Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of the days, seems I’m brushing my teeth in the morning and suddenly I’m doing the same thing in the evening I can’t sit in the sun for long and there’s nowhere to go as we are locked in. So books and films have been a delight, just having time is a blessing when you can fill it with something interesting. Someone sent me a home made
FaceBook video a couple of weeks ago and it was just awful, no violence as in the current American cop killing a poor black family man, just young men, I believe a football team although not sure, dressed as nightclub women. What possesses the male of the species to dress up as ‘tarts’ or as French maids, what possesses a lone woman to take part in these shenanigans in a very unladylike way. It’s been taken down and I’m not surprised, degrading or what. But I still wonder what the mind set is of such men who want to put on high heels, fishnet stocking with suspenders and a frilly pelmet not to mention the wig and coarse makeup. I can understand and have talked to many transvestites who take a pride in their appearance, I reckon when they sober up these boys felt nothing but embarrassment as it was soon deleted.
Don’t know what magical influence Houston Marshall has but a good few weeks ago he had a bit of a rant about face masks and the fact that those being offered are no good for anyone with a hearing impairment where lip reading is imperative. Bingo. All of a sudden the Internet was filled with offers of masks with see through fronts – especially interesting is Sonia Carley a geotechnical engineer in England.
Houston sent me her information which is available on her site, just type in her name. During lockdown she has developed these masks with a clear plastic panel which would steam up so she recommends rubbing it (on the inside) with a bar of soap and then rubbing with a tea towel and it stays clear. She has fashioned straps that go over the head in such a way that hearing aids are not touched.
They are washable and this remarkable young woman is offering them free to those who need them. She’s asking larger companies and the public in general to donate so she can buy more and more material. Each mask costs £5 to make plus her valuable time.
FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES
Richard Yarr must have had quite a shock when Clarence House tweeted to their followers a recommendation to watch the on-line programme he masterminded with Northern Ireland Opera who posted the following:
‘Very touched that Clarence House, the official London residence of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, have pointed to our special #AtHomeForHeroes performance earlier this week.’
“Since last Monday there has been a wonderful response,” he told me, ” 3,600 views so far … but the feedback has been moving … including NHS staff who watched on their hospital wards. That made every second of work worthwhile.”
So what’s it all about and who is Richard Yarr?
Richard Yarr is not a big headed man, however he can wear a dozen hats at one time such is his skill. In fact he’s a modest man with a CV to marvel at, including being freeman of the City of London, a King’s College London graduate, a Doctor of Philosophy music, history, literature and theory, the man behind the BBC NI School Choir of the Year; himself an organist he founded the NI International Organ Competition, he’s chair of the Charles Wood Festival and Summer School in Armagh and within the BBC Richard is senior producer of the classical music unit and presenter of Radio Ulster’s Sounds Sacred programme.
Most people would associate him with BBC and his programmes there, nevertheless on this occasion he stepped outside Broadcasting House to organise a night of incredible music, technical expertise and stars from far and wide coming together under the banner ‘At Home For Heroes’, a gala still available on You Tube and will be for some time to come and well worth watching.
“This is something special to say thank you to the NHS and frontline workers for their amazing contribution to our society, I am in awe of them.”
Quick Thinking
The idea came to Richard only six weeks ago before transmission and after thinking it over for a day or so it was all systems go. He contacted Fionnuala Jay O Boyle, vice chair of Northern Opera, described by Richard as an enabler and so she proved to be.
“She immediately said we must make this happen.”
“We were delighted to become involved as a sponsor and offering backing such was the importance of what Richard was doing,” she told me. “As musicians we understand collaboration and working as a team just as the men and women on the front line of this pandemic are doing. It is a joy to be part of the gala evening which will show off our classical stars to audiences at home and around the world.”
So Northern Ireland Opera came on board and it flowed from there. Apart from being a concert with a cast list to be envied, technical wizardry had to be applied as Richard explained. And this I find amazing.
“Sir James Galway and his wife Lady Jeanne agreed and this meant recording them in their music room at home in Switzerland, using mobile phones! They sent their greetings and then played three pieces. These recordings then went to Dublin where the much respected pianist Dearbhla Brosnan added her accompaniment. Barry Douglas recorded his contributions in much the same way but when it comes to The Priests the technology comes into its own.”
There are four artists involved here each one laying down their individual track on mobile phones from their homes. First of all pianist Ruth McGinley, who is also performing solo numbers, played the accompaniment for the three singers. Once she had recorded her element of the jigsaw, she sent it to priest number one who added his voice, he then forwarded this on to priest number two and once he had superimposed his part, it was off to priest number three who completed the finished piece. Intricate programming involving artists who readily agreed to join in this completely new method of building a concert gala. Richard even persuaded the new chief conductor of the Ulster Orchestra, Daniele Rustioni to come down from his podium to play piano accompaniment for his wife, world class violinist Francesca Dego.
Tanya Houghton plays the harp, the Ulster Orchestra string quartet plays and finally Northern Ireland Opera perform a medley – all on mobile phones. Although getting the guests together and masterminding the coordination between them all was a challenge, as far as Richard was concerned, the next step was make or break – the editing.
For this he went to a video production company in Derry, By Elephant. Paul Brown explained that the project has been an incredible experience for them. “Working with musicians remotely across the globe, using phone footage and audio to pull together a concert production has been challenging but incredibly rewarding as we see it come together. It’s incredible how connected we can remain, even when we have to stay apart. Working with such fantastic musicians helps also!”
Technical wizardry
Certainly to someone like me who was involved in my first ever zoom conference last week, it’s something of a technical miracle and I wasn’t disappointed.
The fact that the artists involved in Richard’s extravaganza have been so willing to take part completely free of any charge, to perform and send their personal good wishes, is a compliment to both this creative producer and to the people it’s for, brave frontline workers where ever they are.
Lest you think this Gala concert is made up of highbrow classical offerings that is not so, the programme is a seamless mix from Rodgers and Hammerstein to John Rutter and from Mozart to the Londonderry Air with each artist sending their personal message to their audience.
And drawing the evening’s entertainment together in style is patron of Northern Ireland Opera Sean Rafferty who will be inviting everyone to enjoy a unique experience but more than anyone else this is for the men and women who work within the NHS and their colleagues during this terrible and frightening time.
Richard’s wish is simple: “I hope this event will attract good interest and give everyone a nice opportunity to sit down and enjoy a mix of music played from the heart.” And this you can still do at the click of a computer key, probably even on a smart phone!
Like Richard, we are all in awe of the men and women caring for the sick and hopefully they will take pleasure in this programme of music and craic put together through hard work and mobile phone transmission.
Join Sean Rafferty at any time on You Tube as he introduces the gala concert ‘At Home For Heroes’ which runs for one hour and fifteen minutes.
Question from a reader. In the UK 26,000 people have died in hospital the vast majority have been over 65. That means about 18,000 would have been in the catagory of ‘over 65’ – does this mean they didn’t isolate otherwise how did they contact the virus? Answer please to anne1hailes@gmail.com
It’s so calm at the moment as I type, no cars on the road, no joggers flashing by just bird song, a church bell in the distance and not a breath of air. So sad to think that in fact this idyllic morning is so sad and frightening. Keep safe and well and remember we must live in hope.