Wednesday 14 December 2011

SUNDAY MISCELLANY LIVE & MEETING PAUL DURCAN

The Paul Durcan collage
I took part in Sunday Miscellany Live at Christmas at the National Concert Hall last night. It was fantastic and I got to meet one of my literary heroes, Paul Durcan, about whom I had written a (fictional) poem. He was very gracious and kind about it - he is a gentle, lovely man. He sat beside me at dinner in The Terrace Café and I really enjoyed his company.

The concert was a collaboration with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and the music was out of this world. I opened the show so I got to enjoy the rest of it from the wings and, in the second half, from the auditorium.

My piece was about a lonely Christmas I spent in Switzerland at 18. The orchestra played the music 'Snow Ride' after I read; it was so beautiful and Christmassy but I can't find it online.

Other guest contributors included Dermot Bolger, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Rita Ann Higgins, Leo Cullen, Catherine Foley, Joe Kearney, Julie Feeney, Michael Harding, Martina Devlin, Niamh Ní Charra, Kevin Conneff, Christine Dwyer Hickey, Tríona Marshall, Paddy Moloney and, of course, my new friend Paul Durcan :)

The programmes will be broadcast on RTE Radio 1 next Sunday the 18th December, 9am, and on Christmas Day at 9am. If they go in the order we went last night, my piece will be the first one on next Sunday morning.

As an aside, but related, Paul asked me about the collage I did of the poem about him. I gave it to The Winding Stair book shop last week (the poem is set there) so he reckons he will sneak in and have a look at it one of these days :)

13 comments:

Chrysalis said...

Sounds like a magical and memorable evening. I'll make sure to tune in Sunday morning

Miss_Úna said...

Wow! Sounds like a magical evening. I look forward to hearing it on the radio. How brilliant to be sitting next to Mr.Durcan eh?! It is one of my all time favourite poems of yours & I know the collage too, bet the Winding Stair were delighted with it.

Kar said...

Whooop! it went great! I'm delighted for you.. I look forward to hearing it on Sunday and to hearing all about last night.

And when I'm in town, I'm gonna pop into the Winding Stair to see the poem

x x x

Group 8 said...

Dee - thanks. I hope you enjoy the show, it ws certainly lovely to be there.

Group 8 said...

Úna - I know! And he is very sweet and knowledgable. A lovely man.
Sarah wasn't in the Widding when I went in but I got a thank you message.

Kar - it was great. Even the previous night's sleeplessness (Juju sick) didn't affect me. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

Group 8 said...

The WIDDING??!! The 'Winding' is what I meant of course.

Words A Day said...

now you may write another poem about him:)I love the collage, its beautiful. Looking forward to hearing the show.

Group 8 said...

Cheers, Niamh. I think I will turn my attention to dead poets. Less room for embarassment :)

Words A Day said...

dead poets...
they're worth the dig, or so I hear :)

Unknown said...

What a corker! So nice for you to get to meet the poet from that cracking poem. Saw it in the IT, and meant to say well done! :)))

Titus said...

Brilliant! I've seen him read, once, and it was astonishing.

Group 8 said...

Thanks girls.
Niamh - hee hee.
Barbara - ta.
Titus - he is a brillinat reader of his own work. I love the life he puts into the characters in the poems.

Anonymous said...

Ha, that's brilliant! I bet Paul totally chuffed with the poem. :)