Goldenhair Live

About this event

Golden Globe nominated Composer Brian Byrne will perform a selection of songs from his Goldenhair album in The Sugar Club with guests and friends including a full big band, William Byrne, Lucia Evans, Ryan Quigley, Nigel Clarke, Paul Moore and many more. Artists will be updated as added.

"For many, these words (from James Joyce) resonate at different levels and depths.... But I feel like they speak to ‘The Self’ within us all... The fire that sometimes overwhelms us all, and the need to breathe and be in the now."

– Featured Goldenhair artist Julian Lennon

WHAT The twenty-one songs on this album originated as a collection of chamber works for which Brian Byrne, inspired by select poems from Irish writer James Joyce’s Chamber Music (1907), set Joyce’s words to original music. Byrne collaborated with over twenty artists, in addition to The RTÉ Concert Orchestra, to record his songs. The album covers a range of genres - from adult contemporary, to jazz and big band, spoken word, classical, and bluegrass.

RELEASE DATE Bloomsday (June 16, 2017), an annual holiday (observed in Ireland, Italy, US, UK, Canada, and more) that celebrates the life and works of James Joyce. June 16th is the day on which the events of Joyce’s best-known novel, Ulysses, take place.

COMPOSER Golden Globe-nominated and IFTA award-winning composer Brian Byrne (also a conductor, arranger, pianist and producer), composes in all media and across all genres. Byrne co-wrote “The Mystery of Your Gift” with Josh Groban for Dustin Hoffman’s film Boychoir. Byrne also wrote the end title song “The Cry Inside,” for Jim Sheridan’s film The Secret Scripture, recorded by Kelly Clarkson.

WRITER James Joyce, in a letter to his brother Stanislaus Joyce, discussing his yet to be published volume of poems, Chamber Music: “It is a young man’s book. I felt like that. It is not a book of love-verses at all, I perceive. But some of them are pretty enough to be put to music. I hope someone will do so, someone that knows old English music such as I like. Besides they are not pretentious and have a certain grace.”

FEATURED ARTISTS

Golden Globe-winning actress Glenn Close, Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Kurt Elling, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Judith Hill, Irish singer Andrew Strong (The Commitments), Irish singer and composer Gavin Friday, British musician/songwriter Julian Lennon, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, and more.

PERFORMING MUSICIANS

The RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Paul Moore (Bass), Alyn Cosker (Drums), Phil Robson (Guitar), Martin Quinn (Guitar, Mandolin), Brian Byrne (Piano, Organ, Celeste), Ryan Quigley (Trumpet), Paul Booth (Sax), Nigel Hitchcock (Sax), Michael Owers (Trombone), Trevor Mires (Trombone), Fraser Fifield (Whistles), Marc Pruett (Banjo), Ray Legere (Mandolin), Aoife Ni Bhrian (Fiddle), John O’Brien