Music @ Saint Bartholomew’s http://www.stbartholomews.ie June 2013 • Music After Barts • Singing with Anúna • Producing a CD • Funderland 2 Music @ Saint Bartholomew’s, June 2013 Music After Andrew Dempsey / Shadowplay Saint Barts Shadowplay is a three piece and TOTO classics, such as melodic rock band, founded in Africa, Rosanna and Hold The Saint Bartholomew’s is Maynooth in September 2010. Line. This tour culminated in a justifiably proud of its Former head boy, Andrew headline slot at the Buncrana rich musical tradition. Dempsey (see front cover), Music Festival where they Our choir of boys and was studying for a Bachelor played for a crowd of 5000. men has existed since of Music degree at at NUI In October 2011 they the foundation of the Maynooth, where he met the entered the Summit Bandslam, church in 1867, and the other band members, Eoghan the renowned “Battle of the Girls’ Choir has recently and Emmett, who were also Bands” competition held in celebrated its tenth an- studying in the music faculty. The Summit Inn, Howth. This niversary. The three of them immediately competition draws entries Some of our boy began writing their own music. from all over the country. They choristers have gradu- In November 2010, made it through three rounds of ated into the back row they were selected to be the stiff competition to claim first as their voices changed. resident band on the Topflight/ place at the final, which took Bobby is of course our Today FM Ski Trip hosted by place n December, winning the longest serving former Ian Dempsey. So, in January band lots of great and much choir boy, but Brian, 2011, they were brought, along welcomed prizes! February Fergal, Killian, Richard, with about 500 skiers and the 2012 also saw Shadowplay nab and Robert are mak- Ian Dempsey Breakfast Crew, first place in the Hot Press ing valiant attempts at to the Austrian Alps, where Lift Off Competition ahead of catching up! they played a set every night, around 900 other bands from A small number including a slot supporting across the country. have continued with the well known band, The Saw Shadowplay have recently their musical endeavours Doctors. signed an international multi- outside of sacred music, In July 2011, Shadowplay album recording contract with developing promising embarked on a five night tour Shamrock/Universal, and careers in music based with TOTO lead vocalist, and they’re currently working on on foundations acquired seven time Grammy Award their debut album which looks at Saint Bartholomew’s. winner, Bobby Kimball. On set for a late 2013 release in Roisin Horan has the opening night in The Sugar the UK and Ireland. spoken to eight former Club in Dublin, they played a Andrew can be heard choristers spanning the mixed set of their own music, as a treble on our 2006 CD last two decades to find “Laudate Dominum”, singing out how their musical Andrew Dempsey the solo line in Mendelssohn’s careers have progressed. 1997 -2003 Hear My Prayer. www.fb.com/shadowplayofficial Music @ Saint Bartholomew’s, June 2013 3 Sebastian Adams / Kirkos Ensemble Former chorister Sebastian music which is mainly informed by for composers of my generation is Adams is the director of Kirkos the classical tradition. People try- to take everything that has hap- Ensemble, a student-run ensem- ing to forge a career as a classical pened in the twentieth century and ble based out of the Royal Irish composer now are in an interesting reassemble it into something which Academy of Music. He is also position because of the times we are has more of a connection with the an accomplished viola previous few hundred. My player and a composer own music, for example, re- with more than forty lies mainly on notation and works to his name. instrumental techniques that Sebastian comes would have made sense to a from a particularly mu- performer from a previous sical family. His father is era - but it certainly doesn’t the well known organ- sound like Mozart! ist David Adams, and his Another vital thing for brothers Carl and Rupert young composers to do is to were also choristers in put on performances of con- Saint Bartholomew’s. temporary music. To this end, I’ve become chariman of the Where did your love of Irish Composers’ Collective, music come from, and which puts on monthly con- what are you currently certs of emerging compos- working on? ers’ music by top performers, I was always surrounded by and I’ve also founded Kirkos, music growing up, though which specialises in perform- Saint Bartholomew’s was ing very young composers’ probably the catalyst for my music and also in ‘concept love of music today. These concerts’ based around a spe- days I’m a composer of con- cial theme. temporary classical music, al- living in. 1913 is generally consid- though one of the big ideas at the ered to be the beginning of ‘mod- What should we watch for this moment is that there’s “no such ern’ music because of the premiere year? thing as contemporary music” any- of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, so we Kirkos Ensemble will be putting more, because every genre is blur- are now exactly one hundred years on a late-night celebration of the ring so much. In any case, I write after that, and we’ve basically seen Rite of Spring, and of everything every boundary of form, rhythm, it stands for at 10:00pm on July Sebastian Adams harmony, and instrumentation 11th as part of the the 10 Days in 2000-2005 broken down and taken to its ex- Dublin festival. www.sebastianadams.net tremes. I think the important thing 4 Music @ Saint Bartholomew’s, June 2013 Paddy Groenland / Leafzang The three Groenland brothers, new music. Being in the choir gave lead it, even though it is very much Danny, Paddy, and Tim, were me the ability to sing what I’m a joint effort. My heart is in jazz loyal members of the choir hearing in my head, and through and improvised music. Personally during the 1990s, and all three my instrument, which is the guitar. I tend to take that kind of jazz have continued with their mu- mentality to whatever music I play sical endeavours. – trying to have fun and Paddy was the first maintaining some spontane- to join, and the longest ity – whether it be Brazilian serving. His current pro- music, funk or whatever. I’m ject is Leafzang, described not into musical discrimina- as “a Dublin-based acous- tion. tic sextet that resides in the uncharted territory What should we look out between Irish Traditional for in 2013? song and acoustic jazz, Check out Leafzang’s Facebook with instrumentation of page! We are playing quite vocals, nylon-string gui- regularly around Dublin and tar, acoustic bass, cello, are trying to record a CD this clarinets, saxophones and year. drums.” What would you consid- What motivated you to er your greatest musical keep going with music af- achievements to date? ter leaving Saint Bartho- Well it’s corny, but every time lomew’s? I play music it’s the great- Seven years in Saint Bartho- est thing, as it’s more about lomew’s was enough to hook the process and not the end me on performing, though I result. However, a Brazilian didn’t realise that until much later. Tell us about Leafzang. guy asking me if I could teach him Practically speaking, the support Leafzang is the name of my own to play Brazilian music is very high of my parents, teachers, brothers project. It’s a combination of jazz up there! and friends was motivation. People and Irish folk music with a bit of Getting awarded a Ful- around me have always been into African and American funky stuff bright to spend two years at Berklee music and into finding out about thrown in there too. We are a sextet College of Music, Boston, learning of voice, cello, saxophone, guitar, about jazz and all sorts of other Paddy Groenland bass and drums. things was an amazing experience 1992-1998 Leafzang is my baby, so I too. leafzang.bandcamp.com prepare music for that group and Music @ Saint Bartholomew’s, June 2013 5 Tim Groenland / The Gorgeous Colours What motivated you to keep possibly useless term, but then mu- next twelve months? going with music after leaving sicians are generally useless at de- We’re hoping to release our second Saint Bartholomew’s? scribing what they do! I play bass album later this year. Our next gig Love of music, basically! Stopping and sing backing vocals, often in will be in The Grand Social in July. music altogether wasn’t an option. I the same vocal register I used as started to play guitar and fumbled a fourteen year old choirboy (I’m What do you consider your around with it for several years be- pretty fond of falsetto). My train- greatest musical achievement? fore picking up the bass in my early ing at Saint Bartholomew’s has We’ve self-released an album and twenties, and I found my way into definitely stayed with me. I tend an EP so far. We’ve also played in the band shortly thereafter. to be the band member most likely some fun places – we did the Elec- to say, “what about some four-part tric Picnic a couple of years ago, What type of music do you do? harmony for this bit?” You can lis- and we’ve made some enjoyable Indie rock – which is a vague and ten to some of our tracks online on trips abroad (to some festivals in our Bandcamp site.