WIN - Scala Radio's Album of the Week
This week's Album Of The Week is Gerald Peregrine: Folk Tales Vol.2
Last updated 14th May 2024
Following the success of the first volume, cellist Gerald Peregrine and pianist Antony Ingham go further into their explorations of British and Irish music in Folk Tales Vol.2. These include rarely recorded works and new interpretations of traditional Irish songs that Peregrine presented during his more than 2,000 ‘Covid Care Concerts’ performed at health care settings during the pandemic. This is yet another treasure trove of poetic miniatures to treat the ear and tug at the heartstrings.
Gerald Peregrine was born into a well-known Irish musical family, the youngest of his generation. His late uncle was the well known Irish tenor, Frank Patterson. Growing up with both English and Irish cultures at home, during the Troubles, led Peregrine to research the many aspects of shared heritage and culture between Britain and Ireland, pre-1916, and pre the Troubles. He discovered that many prominent British composers had Irish roots, and/or were inspired by Irish culture. This led to the choice of repertoire on his first album, further explored in this second album.
Some information on Peregrine’s ‘Care Concerts’:
“In May 2020, I was living with my parents, caring for my father. As I lost all my work, and many musicians moved online, I was searching for a way to continue performing live music. I had always performed concerts in Care Homes over the years, wherever I could, as a way of reaching those most marginalised in society.
My neighbours kept asking me to play a garden concert, which I did in May 2020. I was also fascinated by the story of Myra Hess, the British pianist, who presented over 2,000 live daytime concerts at the National Gallery in London, in defiance of the Blitz, and to prove that life, and British culture could endure. I arranged a concert with my colleagues in the gardens of the local psychiatric hospital in June 2020, which was well received. I then started to seek financing from the government, and philanthropic donors, in order to extend these outdoor concerts, and provided work for Irish musicians.
By the end of 2023, I had raised over €2,000,000, and delivered over 2,000 live concerts, in 23 of the 26 Irish counties, performing to over 150,000 people in day care, long term nursing care, hospital, and psychiatric facilities. This was the largest live arts programme of its kind in Europe (and the USA as far as we are aware) and it employed over 100 of the finest Irish soloists and musicians.
The work we did, and the media campaign I built around it, led to a change in government policy. Since 2023, for the first time in the history of the Irish State, the Dept of Health and the Dept of Arts have joined forces to provide funding to enable live arts in healthcare to continue. Our work continues under the brand "Care Concerts” and has led to an increase in all forms of arts in healthcare and community settings.
The benefits of these concerts are numerous, providing physical and mental stimulation, and pain relief for those in long term care, and their carers. It is also about equality of access. I believe that no one should be excluded from access to high quality arts, due to age, ill health, or geography. There have been may international studies around the health benefits of such projects, and we also carried out research during our project.”
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