AUTUMN AN FOMHAR 2018 Irish World Academy of Music and Dance University of Limerick Dámh Chruinne Éireann Rince agus Ceol Ollscoil Luimnigh Credits General Editor: Dr Sandra Joyce Editor and Comhaimseartha Coordinator: Jennifer de Brún Text Editors: Hannah Fahey and Ana Camillo Photography: Maurice Gunning Design: Joe Gervin Venue Coordinator: Melissa Carty Tuesday Lunchtime Performance Coordinator: Dr Sandra Joyce/Dr Niall Keegan Wednesday Lunchtime Performance Coordinator: Jean Downey Thursday Lunchtime Performance Coordinator: Dr Óscar Mascareñas Tower and Logos Coordinator: Pamela Cotter Taighde/Research Editor: Professor Helen Phelan Ag Féachaint Siar/Recent Events and Special Events Coordinator: Jennifer de Brún CONTENTS 2 INTRODUCTION BY PROFESSOR HELEN KELLY-HOLMES 4 FACULTY AND STAFF 6 EMERITUS FACULTY 9 LUNCHTIME PERFORMANCE SERIES 17 TOWER SEMINAR SERIES 25 LOGOS SEMINAR SERIES 29 SPECIAL EVENTS 35 AG FÉACHAINT SIAR / RECENT EVENTS 41 BEALACH / COMMUNITY CULTURAL PATHWAYS 51 CÓNAÍ / ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE 47 TAIGHDE / RESEARCH 61 IRISH WORLD ACADEMY ENSEMBLES 65 SCHOLARSHIP AND AWARD RECIPIENTS 73 CLÁR / IRISH WORLD ACADEMY PROGRAMMES 77 OTHER PROGRAMMES AND ARTS OFFICES BA Performing Arts (Contemporary Dance) students Front cover: Paul Dooley, World Harp Traditions International Conference Photograph © Maurice Gunning 1 IRISH WORLD ACADEMY OF MUSIC AND DANCE MUSIC AND DANCE OF ACADEMY WORLD IRISH INTRODUCTION separating vowels in Irish learned long ago by rote are be, and this is where I begin to struggle. The Academy replaying in my head ('caol le caol and leathan le leathan' - is truly unique to use an over-used, but in this case slender with slender, broad with broad). wholly appropriate attribute. In the University, it carves out and maintains its own space, constantly renewing But over and above all this, the range of the Irish word that uniqueness – not in any isolationist way, but in the is much wider, deeper, and more fitting to the ethos way of one confident in their own skin. A phrase often and praxis of the Academy. It is thus an appropriately heard is 'We are light on our feet' and this lightness malleable term, chosen with care. Most obviously, it and resistance to being tethered completely to standard means current, modern, contemporary, contemporaneous, academic structures helps to ensure that the Academy of our times, of the time (although crucially, this does remains unique. And, as Dean of the Faculty, that lightness not have to be of this time, allowing for past and future is something I am committed to supporting, guarding even. contemporaneity to be part of the Academy's imagining). It is the opposite of old-fashioned and out of date; it has But beyond the University, internationally, the Academy is no need to pay any heed to and indeed relishes in its also peerless. At the International Council of Traditional PROFESSOR HELEN KELLY-HOLMES liberation from strict separations and accompanying Music, held at the University last summer, presenter hierarchies of musical genres, tastes and cultures. I after presenter remarked on how the Academy is the would argue that the Academy is not just of our times, standard, the benchmark, the ideal to which all potential I am delighted to welcome you to the Autumn 2018 but is shaping those times and pointing the way to future peers aspire. So, within and outside the University, the edition of Comhaimseartha. times. In its thinking and practices it is in so many ways Academy is peerless in this sense. But its lifeblood is ahead of our times. The Academy has long recognised fusion, interaction and hybridity, and so in another sense, Comhaimseartha is a fitting title for this twice yearly the absolute necessity for beauty, for the aesthetic and it has many, many peers and collaborators, both inside the publication of the Irish World Academy of Music and the creative in our everyday life and for the necessary University, across the community and across the globe. Dance. For one thing, there is good reason for choosing democratisation of that creativity and aesthetic practice Just one example was the recent, outstanding production an Irish word for the title. It means much more than in everyone's life. Through a whole range of meaningful, of the RTÉ Radio One Sunday Miscellany programmes, saying 'Of our times'. Not just because the Irish language sustained and equitable community activities, colleagues which were recorded as part of the Frank McCourt is one of the many modes in the multi-modal repertoire in the Academy and associated and resident organisations Creative Writing Festival. The event, which featured of the Academy, a core mode even that intersections are making that happen, creating everyday beauty in contributions from colleagues, students and graduates in with all others. Comhaimseartha is also an imposing the present and laying foundations for creativity across the Academy, in Creative Writing, colleagues from the Irish and memorable word, a graphically beautiful word to people's lives and into the future. Chamber Orchestra, the current writer and songwriter in see on the front cover and also to hear when we talk residence showcased the unique interdisciplinary space But comhaimseartha is not just an adjective, it is also about the brochure. It is also a formidable and intriguing for creative and performing arts that the Academy and its a noun: a peer, a contemporary, a person or thing living phonetic (just how should the uninitiated pronounce peers in UL create and the potential for highly distinctive or existing at the same time as another. This brings me it) and orthographic challenge. As I am spelling it out and meaningful synergies. (c-o-mh-ai-ms-ea-rth-a), the old rules from school for to the question who the peers of the Academy might 2 Along with her peer and colleague, Professor Joseph O'Connor, Dr Sandra Joyce was key in making this wonderful event a reality and I am delighted to confirm that Sandra has been reappointed to the Directorship of the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance for a further term until June 2022. Under her directorship, the Academy has thrived and she has overseen a number of key developments such as the introduction of a range of innovative programmes and research and practice areas (such as, the MA Songwriting and the BA Performing Arts) as well as a major growth in PhD and taught postgraduate numbers. She has also contributed greatly to internationalisation of the Academy, particularly in the USA and Africa. On your behalf, I would like to wish her well for her new term and I look forward to continue to work with her. Professor Helen Kelly-Holmes Chair in Applied Languages Dean, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences July 2018 MA Irish Traditional Dance students Photograph © Maurice Gunning 3 IRISH WORLD ACADEMY OF MUSIC AND DANCE MUSIC AND DANCE OF ACADEMY WORLD IRISH FACULTY & STAFF IRISH WORLD ACADEMY OF MUSIC AND DANCE, UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK Melissa Carty Barbara Christie Carl Corcoran Pamela Cotter Jennifer de Brún Dr Aileen Dillane Dr Alan Dormer Administrator, Senior Administrator, Course Director, Director, BLAS International Performing Arts Coordinator, Lecturer, Academy Technical Officer, [email protected] [email protected] MA Songwriting Summer School of Irish [email protected] BA Irish Music and Dance [email protected] +353 61 202590 +353 61 202030 [email protected] Traditional Music and Dance +353 61 202917 [email protected] +353 61 202726 +353 61 202082 [email protected] +353 61 202159 +353 61 202653 Jean Downey Paula Dundon Dr Hannah Fahey Dr Catherine Foley Dr Eleanor Giraud Dr Sandra Joyce Dr Niall Keegan Course Director, Academy Administrator, Course Director, Course Director, Course Director, Academy Director, Academy Associate Director, MEd (Music), [email protected] BA Performing Arts (Voice) MA Ethnochoreology MA Ritual Chant and Song Course Director, Director of Professional MEd (Music) +353 61 202149 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] MA Irish Traditional Music Undergraduate Studies, [email protected] +353 61 202958 +353 61 202922 + 353 61 234743 Performance Course Director, +353 61 213160 [email protected] BA Performing Arts +353 61 202065 (Irish Traditional Music) [email protected] + 353 61 202465 4 Dr Yonit Kosovske Dr Óscar Mascareñas Dr Triona McCaffrey Dr Grant McLay Dr Mats Melin Professor Mel Mercier Dr Hilary Moss Course Director, Lecturer in Music, Lecturer in Music Therapy Course Director, Course Director, Chair of Performing Arts, Course Director, MA Classical String [email protected] [email protected] BA Performing Arts MA Irish Dance Studies Course Director, MA Music Therapy Performance (Keyboard) +353 61 202990 +353 61 234358 (Contemporary Dance) [email protected] BA Performing Arts [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] +353 61 202542 (World Music) +353 61 213122 +353 61 234922 +353 61 234967 [email protected] + 353 61 202918 Dr Orfhlaith Ní Bhriain Dr Niamh NicGhabhann Professor Helen Phelan Dr Colin Quigley Dr Jenny Roche Dr Kathleen Turner Course Director, Course Director, Programme Director, Course Director, Course Director, Course Director, MA Irish Traditional Dance MA Festive Arts PhD Arts Practice MA Ethnomusicology MA Contemporary Dance MA Community Music Performance [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Performance [email protected] [email protected] +353 61 202798 + 353 61 202575 +353 61 202966 [email protected] + 353 61 213762 +353