Meeting Evelyn Glennie - better than Jedward! (January-2012)
This morning, Fri 8th Dec, some girls from St. Mary's went to the National Concert Hall to watch Evelyn Glennie rehearse for her performance tonight with the National Symphony Orchestra.
At the break, Evelyn met the girls backstage!
Reactions from the girls:
"We would like to say a big, huge Thank you for letting us watch you!"
"You have such an amazing talent and you're just BRILLIANT!"
"One day, could you please, please come to our class and teach us to play the drums because we love to play the drums!"
"That was the best day EVER!"
"I never met a famous person before, except for Jedward, but this was better".
"I would like to say Thank You for your great performance. It was very enjoyable to listen to the music".
"I hope that I could come to watch you play again soon"
The girl's accounts of the full day are below
We went to the National Concert hall to see Evelyn Glennie in a rehearsal with an orchestra. She's the best solo percussionist I ever saw. She played the xylophone and a variety of other instruments. She was very good. It was my first time seeing an orchestra and I loved every bit of it. During break in a rehearsal my class mates and I met her and talked to her. I told her it was my first time ever to go and see an orchestra and I told her she was very good. She explained that when she was sitting on the floor she was playing the music quietly and it got louder and louder because it was like a mischievous elf coming into the 21st century. When we got back to school we wrote thank you notes to Eveyln Glennie and also to the woman who let us watch her play. I'd love to go and see her again. She is such an inspiration and a lovely woman. I had the best day ever! Aimee
On Friday, December the 9th, my class and I went to the National Concert Hall to see a deaf percussionist, Evelyn Glennie. She is a world famous solo percussionist. My class was really excited to see what she was like. We went up to the balcony and looked down at her and the orchestra in rehearsal. Evelyn started playing. The orchestra was playing with her. Evelyn Glennie's music is just so good! She kept moving with the music as if she was really interested in the music. She was playing in her bare feet like she always does. She told us later it makes her feel more comfortable. She played lots of different musical instruments. I thought she was amazing. She is so different from other percussionists. We met her backstage and I talked to her, she was so nice and kind. I really admire her. Shauna
At the rehearsal, Evelyn came on to the stage by herself; she sat down and played a strange instrument. She is a brilliant musician even though she's deaf! The rehearsal started but the sound was barely audible. Slowly it became louder and louder. Evelyn was playing by herself but it sounded like the full orchestra was playing. When Evelyn started to play the xylophone, she was moving her whole body as she played the music. She moved her hands back and forth really fast. Then she went over to the drums and it was so loud! She was using her body again and she was also moving her hands. Her hair was going all over the place! She was using in her bare feet to feel the vibrations of the music. There was a conductor, Evelyn watched him carefully to know when to play. She seemed to be enjoying playing the music and we enjoyed it. When Ms McNally asked Evelyn about one piece of music, Evelyn said that it felt like mischievous elves were coming out into the twenty first century! It was a very special occasion and I would love to come to go to another concert to see Evelyn Glennie playing again! Alexis
Evelyn Glennie's performance was brilliant. The music was fantastic. I like the way she played the snare drum in her bare feet to help her feel the vibrations in her body. She compared the music she played at the beginning to a mischievous elf. She sat on the floor at the beginning. The music was quiet but then it became louder and louder. It sounded really good. She is a virtuoso performer. Her hair flies around while she's playing the xylophone and the drums. Evelyn was in rehearsal with a conductor and orchestra. We met her backstage during a break in the rehearsal and it was so nice. I was really pleased to meet her. She is a gentle person and a great percussionist. We were lucky enough to get photographs with her. Patricia
The girls in second year in my school went to see Evelyn Glennie in, " Clash of the Titans" at the National Concert Hall on the 9th of December last. When we arrived in the Auditorium our teachers told us where to sit. The RTE National Symphony Orchestra started playing. Evelyn Glennie played the percussion instruments. The music was loud but I really enjoyed it. The orchestra and Evelyn played a variety of music including, Brahms Symphony No.1. After the concert, we met Evelyn. She told us that she became deaf when she was twelve years old. We chatted to her and she answered our questions. I was glad to go to the concert with my friends and teachers and was happy to meet Evelyn Glennie.
