A special tribute will be paid to famed Irish artist Harry Clarke in the chapel which has become synonymous with his stained glasswork.
Irish singer-songwriter Ursula Connolly will present ‘Songs Through a Stained Glass Window’ in the iconic Honan Chapel of University College Cork (UCC) on June 18.
The Honan Chapel features some of the artists most beloved stained glass windows – and, because of that, ranks as one of Ireland’s most popular performance venues.
Eleven of the 19 extraordinary stained glass windows in the Honan Chapel were created by Clarke between 1915 and 1918.
The Honan Chapel was completed during World War I.
Such was the impact of the stained glass artistry that it established his reputation as a master craftsman.
The one-night-only performance against this backdrop of colour, story, and artistry is a contemporary musical response to Clarke’s visionary work.
Inspired by his mesmerizing illustrations for Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytales, Connolly along with a talented ensemble of musicians, will bring these timeless stories to life through captivating melodies and evocative lyrics.
Harry Clarke was also a hugely talented illustrator of books and as well as illustrating for poet Edgar Allan Poe and Goethe’s Faust, Clarke’s illustrations for Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales was his first major book illustration commission where he produced 40 full-page illustrations completing the commission in Dublin in April 1915.
The book was published the following autumn to great praise.
Some of his other illustrations were destroyed in the 1916 Easter Rising.
Tragically, as Clarke’s fame spread he was plagued by ill health.
He went abroad in 1929 for treatment of tuberculosis.
He fell ill in Chur in 1931 and died there before he could reach Dublin..
A plaque on the wall of the cemetery now commemorates the artist.
“Harry Clarke’s work has followed me for years, his colours, his characters, his way of finding light in the darker corners of a story,” Ms Connolly said.
“Singing these songs in the Honan Chapel, surrounded by his extraordinary stained glass windows, feels like a conversation across time.”
A trained vocal coach from Dublin with over 30 years of performing, Connolly will be joined by the Greenbird Flying Trio and Peter Connolly for this performance beneath Clarke’s glowing windows.
Harry Clarke’s stained glass windows can also be viewed in various other locations including The Hugh Lane Gallery, Bewley’s on Grafton Street and most recently Collins Barracks.