Thursday, October 14, 2010

Something for the weekend - railway Chopin, open console organ workshops, festival talks and pumpkins

Image of tiled concourse inside Belfast Central Station

Chopin is getting an outing on his 200th anniversary of his birth. Musicians will be playing Rush Hour Chopin at Central Station on Friday 15 between 7.30am-9am, and returning at 4.30pm-6pm.

Following on from the recent Street Piano installations, you can sign up on the Belfast Festival website to play for 15 minutes in Open Chopin on a piano that will be available in Belfast City Hall on Saturday 16 between 10am-5pm.

Image of Mulholland Grand Organ by Phil O'Kane / icedcoffee - used with permission

The Ulster Hall’s Mulholland Grand Organ is in the spotlight on Saturday 16 in a series of free workshops with Belfast City Organist Colm Carey and the Ulster Society of Organists and Choirmasters.

  • 9am – 10.30am How an organ produces its sounds for beginners (up to 15 years old)
  • 10.30am – noon Workshop for young players (up to 20 years old)
  • noon – 12.30pm Demonstration and recital
  • 12.30pm – 2pm Open Console – come and try out the organ.

Nothing to stop you popping into the hall to listen to the music during any of the workshops.

The National Trust site at Castleward is hosting Pumpkinfest & Craft Fair on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 between 1pm and 5pm. Along with 50 draft and food stalls, there will be pumpkin scooping and carving; a pumpkin people murder mystery; pumpkin soup; pumpkin (organic) picking in the walled garden; horse and pumpkin* carriage rides. Included within the normal NT entrance fee. (* sorry, just an ordinary carriage – couldn’t resist)

Belfast Festival at Queen's logo

Peter Hain is talking on stage to plug. Peter Hain is on stage for a Belfast Festival Talk in Elmwood Hall at 6.30pm on Saturday 16, plugging his new book Mandela: The Story of a Universal Hero. Tickets still available.

I recently caught up with Claire Keegan’s novel Foster when an abridged version was serialised as the Afternoon Readings on Radio 4. It’s the story of a small girl sent to live with foster parents in rural Ireland without knowing when she will return home. A warm and loving relationship develops, before a secret is revealed, rocking her new-found security. Author Claire Keegan is talking to Marie-Louise Muir in the Crescent Arts Centre at 6pm on Sunday 17.

(Image of Mulholland Grand Organ by Phil O’Kane used with permission)

2 comments:

Phil O'Kane said...

Didn't realise it was Chopin's birthday. I visited his grave in Paris in Aug (will have to get a photo up for sat).

I'd LOVE to hear some Chopin played on the Ulster Hall organ, but unfortunately I'm not here on Sat. So disappointed now.

Alan in Belfast (Alan Meban) said...

Funny - I'm away on Fri and Sat too!