, like a Greek tragedy. The women's voices combine in a haunting mixture of harshness and purity, the very opposite of the Western notion of a ladies' choir although many of them were, in fact, members of the Women's Chorus of Bulgarian State Radio. This is not simple folk music. The songs themselves are ancient, mostly dating from the years of Turkish domination, but shaped and refined over the years by the singers themselves, working with some of Bulgaria's leading composers. If you have not yet experienced the mystery of Bulgarian voices, don't let the chance pass by."
Now conducted by Dora Hristova, the Grammy Award-winning ensemble have toured the globe to great acclaim, carving a distinctive voice within the rich heritage of Bulgaria's folk song. Their 10-date UK tour starts on 19 October at the Belfast Festival.
Posted Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:44:19 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.
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.
Northern Ireland Young Musicians Recitals 2011 in association with BBC Radio Ulster's Sounds Classical will be two concerts featuring the best of local musical talent. The two performances will take place in the Harty Room, Queens University Belfast on the 29 and 30 October.
Saturday 29 October at 7.30pm
Sean Rooney (piano)
Beethoven: Sonata in A Op 101 movements 3 & 4
Scarlatti: Sonata in E K380
Rachamninov: Lilacs Op 25 no 1
Chopin: Ballade no 4 in F minor Op 52
Interval
Kim Vaughan (cello) & Ruth McGinley (piano)
Schumann: Three Romances Op.94
Barber: Cello Sonata Op.6.
Sunday 30 October at 3pm
Michael Trainor (violin) & Lynn Carter (piano)
Debussy: La fille aux cheveux de lin
Elgar: Violin Sonata in E minor, Op. 82
Debussy: Beau Soir
Interval
Aoife Miskelly (soprano) & James Cheung (piano)
A selection of songs by composers including Johann Strauss II, Grieg, Humperdinck, Walton and Philip Martin.
Plus songs for soprano, violin and piano.
Posted Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:31:41 BST
More than 1,000 Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s tickets worth £25,000 are being made available to community groups throughout Northern Ireland through the Ulster Bank Community Tickets scheme.
Groups and charities are being encouraged to register their interest in securing on-the-house tickets via this website. Tickets are being made available to some of the best acts in this year’s festival including the opening concert featuring Joanna McGregor, Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares, Irish Sea Sessions, Shlomo, Woyzeck on the Highveld, and Animals and Children took to the Streets.
Over the three years of the scheme Ulster Bank will have made tickets worth a staggering £75,000 accessible to community groups throughout Northern Ireland.
Richard Donnan, Chief Executive of Ulster Bank, Retail Markets, says the scheme has proven to be hugely popular. “Ulster Bank is playing a vital role in making the arts accessible to all,” he says. “An event featuring plays and concerts of international class should be available to everyone. People and community groups throughout Northern Ireland who may not usually have the opportunity to experience visual arts performances or live theatre will now get the chance through the 1,100 tickets we are offering. “
Festival Marketing Manager Seana Skeffington says the arts are an essential part of life.“Anything which helps bring the arts in all it forms to people who might not have easy access to them is very welcome. We are delighted this scheme is back this year and look forward to greeting over a thousand more festival goers in addition to the 50,000 expected,” says Ms Skeffington.
Richard Donnan, Chiefe Executive of Ulster Bank, Seana Skeffington, Marketing Manager with the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen's and Aoife Loughlin
PRESS RELEASE:
Programme launch reveals a line-up of truly global proportions
Embargoed until Thursday 18 August, 12pm -
Programme launch reveals a line-up of truly global proportions - click link to download
Music, Drama, Opera, Dance, Visual Art, Spoken Word and Literature from Lithuania, Quebec, Sweden, Germany, Norway, Cuba, France, Spain, New Zealand, England, Ireland, Scotland, Poland, Denmark, Mali, United States, India, Portugal, Bulgaria, South Africa; That was the breathtaking cosmopolitan cultural array revealed to guests who attended the glittering programme launch of the 49th Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s earlier today.
From 14 – 30 October, the 49th Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s will unfold with over 100 events in over 36 venues, galleries, spaces and places right across the city. From landmark buildings such as the new Lyric and Ulster Hall to the slightly more sanctified delights of May Street and St Thomas’ Churches, from the salubrious surrounds of Elmwood Hall and the Harbour Commissioner’s Office to the vaudevillian Empire Music Hall and the off-shore charms of the Belfast Barge, the city gives itself over to Festival fever for 17 days and 17 nights.
It’s a Festival of firsts and amid the impressive line-up, the names of Elvis Costello, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, dance superstar Carlos Acosta and theatre director Oskaras Koršunovas (his breathtaking production of “Hamlet” makes its UK and Irish debut) are just a few that immediately impress. In true mix-it-up Festival style though, these huge international draws share a billing with Musical Theatre for Youth’s “West Side Story”, birthday poetry readings for John Hewitt and the wit and wisdom of Terri Hooley.
The international flavour of the festival is given added piquancy with the inclusion of Grammy-winning Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares (much adored by the likes of Paul Simon and Kate Bush) the stunning Portuguese Fado Superstar Ana Moura (who recently supported the Rolling Stones on tour) and the incredible Big Band sound of Orchestra National de Jazz from Paris - all premiering on Northern Irish soil.
Introducing proceedings at the launch, Queen’s University Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Ellen Douglas-Cowie said:
“As the Festival fast approaches its half-century, it’s particularly timely to reflect on its development since the heady days of the early 1960s. Queen’s and the Festival have progressively grown together in the intervening years and are looking towards a bright future as we continue to bring the best of the world’s arts and culture to Northern Ireland, and provide an international platform for our best local arts practitioners. I congratulate the team on another world-class programme which once again puts a hugely positive spotlight on the city of Belfast, Queen's University and Northern Ireland.”
Reflecting on this year’s programme, Festival Director Graeme Farrow told guests at the launch:
“There are only a handful of events on these Islands were audiences can enjoy a programme which features a diverse range of artists of such high calibre. We’re thrilled to be able to present so many high profile international names and we’re extremely proud to once again be able to make the city of Belfast and indeed the region a truly global stage for the arts. It’s gratifying to see that after all these years, the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s seems to have lost none of its appeal to overseas artists and we hope audiences find a programme rich with diversity, creativity and festivity! The next year or so is going to be pretty special in the city’s cultural calendar and there’s never been a better time to showcase Belfast and the Festival that takes its name.”
Musically, the 49th Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s is hitting all the right notes. The stunning Tinariwen make a welcome return to the Festival with another glorious set of sun-kissed Saharan groove. KT Tunstall kicks off her UK tour, the freshly minted genius of James Vincent McMorrow and the popera perfection of Patrick Wolf share Festival billing with established greats such as saxophonist Jan Garbarek. Trad legends dominate the Irish Sea Sessions and a magical musical evening awaits in the company of Dervish and Rachel Unthank. The amazing human beatboxer Shlomo has to be seen and heard to be fully believed.
At the launch, Ulster Bank’s Director of Business Services Ireland, Ellvena Graham, said:
“ Ulster Bank is delighted to mark the 4th year of a hugely successful, important arts and community partnership. Last year, over 70 community groups of all shapes and sizes received opportunities to experience Festival events free of charge through Ulster Bank’s Community Ticket Scheme and we will continue this in 2011. This year’s programme delivers exceptional shows from all over the world as well as promoting local talent, and we are proud to support its cultural contribution to Northern Ireland”.
Opera and classical music lovers will also be thrilled at a programme that includes the legendary Dame Kiri Te Kanawa performing with the Ulster Orchestra. That one of the most famous sopranos in the world is to perform at Festival would be cause enough for celebration, but she's joined this year by award-winning concert performers such as Tasmin Little and Peter Jablonksi. A chamber music series featuring top mezzo-soprano Monica Groop and the Danish String Quartet celebrates the great Nordic composers while our very own Ulster Youth Choir bring Bach and Mendelssohn to St. Peter's Cathedral with the Gabrieli Consort. Opening proceedings the Ulster Orchestra are joined by celebrated conductor JoAnn Falletta and piano virtuoso Joanna MacGregor with a very American musical mélange including Bernstein, Gershwin and Aaron Copland.'
Gregory Frid’s haunting operatic rendition of the Anne Frank story is brought vividly to life by Opera Theatre Company and Michael McHale, David Quigley and Cathal Breslin - three of Ireland’s finest classical musicians – present an enthralling evening with the music of Franz Liszt.
Arts Minister Carál Ní Chuilín described Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s as “a Festival for all communities”. She added:
“The north of Ireland boasts many great festivals, each showcasing a different and compelling aspect of our vibrant cultural life and the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s is widely recognised as the flagship festival for our region and the city of Belfast. It operates at the very highest level and is a shining example of the vital role arts and culture plays in contributing to our social economy and tourism. I commend all involved for a Festival that all communities can be justly proud of.”
The spoken word has always been a cornerstone of Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s. The 49th programme boasts a diversity of speakers and subjects from popular medical and science luminary Lord Robert Winston to broadcasting legend and king of the on-air Freudian slip James Naughtie. Bianca Jagger brings her “Human Rights Revolution” to the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s and the gravitas of historian and broadcaster Sir Max Hastings is juxtaposed by another irreverent comedy broadside from Tim McGarry. Meanwhile the polemicist of a generation and scourge of the US political and corporate establishment Michael Moore makes a long overdue return to Belfast.
Roisin McDonough, the Chief Executive of the Arts Council Northern Ireland said:
“The consistent quality of the artistic content of the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s is something to be celebrated. With public funding of £200,000, it represents one of the Arts Council’s major investments in the creative and cultural offering from Northern Ireland. It is commendable that after nearly 50 years, the Festival is still hosting incredible artists and performers and bringing premier arts events to these shores.”
The Festival’s Dance and Drama line-up includes the eclectic mania of Cirque Éloize and “FAR” the breathtaking new work from celebrated choreographer Wayne McGregor. High drama ensues from the likes of the wonderful 1927 and the magical, sinister “The Animals and Children Took to the Streets”. The best of Northern Irish Drama is represented by the welcome return of Ransom and Tinderbox with brand new productions and Dan Gordon’s acclaimed shipyard fable “The Boat Factory” receives a very welcome Festival run. Handspring Puppet Company’s enchanting interpretation of “Woyzeck on the Highveld” shares a festival theatrical billing with an impressive gamut that runs from the premier league antics of Ridiculusmus ’hilarious “Total Football: More Beckett than Beckham” and the sobering theatre vérité of David Benson's“Lockerbie: Unfinished Business”.The Mayor of Belfast Cllr Niall Ó Donnghaile added:
“Looking at the programme for this year’s Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s, it’s clear that we have a truly international affair right on our doorstep that we can all be extremely proud of. We are extremely lucky to boast a number of top class festivals throughout the year here, but the biggest and oldest of them all is still the Belfast Festival. After 49 years, it can lay claim to being the flagship arts festival for our city, if not our island. It’s a real jewel in our cultural crown and I’m delighted to be here today to mark the launch of another wonderful programme of events"
ENDS
For further information, interviews and images please contact Esther Haller-Clarke or Joseph Nawaz at festival.press@qub.ac.uk, or telephone Esther on 07830 513296 or Joe on 07827 299741
For full festival programme and to book tickets, go to www.belfastfestival.com or contact the festival box office Mon-Fri 9am-6pm and Sat 10am-2pm on 00 44 (0) 28 9097 1197.
