Farmleigh Music and Arts Festival - Concert 4

Beckett's Glass Guitar

with Barry McGovern, Peter Sheridan and The Beckett Guitar Quartet
(Laura Snowden, Michael O'Toole, David Creevy and Dave Flynn)

Venue: Farmleigh Ballroom

“Music always wins” - Samuel Beckett
“The first of the minimalist pieces........were written to go with Beckett.” - Philip Glass

Exploring the influence of Samuel Beckett on musical minimalism. This unique event features readings by Beckett experts Barry McGovern and Peter Sheridan, interspersed with Beckett-influenced music by Philip Glass, arranged for guitar quartet by Dave Flynn.

The writings of Beckett are perhaps the single biggest influence on the early minimalist music of Philip Glass. Glass knew Beckett in 1960's Paris and though Beckett rarely allowed music in productions of his work, he gave Glass permission to compose music for several productions including Company, for which Beckett sent Glass one simple instruction - “The music should go into the interstices of the text, as it were.”

The Beckett Guitar Quartet, formed especially for this show, will perform Glass' music for Company alongside his 3rd Quartet Mishima. Laura Snowden and Michael O'Toole will each also perform minimalist guitar solos composed by Flynn.