Storytelling from the past and present, from across Europe
Limerick City’s festival of music from ages past returns for the week after St. Patrick’s Day from March 18 – 23.
Now in its fifth year, this year´s Limerick Early Music Festival is ‘Scéalta – Stories’. Stories as in the magical stuff of history as well as the core of current events.
“Ancient traditions, contemporary approaches, and music from many cultures all live side-by-side on our stages, attesting to how we strive to listen back, live in the present, and look forward to the future,” explain LEMF co-directors Yonit Kosovske and Vlad Smishkewych.
Across six days of events, leading national and international Early Music artists will perform across different locations in Limerick, with a diverse line-up.
Line-up Limerick Early Music Festival
Tuesday, March 18
📍 Saint Mary’s Cathedral & Dance Limerick
- 1:15 pm – “Faith and Fantasy” Concert
- Performed by Leila Clarke-Carr & Yonit Lea Kosovske
- Features spiritual and Baroque music
- Venue: Saint Mary’s Cathedral
- 3:00 pm – Festival Launch Event
- Hosted at Dance Limerick (St John’s Square)
- In collaboration with Mary Immaculate College’s Irish Centre for Transnational Studies
- Program:
- Ukrainian music by Duo Galleon (Vsevolod Sadovyi & Snezhana Rybal’ska)
- Curated readings
- Screening of Intercepted (Documentary by Oksana Karpovych)
Wednesday, March 19
📍 University of Limerick – Irish World Academy of Music and Dance
- 4:00 pm – Tower Seminar & Performance: “New Music for Harpsichord”
- Venue: Theatre 2, Irish World Academy
Thursday, March 20
📍 University of Limerick – Irish World Academy of Music and Dance
- 1:15 pm – Lunchtime Concert: Baroque & Contemporary Music
- Performed by MA Classical String Performance students
- In collaboration with André Swanepoel & Aoife Nic Athlaoich (Irish Chamber Orchestra)
- Special guest: Brooke Green (Treble viol & composer)
- Venue: Theatre 2, Irish World Academy
Friday, March 21
📍 Saint Mary’s Cathedral
- 8:00 pm – Bach & Choral Music Concert: “Consolation and Confidence”
- Performers:
- Ancór, St Mary’s Cathedral Choir, Sagittarius Hiberniensis, LEMF Orchestra & Vocal Soloists
- Music by Giovanni Gabrieli, Isabella Leonarda, Buxtehude & Bach Cantatas
- Special Highlight:
- Emerging Artist Award debut: Violinist Kevin Meehan performing Buxtehude trio sonata
- Performers:
Saturday, March 22
📍 Milk Market & Belltable
- 10:00 am – 12:00 pm – Strolling Musicians at the Milk Market
- 11:30 am – Puppet Workshop (Belltable Hub)
- Hosted by puppeteer Rose Minnema
- Focus on Medieval & Renaissance puppet-making for children
- 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Interactive Baroque Music Concert
- Performed by Classicalkids.ie
- Venue: Belltable
- 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Talk by Dr Eoin Callery (UL)
- Topic: Interactive virtual acoustic technologies
- Venue: Belltable
- 7:00 pm – Pre-concert talk | 8:00 pm – “Slovo: The Tale of Igor”
- Musical retelling of Prince Igor Sviatoslavich’s failed campaign
- Performers:
- Wolodymyr Smishkewych (Voice & Lyre)
- Vsevolod Sadovyi (Early Percussion & Winds)
- Snezhana Rybal’ska (Early Bowed Strings & Winds)
- Venue: Belltable
Sunday, March 23
📍 Belltable & Saint John’s Cathedral
- 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm – “Still, She Rises!” Concert
- Contemporary chamber works for early instruments by women composers
- Featuring compositions by Brooke Green & Baile (World Premiere by Xenia Pestova Bennett)
- 3:15 pm – 3:45 pm – Panel Discussion
- 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm – Finale Concert: “Celtic Stories of the Cantigas”
- Performed by Carlos Núñez (Galician bagpipe virtuoso)
- Fusion of medieval music & danceable Celtic rhythms
- Venue: Saint John’s Cathedral