Many people ask us now how this project began. Unfortunately, I dont really remember. I am not a horsey person, I probably rode once or twice in my life. Coming from a farming background, animals are very much part of my background.
My grandfather had a farm, my uncles have farms which now, in turn, are run by various cousins.
The Helicona project began in 2015, but it was taking shape for many years before. As a child, from eight years old to 18, every Saturday, I went along to a morning class, which often lasted all day with Doris Keogh at the Royal Irish Academy of Music Her Capriol Consort, in today's terms, was an inter-disciplinary musical, dance and theatrical experience. My mother, as also many other mothers, made costumes for us. These were faithfully re-constructed from 16th and 17th century paintings. that meant trips to the Art Museum.
Anyway, I can come back to Doris and how much she probably influenced who I am as a musician and generations of Irish musicians too.
Helicona courses stemmed from household discussions on Sprezzatura (definitely will come back to that) and creating meaningful programmes for myself and for Arparla. Influenced by Giulio Caccini, then Il Cortegiano, well, we posited how would and how could others artistic disciplines how we play music and perhaps, even more interestingly, WHY I play music.
Music, notated and un-notated (improvisation), Improvised singing, counterpoint, Renaissance dance, fencing and Commedia dell'Arte, Art/imagery were the first disciplines.
Then, I began to throw out falconry, Archery, and then....
:::
.....
horses.
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