Irish Chamber Orchestra and Sharon Carty at Kilkenny Arts Festival

Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony in C minor and Deirdre Gribbin’s ‘The Stones of Life’

Shostakovich: Chamber Symphony in C minor, Opus 110a (arranged by Rudolph Barshai from the String Quartet no. 8).

Composed in the shadow of Soviet oppression, Shostakovich’s symphony was ostensibly inspired by a visit to the ruins of Dresden, but in reality it’s a profoundly autobiographical work, rich in allusions to Shostakovich’s other works, as well as pieces by Wagner and Tchaikovsky.
A gripping portrayal of the brutality of conflict, its jagged, dynamic rhythms contrast with elegiac outer movements that never fail to move the listener.

Deirdre Gribbin: The Stones of Life

The composer Deirdre Gribbin presents a song cycle based on the words of her son, Ethan Stein a young poet with Down Syndrome whose striking imagery is inspired by the standing stones of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides. Using Ethan’s powerful imagery, Gribbin weaves together a musical journey through the reflection of this remarkable boy who has, directly and indirectly, inspired much of her work.

Date and Tickets