SKERRIES SOUNDWAVES 3 THE BEST EVER!!

The Skerries Soundwaves festival, organised by the Skerries Community Association, which run from 21st to 24th of September was a great success again this year.

As last year, the opening ceremony on Thursday also celebrated the autumn equinox and end of the summer. School children and their parents were among the crowds that packed the Little Theatre to see the exhibition of pictures that the kids had created under the guidance of local artists Liz Comerford, Hugh FitzGerald Ryan, Clodagh MacDonagh, Alison MacDuff, Shelly Rbins and Noel Manning.

Ernestine Woelger, the outgoing chairperson of the Soundwaves committee opened the festival by emphasising the community enhancing aspects of celebrating together and said she was so pleased that more and more groups and individuals in Skerries were becoming involved. She said that volunteering was alive and well in Skerries and that everybody should be proud to live in such a wonderful town – a sentiment which was repeated by many over the weekend.

Frank Prendergast from BirdWatch Ireland then led through a varied programme that included a monologue with Eithna McQuillan and fun with the Swords Mummers. Inis Rua then led the crowd in a dance which invited everybody to participate. Local bag pipers Eddie Harford and his nephew Kevin Russell then led the crowd to the Sailing Club for further celebrations. They had to brave gale force winds which had prevented the lighting of fires on the islands of Colt and Shenick – prepared by two intrepid teams of sailors from the sailing club.

Friday night saw two very different events: For Classical Night in Vienna, a candle-lit Holmpatrick Church was a beautiful sight to behold for the capacity crowd which had come to hear songs from Viennese operettas and operas and much more besides. Noreen Molloy, Jamie Rock and Helen Smyth captivated their audience, wonderfully accompanied by Catriona McElhenny Grimes, who had also put together the programme. Jack McGuinness led through the varied programme. A great success for all involved!

The Rockabill film Society attracted a crowd to The Rocky Horror Picture Show in the Little Theatre who were really enjoying themselves! Most of them had arrived in fancy dress, ready to dance, throw rice and shout at the screen. This is certainly a night that should become a standard part of the Soundwaves programme in future years!

I am sure that Saturday had the organisers completely worn out, as it was non-stop entertainment from 11 o’clock in the morning to midnight! And what variety!

It started with The Iron Giant, a classic film for children in the Sailing Club, which was greatly enjoyed by kiddies and parents alike. At 12 o’clock, buskers from all musical disciplines started to appear all around Skerries, entertaining the crowds with their music, faces were being painted, balloons handed out, different foods were being tasted. At the same time, the huge Country Crest trailer was being prepared for action at the library, Vikings were putting up their tents and birds of prey were surveying their new surroundings at Skerries Mills. Soon Skerries was really rocking as local bands One Swallox, Oki Koki, Checkpoint Charlie and Maluskus entertained the crowds. The dancers from Dance Dimensions provided lively action during the intervals and enjoyed it so much, they just kept going! What a buzz!

Meanwhile, in the Methodist Church people were enjoying being serenaded by music students of Skerries Community College, an oasis of calm in a vibrant town.

Holmpatrick National School Parents Association did a brisk trade at their School Fete with all the traditional fun and games from throwing wet sponges to guessing the weight of the cake.

At the same time, groups of people at various locations around Skerries – from Skerries Mills to the Mourne View Community Centre – were participating in a variety of workshops: Drumming, indigo dyeing, international nursery rhymes, beading/jewellery making, music for families with National Concert Hall Musicians and Tango were all well supported and enjoyed.

Saturday evening provided another two magnificent concerts. For many people, the Chamber Music concert in Holmpatrick Church was the highlight of the festival. PRISM, consisting of Alan Smale, the leader of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), Adele Johnson (Principal Viola NSO), Martin Johnson(Principal Violoncello NSO), Dominic Dudley (Principal Double Bass NSO) and Therese Fahy (professor of piano and Director of Chamber Music at the Royal Irish Academy for Music) put the large attendance under their spell. This was very special – to hear these top class musicians in such an intimate candle lit venue of acclaimed natural acoustics. It all came about because Therese Fahy and Dominic Dudley are Skerries residents. At last year’s piano recital in Ardgillan, the idea of a performance at Soundwaves 3 was born and Skerries is the richer for it! Word has it that the musicians enjoyed themselves so much here that they would love to come again!!

In complete contrast to the tranquillity of Schubert’s Trout in Holmpatrick Church, the Little Theatre was rocking. The Soundwaves Concert was again a great hit! Everybody really enjoyed the vibrant beat of six Community College acts: Sean Coffey, Emma Delemere and Andrew McLoughlin, John Michael Boylan, and bands AKA, Rusty and Stone Angels showed great promise and we may well hear from them in the future! They were followed by the Shaun Scott Jones Band who got the crowd even more worked up with their mixture of blues/jazz/rock. But the best was yet to come: De Jimbe, the African-Irish world music band, supported by local drummers and amazing African acrobats transformed the Little Theatre into space resonating with clapping and singing. Eventually, the audience could no longer restrain itself and burst onto the space before the stage and danced until the music stopped. A brilliant night, enjoyed by all in the audience – it was a truly mixed audience ranging in ages from teenagers to their parents. How do the committee keep getting such wonderful acts to come to Skerries!

On Sunday morning a group of cyclists set off to Ardgillan Castle, guided by Hugh Halpin author of By Bike from Skerries. Assisted by an escort of gardai they were able to cycle safely – this showed us how nice it would be to be able to cycle without fear on the roads around Skerries!

The all-time favourite Lambert Puppet Theatre returned on Sunday afternoon to the Little Theatre for two sold-out shows of Bosco and the much-loved story of Snow White.

On Sunday evening, festival revellers were treated to a rare sight as two fires on Shenick and Colt were finally lit. It was a beautiful calm, mild night and it was wonderful to watch the reflection of the Colt fire on the water and to see the Fulmer cliff and Martello Tower illuminated by the light of a natural fire. A big thank you to the intrepid sailors who then had to make their way back in the dark of the night.

The Pierhouse Hotel was illuminated by different lights: Neill McMahon and his all Stars Band had arrived and the crowd really appreciated their style of swing and jazz. We want this more often, was a common sentiment among the audience.

Meanwhile, in Joe May’s, Singer/Songwriters and their followers set up shop and entertained the crowd till the lights finally went out on Skerries Soundwaves 3!

It was a great weekend and thanks go to the organising committee, all of whom are volunteers!! We understand they are already thinking about next year and would welcome any new ideas. They would also welcome new members of their team – so check out the website for more details and for lots of pictures from the weekend – thanks to Michael Johnston!