Spike Cello Festival 2022
Padraig Conlon 21 Jan 2022
Dublin’s intimate, adventurous, alternative cello festival is back for three days next month.
From 11th-13th February, audiences and world-class musicians from home and abroad will be brought together to enjoy, celebrate and explore cello across multiple genres.
Offering inspiration, fun, drama and delight to new audiences and experienced musicians alike, this year’s festival includes two nights of exclusive cello-based sound and vision experiences from dazzling artists in Dublin’s iconic Pepper Canister Church; an event with Twitter sensation Patrick Dexter from his cottage in the west of Ireland; live cello performances popping up across the city; specially commissioned improvised pieces created by four composer-cellists; events for children, and a chance to relax with a blissful hybrid of yoga and cello.
Lulling audiences into the weekend, cellist Patrick Dexter (pictured above) will open the festival with a beautiful lunchtime concert from his cottage on the Wild Atlantic Way on Friday 11th February.
Patrick, whose music has soothed millions of viewers during lockdown and who has played for President Joe Biden, will be performing Irish classics and audience requests with this very special concert for Spike 2022.
Dublin’s Pepper Canister Church will be home to two incredible evenings with superbly talented and exciting cello artists.
On both nights, internationally renowned phenomenon Blues cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson (pictured above) will be enchanting audiences with her mellow sounds, and Adrian Mantu will present his innovative sound and image project “Cello Vision”.
On the Friday night Spike Cello Sextet will present the Irish premiere of “Alta” by Sam Perkin for sextet with the sounds of the Northern Lights.
On the Saturday “Three Words for Light” by Northern Irish composer Anselm Mc Donnell, inspired by Manchán Magan, will premiere, performed by Martin Johnson, principal cellist of the National Symphony Orchestra, with electronics by Anselm himself.
At Cellovision at The Ark on the Saturday afternoon, award-winning cellist Dr Adrian Mantu of the ConTempo Quartet, Galway Ensemble in Residence and RTE’s National Quartet, will be leading young people aged 6-12 years old on an “ElecTríCelli Adventure” with three kinds of cellos. This musical journey will encourage the young participants to discover the sounds of music through the ages, from baroque to jazz and from world music to modern rock.
On Saturday, the festival’s Cellinstallation trail will be popping up across the city with free live one-off cello concerts.
Five innovative cellists from home and abroad will be giving performances in galleries and public spaces – The Hugh Lane Gallery, The People’s Pavilion at IMMA, and Kirkos Studios in Stoneybatter.
This year the festival has commissioned four new pieces for cello created by four composers, improvised in response to the themes of earth, air, water and fire, for a special online experience called Cello Daze.
Composed and performed by cellists Mary Barnecutt, Kate Ellis, Laura McFadden and Lioba Petrie, and mixed and mastered by Sean McErlaine, these pieces will be available for streaming online from Wednesday 10th February.
Spike will offer opportunities to learn from musicians from around the globe. International performer and pedagogue Tara-Lee Byrne will be giving two workshops live from Byron Bay, Australia.
Eric Wright of award-winning group The Fretless will be giving an introduction on the percussive bow effect “The Chop” and other chordal accompaniment tools mainly used in the Roots, Trad and Folk worlds, hosted online from the US.
And world-renowned virtuoso cellist, composer, and educationalist Saskia Rao-de Haas, is celebrated as a master performer of Indian classical music and hailed as the creator of a new instrument: the Indian cello, will be offering an interactive workshop for Indian Music for string instruments.
The last day of the festival will also offer a chance to enjoy Yocella, a fusion of yin yoga practice with cello accompaniment.
This online version of the perennial festival favourite will be led as ever by Kitty Maguire and cellist Anna Marcossi.
No experience is required for this peaceful practice of deep opening and surrender to the hypnotic voice of the cello which reminds us to take the time to nurture, slow down and be gentle on ourselves.
Festival organisers and cellists themselves Mary Barnecutt & Lioba Petrie said: “We are so excited to be able to present Spike this year with cellos playing live, online and all over the city.
“Please come and share our passion for all things cello online, outside or in person. We look forward to much music making and sharing over the Spike weekend!”
FESTIVAL ITINERARY
Friday 12th February
CONCERT (ONLINE)
Date: Friday 11th February
Event: Patrick Dexter “Wild West: Irish Classics from The Wild Atlantic Way”
Venue: Online event
Time: Available to view from 1pm Friday 11th February until midnight 14th February.
Tickets: €10.00
LIVE CONCERT
Date: Friday 11th February
Event: Spike Live at the Pepper Canister – Part 1: Ayanna Witter Johnson | Adrian Mantu presenting “Cello Vision” | Irish premiere of “Alta” by Sam Perkin performed by Spike Cello Sextet
Venue: Pepper Canister Church, Mount Street Crescent, Dublin 2
Time: 8pm-10pm. Doors at 19.15pm
Tickets €30.00
COMMISSIONS
Date: From Wednesday 10th February
Event: Cello Daze | Specially commissioned pieces by Mary Barnecutt, Kate Ellis, Laura McFadden and Lioba Petrie inspired by the elements
Venue: Available online at www.spikecellofest.com
Time: From Wednesday 10th February
Tickets: Free?
Saturday 12th February
WORKSHOP
Date: Saturday 12th February
Event: Tara-Lee Byrne Online Workshop #1 Tara-Lee’s Tool-Time Kit
Venue: Online
Time: 10am-11am
Tickets: €25
CHILDREN’S EVENT
Dates: Saturday 12th February
Event: Cellovision at The Ark with Adrian Mantu (Live event)
Venue: The Ark, Temple Bar
Time: 2pm-2.30pm
Ages: For young people aged 6-12 years old
Tickets: €7.50 / €5
CHILDREN’S EVENT
Dates: Saturday 12th February
Event: Cellovision at The Ark with Adrian Mantu (Live event)
Venue: The Ark, Temple Bar
Time: 4pm-4.30pm
Ages: For young people aged 6-12 years old.
Tickets: €7.50 / €5
LIVE CONCERT
Date: Saturday 12th February
Event: Spike Live at the Pepper Canister – Part 2: Ayanna Witter Johnson | Adrian Mantu presenting “Cello Vision” | Premiere of “Three Words For Light” by Anselm Mc Donnell
Venue: Pepper Canister Church, Mount Street Crescent, Dublin 2
Time: 8pm-10pm. Doors at 19.15pm
Tickets €30.00
FREE CONCERTS
Dates: Saturday 12th February
Event: Cellinstallation Trail with artists Aki (Finland), Aongus MacAmhlaigh (Ireland), Sarah Moody (UK), Eimear Reidy (Ireland), Adrian Mantu (Romania)
Venues: The Hugh Lane Gallery, The People’s Pavilion at IMMA and Kirkos Studios in Stoneybatter
Times: Please check www.spikecellofest.com
FREE, no booking required.
COMMISSIONS
Date: From Wednesday 10th February
Event: Cello Daze | Specially commissioned pieces by Mary Barnecutt, Kate Ellis, Laura McFadden and Lioba Petrie inspired by the elements
Venue: Available online at www.spikecellofest.com
Time: From Wednesday 10th February
To listen: Log on to www.spikecellofest.com where you’ll be able to listen for free.
Sunday 13th February
WORKSHOP
Date: Sunday 13th February
Event: Tara-Lee Byrne Online Workshop #2 Introducing The Cello Motorway
Venue: Online
Time: 10am-11am
Tickets: €25
YOCELLA ONLINE
Date: Sunday 13th February
Event: Yocella (Online event)
Venue: Online
Time: 11am-12.30pm
Tickets: €20
WORKSHOP
Date: Sunday 13th February
Event: Eric Wright Online Workshop on The Chop & Accompaniment Techniques
Venue: Online
Time: 1pm-2pm
Tickets : €25
WORKSHOP
Date: Sunday 13th February
Event: Online Workshop with Saskia Rao-de Haas on Indian Music
Venue: Online
Time: 3pm-4pm
Tickets : €25
COMMISSIONS
Date: From Wednesday 10th February
Event: Cello Daze | Specially commissioned pieces by Mary Barnecutt, Kate Ellis, Laura McFadden and Lioba Petrie inspired by the elements
Venue: Available online at www.spikecellofest.com
Time: From Wednesday 10th February
Tickets: Log on to www.spikecellofest.com where you’ll be able to listen for free.
TICKETS & FURTHER INFORMATION
For tickets and further information please see www.spikecellofest.com
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