Shining a Spotlight on Christine Tobin

The ICC is delighted to “Shine A Spotlight On”…. the spellbinding, multi-award-winning vocalist and composer Christine Tobin who, over one weekend will present three sublime original concerts…

Saturday July 19th “Returning Weather”   Doors 7.30pm 

This concert will feature the music from Christine Tobin’s most recent album “Returning Weather” in which she imaginatively weaves song, spoken word and breath-taking music, from diverse disciplines, creating a unique multi-dimensional sound, which blend influences from folk, 20th-century art, song and jazz.  Using the themes of homecoming, dwelling, landscape, belonging and return, in this concert Christine uses her personal memoir to chart a journey of returning home to Ireland after many years of living abroad. The songs are based in the Irish countryside of County Roscommon, around Boyle and Ballaghadereen … These are songs of Leaving and Farewell and this is the music of Homecoming and Return.

Line-up: Christine Tobin vocals & spoken word; Aoife Ni Bhriain, violin; David Power uilleann pipes & whistles; Phil Robson guitar & electronics; Steve Hamilton piano.

Sunday July 20th “Letters Home” Starts 3pm 

Letters Home is a documentary film, which will be interspersed with live music and songs played on stage by Christine Tobin & Phil Robson. The film features images and clips from interviews with Irish Elders based in County Roscommon, all of whom emigrated to the UK during the 60’s -90’s, to find work and then returned home to Ireland. You will hear them recount their stories and experiences in their own words. This concert will celebrate experiences of immigration and will pay tribute to the contribution Irish immigrants who came to work in England, made to Britain and to the Irish economy back home. Popular songs of farewell from that era will be sung by Christine –  some of the songs you’ll hear her sing will be “Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shore”, “Mountains of Mourne” and “Come Back Paddy Reilly”. (Running time 1 hour including live songs).

Sunday 20th July, “Sailing To Byzantium”. Doors 7.30pm 

This concert Sailing To Byzantium will feature a selection of 12 beautiful settings of poems by W.B Yeats taken from Christine’s award winning album of the same name, for which she won a British Composer Award, (IVORS AWARD). The poems are chosen from Yeats’s early work through to his final collection and include love poems such as When You Are Old, written for the unattainable love of his life Maud Gonne;  also Yeats’s poems Sailing To Byzantium and Long-legged Fly’; plus a chance to hear Christine’s awesome interpretation of Yeats’s “The Wild Swans at Coole” and her haunting rendition of  “The Song of Wandering Aengus”.

Christine’s works with the poems on a deep intuitive level creating music that draws you into a world of hypnotic soulfulness. This programme also incorporates pre-recorded readings of Yeats’s poems by actor Gabriel Byrne and you’ll also have a chance to hear some of Christine’s compelling versions of Leonard Cohen’s songs.

Christine Tobin has been described as a musical free spirit who blurs the lines to create her own unique style that manages to be both earthy and ethereal. The rich palette of harmony and colour draws on influences from folk, jazz and twentieth century classical, from Miles to Messiaen.

Line up – Christine Tobin vocals, arrangements & composition; Gareth Lockrane flutes; Phil Robson guitar; Steve Hamilton piano: Kate Shortt cello; Dave Whitford double bass.