Last IMA of 2014 - 7th Dec, 1pm @ The Model

In the last Informal Music Afternoon of 2014...

Aileen Cahill (piano), Gavin Brennan (saxophone) and The Sligo Baroque Orchestra, leader Nicola Cleary, will perform a varied programme of music from the sixteen hundreds up until the present day. 

Aileen Cahill is no stranger to either this remarkable series of music performance in a cabaret-style setting or to Sligo. A native of Tubbercurry, she has performed many times in Sligo both as an accompanist and a soloist.  She completed her solo studies at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 2007, graduating from Dr John O'Conor's Masters class. She then continued her studies at the Conservatory of Music, DIT, completing a Masters in Accompaniment in 2011. It is there she met Gavin and the two have been an ensemble since. This year, they were awarded an ensemble residency with RTE Con Tempo Quartet and the Galway Music Residency. This involves a year of masterclasses and concerts throughout the country. With the Sligo Baroque Orchestra she has performed Mozart piano concertos and she appeared in a Young Con Brio concert with Jamie Rock. On Sunday Aileen will play Chopin and will accompany a programme of music by Philip Glass, Villa-Lobos, Wagnein and others.   

Gavin Brennan is one of Ireland's young up-and-coming musicians. He graduated from with first class honours from the Conservatory of Music, DIT, where he studied with Kevin Hanafin. He is currently a Masters student of Paul Roe and Fintan O'Carroll at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

Sligo Baroque Orchestra will play a chamber concerto (for flute, oboe, violin, cello and continuo) by Vivaldi; some movements from a Telemann concerto grosso and a Concerto by one of the key composers in the court in Dresden in the 18th century, Johann David Heinichen – a composer whose music certainly deserves to be better known – with solo violins, flutes bassoons and cellos!

If you have never been to an Informal Music Afternoon this is your last chance this year (next one in February 2015), they are very relaxed, welcoming, and child-friendly; and you can enjoy the fare of the Model Cafe and come and go as you please. What is more is that it is only €5 admission – and children go free....

IMAs are organised by Sligo Baroque Orchestra and The Model

A COMMON GROUND

Tuesday July 8 , 8pm

Musical collaboration between Sligo Baroque Orchestra & Tropicana Musica featuring a special new composition by Steve Wickham.

The Model

Adm €10/€5

A Common Ground is a musical collaboration which brings together the two diverse musical worlds of Sligo Baroque Orchestra and African Soukous band, Tropicana Musica. Members of Sligo Baroque and Tropicana Musica have come together to share music, ideas and find a ‘a common ground’ for creating a new musical world together. The event features the fruits of this very successful musical partnership as well as two new musical compositions; one by Steve Wickham and another by Patryk Ramazani.

International Music Day / Fete de la Musique

As part of Sligo Loves Live Music, Sligo Baroque Orchestra Invites you to join them for an Open Rehearsal and Play-through of Music by Telemann and Schubert on Saturday June 21st at 3pm (play-through after 4 pm) in The Model.

If you play an instrument JOIN US AT 3pm for a fun filled music making afternoon! 

or Come and Observe

It’s FREE for everyone

SBO Orchestral Concert with student solosists

Wednesday's concert is coming together nicely with our student soloists getting very excited about their performances...

The programme includes an early Mozart symphony, a Vivaldi violin concerto (soloist Carla Blennerhassett), a Telemann flute concerto (Charlotte Kinsella, Megan Corcoran and David Watters) a movement from a Vivaldi bassoon concerto (Milo Cummins) a movement of an original composition by Ferdia Durkin and will end with Beethoven’s wonderful Romance in F for solo violin and orchestra (Peter Watters).

The ability and dedication of these students soloists and, no less, our student members who are not playing as soloists on this occasion is a source of pleasure and pride for us in the SBO. We hope that you will come – to support the students and to enjoy the music.

The concert will last about one hour and it will be followed by light refreshments and a chance to chat.

Wednesday 12th March @ 8pm - Presbyterian Church Hall, Sligo

Sligo Baroque Orchestra buys a new harpsichord – with help of Music Generation Sligo Instrument Fund

Sligo Baroque Orchestra has purchased a single strung Italian harpsichord from UK
harpsichord maker, Colin Booth. The purchase was made possible due to generous assistance
from Music Generation Sligo Instrument Bank Scheme and a loan from an anonymous
supporter.

The new harpsichord has already been used in two Informal Music Afternoons, but part of
the reason for acquiring the instrument is to have a harpsichord in Sligo that is available for
students to use – and also other ensembles.

The harpsichord in use at IMA on February 2nd 2014 in The Model

Italian single strung harpsichord made by Colin Booth who has been an important part of recent Sligo Festival of Baroque Music, as harpsichordist, bringing a number of instruments, as technician and as maker talking about technical, historical and aesthetic aspects.

Sligo Baroque Orchestra's next concert is on March the 8th, the annual concert celebrating the abilities of gifted young instrumentalist. It will also be used as a fundraiser for the new harpsichord.

Return of the IMA's for 2014

This Sunday, 2nd February, marks the return of the Informal Music Afternoons for 2014. We have what promises to be a delightful start to 2014 with pianist Nadene Fiorentini, who has recently been announced as the Irish 'Rising Star' 2014 and will give her debut solo recital on the main stage of the National Concert Hall on 20th March, and in July will give a performance of Mendelssohn g minor piano concerto with the National Symphony Orchestra also in the NCH. She will be performing music by Haydn, Brahms and Chopin as part of the Sligo’s Informal Music Afternoon in The Model at 1 pm this Sunday (Feb 2nd) .

Also performing will be Steve Wickham, Anna Houston and Felip Carbonell, Nicola Cleary, Frances Bell, Peter Watters, Lorraine Howley, John Flanagan and the SBO.

Live music performed in a very informal setting in The Atrium with a cabaret style set-up, The Model’s cafe in operation, and a wonderful mix of music.

€5 and children go free....

Dublin Guitar Quartet performing a Philip Glass violin concerto at an IMA in late 2013

Winter Concert 2013 - Friday, Nov 29

On Friday 29th November, Sligo Baroque Orchestra will perform Haydn's Cello Concerto in C and Mozart's Violin Concerto in G. Nicola Cleary will perform the Mozart while Anna Heuston will be performing the Haydn. Do come along and let the music provide you with an evening of calm before the Christmas frenzy begins to take hold! If the rehearsals are anything to go by, we are in for a treat on Friday... Calry Church, The Mall, 8pm.

Music Evening - Glebe House

It was great to musically bookend the summer with the Carrick Watermusic Festival concert (which went so well) and  the al fresco music-making in Glebe House courtyard which despite midges and less than balmy temperatures was special - and immediately fills the imagination with possible future events. So my thanks to all who cooperated in these ventures...

Keep an eye on the website for our upcoming concerts over the coming months and also check out the Sligo Festival of Baroque Music website for information on the festival which takes place at the end of the month.

SBO performing in the courtyard of Glebe House

A quick rehearsal before the performance gets underway!

Carrick-on-Shannon Water Music Festival

SBO will be performing at this years Carrick-on-Shannon Water Music Festival taking place from June 25 - 30th 2013. This will be the 9th annual Water Music Festival. SBO will perform on Thursday evening (27th June) led by Isabelle Fahy at 8pm in St. George's Church. The programme includes symphonies by Frederick the Great and J.C. Bach, Albinoni’s d minor oboe concerto (the one with the fabulous slow movement) and a Vivaldi violin concerto, soloist Isabelle Fahy.

 Do come along and enjoy the music!

Summer 3013

We in Sligo baroque Orchestra hope that our numbers will significantly increase on Friday 21st June as we invite instrumentalists to join us in a public rehearsal and play-through of Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks at 6 pm. If you’d like to come and listen best might be to arrive for 7 pm. We will be finished by 7.30. This is free to both listeners and participants and part of LOVE LIVE MUSIC. Please come and join us...

Sligo Baroque Orchestra with Isabelle Fahy leading will perform on Thursday 27th at 8 pm in St George’s Church, Carrick-on-Shannon as part of Carrick-on-Shannon Water Music Festival. The programme includes symphonies by Frederick the Great and J.C. Bach, Albinoni’s d minor oboe concerto (the one with the fabulous slow movement) and a Vivaldi violin concerto, soloist Isabelle Fahy.

The sbo then has a period without any pressure from a imminent concert and so we’ll use it to play through new pieces. It’s an ideal time for someone who thinks that they’d like to join the sbo to come along and stick a toe in the water.

Next Informal Music Afternoons on Sunday July 7th and brings two new performers to Sligo: violinist Sarah Walsh (student of Katherine Hunka) and guitarist David Keasting (post-grad student Cork School of Music)... and there will also be Sligo performers creating the usual varied programme.

sbo  -  making live music happen