EDUCATION Music summer schools a whistleblast

Musical summer schools a whistleblast


Áine Ryan

A SUMMER series of music schools will be held by the Whistleblast Quartet in both Westport and Ballina. The week-long schools, which will cater for children aged seven to nine and 10 to 13, will introduce participants to classical music in a fun and quirky way. They will culminate in a free concert for parents and friends by the participating young musicians.
The members of the quartet have all worked with RTÉ orchestras and other professional groups. The Whistleblast Quartet is comprised of Kenneth Edge (saxophones, clarinet) Mary Curran (french horn), Andrew Synnott (piano) and Síle Daly (oboe, cor Anglais).
Founder Mary Curran says the genesis of the concept developed after she worked as Musician-in-Residence with Mayo County Council and realised ‘there was a great lack of professional classical music for children in schools and live performances out in the community’.
The group will supply violins, cello, double bass and brass instruments, as well as a range of percussion instruments for the summer school participants. The first Music Summer School will be held at The Loft, Westport House, from July 23 to 27 and the second one will be held at Ballina Arts Centre from July 30 to August 3.
At a separate event, the quartet will perform its Peter and The Wolf Interactive Teatime Concert for families on Monday, July 23, at The Loft, Westport House. This concert will include cartoon music, as well as a fun interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Overture.
The quartet is funded by the Arts Council, Mayo County Council and The National Concert Hall Learn and Explore Programme. It is also supported by Ballina Arts Centre.

For more information on the Whistleblast Quartet, contact mary@whistleblastquartet.com or visit www.whistleblastquartet.com