The students are on a high from tonight's concert. . . deservedly! To use the Irish term, they were simply brilliant. Ulster Hall is beautiful and there was a great audience. The concert was a fund-raiser for CONCERN, a non-profit that fights hunger. I posted several little video clips on Facebook. Neil Carson has done a fabulous job working with the jazz septet and they really were amazing tonight. They hadn't even seen two of the pieces they played with the Irish tenor until today.
Ulster Hall is simple, but elegant. We look at concert halls every place we go now to see what we like and what works. This hall is box shaped, with excellent acoustics. Beautiful blue.
There are composer portraits in the lobby of Ulster Hall. Chose this one because the Orchestra was at the top of its game tonight with Brahms Academic Festive Overture, our traditional tour piece even though the concert was billed as American and Irish music.
Just checked rooms after midnight curfew tonight and several students were already asleep. We are staying at the Belfast Youth Hostel, the most spartan of our accommodations, but we will survive. Dinner was very good. . . curried chicken and lentils in a sauce with rice, naan and chocolate cake with again, real whipped cream. Tomorrow breakfast is served until noon. It is a free morning. We meet for a city tour at 12:45 pm. Allan and I plan to head to the St. George's Market. We went by it today. Looks like the Reading Market in Philadelphia or the Grand Market in LA. Will have lots of Belfast sights to report tomorrow night.
Our culture has changed so since our first tours. These are orchestra students after their rehearsal while the jazz septet was rehearsing. Everyone had their phone out.
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