Boyle’s historic King House, will be the venue for the Roscommon leg of the Paths To Freedom programme, which includes the western première of Myles Dungan’s new 1916 show – The Count, The Countess & The Tommy.
The show, starring international soloists Simon Morgan and Lisa Lambe – as seen on RTE’s Late Late Show – centres on the life and music of the celebrated Irish tenor Count John McCormack, and features some of the best-known songs of a hundred years ago.
May 13th is the date set for the first-ever performance of the show in the west of Ireland, in a nationwide tour which includes Dublin, Kilkenny, Cavan, Leitrim and beyond. The show is a centrepiece of broadcaster Myles Dungan’s Paths To Freedom roadshow project, a unique package of lectures, presentations and shows remembering the Rising, one hundred years on.
The Count, The Countess & The Tommy is hosted by Roscommon County Council Arts Office & Library Services, as part of the Roscommon Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme.
Fronted by RTE presenter and historian Dr. Myles Dungan, the Paths To Freedom programme brings together a team of broadcasters, authors and key academics with important things to say about the legacy of 1916, plus a cast of international performers, for a special two-part commemoration, comprising of
– A day-long programme of talks and presentations on 1916 and its legacy
– An evening performance of the music of the era, showcasing the songs of John, Count McCormack.
An evening of Performances
On this Friday, May 13th, King House hosts a complementary musical show – The Count, The Countess & The Tommy – featuring songs and stories from the era of the Rising, centering on the music of the celebrated Irish tenor Count John McCormack, and also the popular songs of Lena Ford, Ivor Novello, Stanley Kirkby & George M. Cohan.
The show, written by RTE’s Myles Dungan, will get under way at 8pm and features headline acts, including
Simon Morgan: A world-renowned baritone, Simon has performed in venues across Ireland, the UK, Argentina, Chile, Barbados, San Diego, Chicago, New York, Monaco, Florence and Verona.
Lisa Lambe: A singer and actress, Lisa is best known for her work at the Abbey and the Gate, and as a member of international singing sensation Celtic Woman.
Brendan MacQuaile: Brendan is a classically trained baritone who performs widely in Ireland and internationally, and features regularly on TV and radio.
Talks Programme
On Friday, May 20, King House, will welcome a selection of top-class speakers, academics and personalities for a series of presentations on the changing nature of Irish politics, work, class and gender roles in the years leading up to independence, explaining that the Rising was part of a wider narrative, not the whole story.
Schedule
10am Introduction
10.15 Dr. Myles Dungan – Sentenced To Death – The Rebel Courts Martial
11am Catriona Crowe – Ireland Before The Rising
11.45 Break
12pm John O’Keeffe – The Psychology of The 1916 Leaders
12.45 Lunch
2pm Dr. Jonathan Creasy – Writing Ireland: Poetry, Prose and Songs of 1916
2.45 Damian Shiels – The Conflict Landscape of Ireland
3.30 Ian Kenneally – Propaganda During 1916
4.15 Open Forum
Tickets for both events are free, but booking is essential via 071 966 32 42 OR [email protected]
The Paths To Freedom programme is offered by Roscommon County Council in collaboration with Pegasus Consulting, the company behind the hugely successful history projects The Fighting Irish (2010) and The Great War Roadshow (2014-15).