On 16 May, 11am we will premiere, ‘The River goes on Forever’ a short film made with staff and residents at Skibbereen Community Hospital facilitated by composer Justin Grounds and Liz Clark featuring music by Skibbereen CKCH Campus Choir.
‘Honouring in song and in story, Our beautiful town of Skibbereen’, journeying down river through the West Cork town following the flow through a poem written and read by Josie Mackle.
Justin who travels in to the art sessions at the hospital each week on his bike describes the process, ‘This was such a wonderful and multi-layered collaboration that was born out of our music and poetry sessions in Skibbereen hospital. Josie told us she had written some poetry about the river and started to recite some. We were all really moved by it and so decided to try to make a river soundscape to accompany it. We talked a lot about the river and where it could be seen in Skibbereen so the following week I cycled my bike to as close as I could get and took some video footage to show the group on the big screen in the day room. Finally, the HSE Staff Choir got involved, recording the musical refrain which ends the piece. I was very moved by how much the river had run through each person’s life with so many memories. The piece honours this feeling.’
The premiere screening will take place at the hospital where the choir will also perform. The film will also screened at Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre, as part of the Bealtaine Exhibtion and available on our youtube channel from 11am on 16 May, 2022.
Bealtaine Festival – Ireland’s national celebration of the arts and creativity as we age.