John Molloy and Claudia Boyle set for Birr Christmas concert
Music lovers across the Midlands are in for an unforgettable treat when world-renowned Birr bass-baritone, John Molloy, joins forces with acclaimed soprano, Claudia Boyle, for a Christmas concert in Birr next week.
With the imaginative title of 'B'rrr It's Christmas' the concert is set to will take place on Friday, December 13, in the hallowed surroundings of St. Brendan's Church on Wilmer Road.
Last year Birr Stage Guild performed two sell out Christmas concerts in Birr Theatre and Arts Centre at which John Molloy was guest performer. Such was the demand for tickets, the Guild decided to move this year's concert to the roomier St. Brendan's Church, with John Molloy bringing his long-time friend, and one of Ireland's best-known sopranos, Claudia Boyle, on board to perform with him.
John and Claudia have established a dynamic and charismatic performing partnership, honed from many years of performing on stage together both at home and abroad in leading operatic productions of Carmen; La Bohéme; The Marriage of Figaro and Nabucco to name a few. They have both even performed together at Electric Picnic!
The musical duo have performed on five continents, and sing regularly with all of the leading Irish, UK and international opera companies. John Molloy recently performed in Irish National Opera’s productions of Beatrice et Benedict at the National Concert Hall alongside Irish actor Fiona Shaw and completed a national tour of Trade by Emma and Mark O’Halloran, and he made his BBC Proms debut at the Royal Albert Hall last year.
Claudia Boyle, meanwhile, recently performed the roles of Cunegonde in Leonard Bernstein’s Candide with Welsh National Opera and Silvia in Thomas Adès’ The Exterminating Angel with Paris Opera, Bastille. She now hosts her own show on Lyric FM, 'Weekend Classics with Claudia Boyle.'
Claudia and John will be joined on stage for their Christmas concert in Birr next week by Sophie Ward (Woodfield Garden Centre) and her husband Greg, who met while studying music in Hungary and recently re-located to her native Birr. Greg has been the director of Birr Stage Guild for the past two years, while Sophie plays piano. Aoife O'Sullivan will also be on piano for the concert which will also feature the Birr Stage Guild choir.
John Molloy says the programme for 'B'rr It's Christmas' is “as wide and varied as a Christmas concert could ever hope to be” and will feature favourite Christmas songs and carols, both traditional and contemporary; musical theatre as a nod to the long history of Birr Stage Guild productions of past and present; a wee bit of seasonal opera and…ballet!
The two pianists on the programme. Aoife O’Sullivan and Sophie Ward will “pepper the programme” with 4-hand arrangements of snippets from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, according to the Birr tenor, who adds that these pieces are “really fun and instantly recognisable from classic Christmas movies such as Home Alone, Elf and The Nightmare before Christmas.”
This Christmas musical treat in Birr has all the ingredients for a truly special evening of festive Christmas magic.
Doors open at 7.30pm, and tickets – which are priced at €25 each – are selling fast.
Patrons are advised by John Molloy to “bring a cushion” and he mischievously adds “church pews aren't soft!”