Irish folk music act Hibsen pay homage to James Joyce with performances of their debut album ‘The Stern Task of Living’ under the aegis of the Bloomsday festival, with thanks to Irish Life and AVIVA for sponsoring the performances.
The ‘Stern Task of Living’ is a collection of 15 original songs, one for each short story in Joyce’s book ‘Dubliners’, with the lyrics and music written by Jim Murphy and Gráinne Hunt. Each song is named after the short story on which is based and captures the essence of the storyline though its lyrics and the sentiment of the story through its music.
An ensemble of 10 musicians, including the string quartet Musici, will perform the full album live. In addition, Frank McNally of The Irish Times will recite selected passages from Joyce’s ‘Dubliners’ at various points during the performance.
‘The Stern Task of Living’ will be available for download and on CD on Bandcamp and on all streaming platforms from 26th May.
RUNNING TIME: 120 MINS INCL AN INTERVAL
TICKETS €20 | €18 STUDENT/OAP/UNWAGED
Gráinne Hunt (Vocals)
Axel McDonald (Guitar)
Frank McNally (Recitations)
Jim Murphy (Guitar)
Lynda O’Connor (First Violin)
Paul O’Hanlon (Second Violin)
Beth McNinch (Viola)
Gerald Peregrine (Cello)
Ronan Quinn (Bass)
Laura Ryder (Piano)
Shay Sweeney (Drums)
These are two live shows of all 15 songs on 9th and 10th June….Here is Araby, a taster of the beauty that awaits the audience: