Bhí oíche iontach, álainn fhilíochta agus cheoil mar cheiliúradh na Féile Bríde i WAS ar an chéad lá d’Earraigh, Lá ‘le Bríde, nó Imbolc, an seanainm a bhí ar an lá agus an fhéile.
We had a wonderful evening’s poetry and music to celebrate St.Brigid’s Day, or Imbolc, the start of Spring, a now annual event in Working Artist Studios on the 1st February.
A packed house came to hear the marvellous poetry of James Harpur and Chuck Kruger.
James read from his beautiful 2012 collection, his latest, Angels and Harvesters (Anvil Press). He has won many prizes for his poetry, including the Michael Hartnett Award and the British Poetry Competition. His poems are thoughtful in the extreme, the language sensitive and sumptuous.
Chuck’s readings included work from some of his books, among them Sourcing and Island Alchemy. His work is marvellous: funny and poignant, interesting and powerful and he reads with a great panache.
Incidentally, Paul Ó Colmáin provided the incidental music.
As usual, we had many poets and singers from the floor when we threw open the stage after the very satisfying readings. They included the great Kenny Dread, Lothar Luken, Breda Cooney, Marianne Adams, Det Schlich, Lucy and the young duo, India and Aishling, of whom we will definitely be hearing more. The new lighting needs a little adjustment, I think, it’s all a bit, albeit appropriately, given the occasion, green!