Paris Chapters

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Description

The 'Paris Chapters' project is centred around new commissions based on works by Irish writers who lived in Paris (James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Oscar Wilde, W.B Yeats etc.) for voice, saxophone and piano. 

Irish saxophonist Robert Finegan, French singer Clara Barbier Serrano and Polish pianist Joanna Kacperek, passionate about this literature, explore the possibilities of contemporary music and the idea of having a programme that can grow over the years and be flexible to suit different audiences and spaces. 2022 marked 100 years since the publication of James Joyces’ ‘Ulysses’ in Paris, making it the ideal time to launch the project and shine a light on this theme. 

Along with the new commissions, the programme includes solo and chamber music pieces reflecting the life of these authors in Paris at different times and the songs they would have heard, been inspired by, or wished to hear. 

This project was recently received its Irish premieres at West Wicklow Festival and Music for Wexford in Ireland Music. It has also been performed across the UK and France. 

The new works currently part of this series include:
'Sirensong' - based on the Sirens chapter from James Joyce's 'Ulysses' - Rhona Clarke (2022)

'Le Jardins des Tuileries' - based on Oscar Wilde's poem - Lise Borel (2022)

'Stream and Sun at Glendalough' - based on W.B Yeats' poem - Denise Ondishko (2022)

'I, of whom I know nothing' - based on Samuel Beckett's 'Unnamable' - Kenneth Edge (2022)

​'Leafy Speafing' - based on James Joyce's 'Finnegans Wake' - Gráinne Mulvey (2025)

ArtDesk review
"French soprano and Irish saxophonist excel in new works and popular charmers"
"classical perfection from voice and instrument"



0:00 - The Salley Gardens, arr. B. Britten
(based on W.B Yeats' poem)

1:00 - Le Jardin des Tuileries by Lise Borel
(based on Oscar Wilde's poem)

1:47 - Hôtel by F. Poulenc
(Guillaume Apollinaire)

2:30 - I, of whom I know nothing by Ken Edge
(based on Samuel Beckett's 'Unnamble')

3:12 - Sirensong by Rhona Clarke
(based on James Joyce's Ulysses)

4:20 - Love's old sweet song (Molloy/Bingham)

5:29 - J’ai deux amours (Scotto/Baker)