This concert celebrates the death, 100 years ago, of the explorer Ernest Shackleton.
A native of Kilkea, County Kildare, Shackleton led the Imperial Trans-Antarctic expedition on board the ship ‘Endurance’ in 1914. The ship was trapped by ice-floes in the Weddell Sea and sank.
Suddenly, what started as a great Antarctic adventure turned into a dramatic 18 month rescue mission, forever cementing Shackleton’s reputation as an exceptional leader.
Fellow Kildare native Brian Hughes composed the music. In addition, he plays uilleann pipes and whistles, accompanied by the County Kildare Orchestra (conductor Lorcan Daly).
The narration, written and performed by John MacKenna, another County Kildare man, introduces the eight movements depicting different aspects of the voyage. Dramatic original photos set the atmosphere. The fusion of uilleann pipes and whistles with the full range of orchestral instruments produces a breathtaking and evocative evening of music.
