2007 Press Releases
Staf Gebruers Memorial
15.11.2007
To honour the memory of Ireland's first carillonneur, Staf Gebruers, an annual Staf Gebruers Memorial Lecture and Student Award has been established in association with the Department of Music, UCC, and generously sponsored by Cobh man, Tom Jago and his wife Ann.
15.11.2007
To honour the memory of Ireland's first carillonneur, Staf Gebruers, an annual Staf Gebruers Memorial Lecture and Student Award has been established in association with the Department of Music, UCC, and generously sponsored by Cobh man, Tom Jago and his wife Ann.
The inaugural public lecture will take place in the Aula Maxima on Wednesday, November 21st 2007 at 7.30 pm, when the first Student Award will be presented, and Boudewijn Zwart from The Netherlands will give a lecture-recital featuring his unique "Bell Moods" travelling carillon (www.bellmoods.com). One of Boudewijn's chosen pieces will be 'The Torch of Learning', by David Cox, Professor of Music and Head of College of Arts, Celtic Studies & Social Sciences. This piece was written in 1995 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of UCC.
Born in Antwerp (Flanders) in 1902, Staf Gebruers received his early education at the local Jesuit schools and then at the Antwerp Conservatoire and the Lemmens Institute for Church Music in Mechelen. He also studied under Jef Denyn who was responsible for the renaissance of the carillon art in our time, and with the charismatic composer Jef van Hoof. In 1924, he was appointed Carillonneur, Organist and Choirmaster of St Colman's Cathedral in Cobh and for almost 50 years played a major rôle in the musical life of his adoptive town and country. He also fulfilled regular guest engagements abroad. He taught singing in primary and post-primary schools and for many years was Professor of Music at Mount Melleray Seminary in County Waterford. He was responsible for countless musical productions in Cobh and elsewhere, ranging from operetta through oratorio to grand opera. A prolific composer and arranger, he was also a gifted conductor, particularly of choral music, and was much in demand as a lecturer. He did a considerable amount of work for radio and television. He was a frequent prize winner at the Oireachtas and the Dublin Feis Ceoil and on at least five separate occasions was the recipient of the much coveted Milligan Fox Gold Medal for original composition. Other honours received included the Key to Washington DC (1957), the Medal of Honour of SABAM (The Belgian Artists' Association) (1958) and the Papal medal "Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice" in recognition of outstanding work for church music (1969). He died in 1970.
All are welcome to attend this free event. To register please contact: Aideen Hogan at ah@ucc.ie or by telephoning 021 4902925.
Image: Staf Gebruers at the Carillon console
564MMcS
Born in Antwerp (Flanders) in 1902, Staf Gebruers received his early education at the local Jesuit schools and then at the Antwerp Conservatoire and the Lemmens Institute for Church Music in Mechelen. He also studied under Jef Denyn who was responsible for the renaissance of the carillon art in our time, and with the charismatic composer Jef van Hoof. In 1924, he was appointed Carillonneur, Organist and Choirmaster of St Colman's Cathedral in Cobh and for almost 50 years played a major rôle in the musical life of his adoptive town and country. He also fulfilled regular guest engagements abroad. He taught singing in primary and post-primary schools and for many years was Professor of Music at Mount Melleray Seminary in County Waterford. He was responsible for countless musical productions in Cobh and elsewhere, ranging from operetta through oratorio to grand opera. A prolific composer and arranger, he was also a gifted conductor, particularly of choral music, and was much in demand as a lecturer. He did a considerable amount of work for radio and television. He was a frequent prize winner at the Oireachtas and the Dublin Feis Ceoil and on at least five separate occasions was the recipient of the much coveted Milligan Fox Gold Medal for original composition. Other honours received included the Key to Washington DC (1957), the Medal of Honour of SABAM (The Belgian Artists' Association) (1958) and the Papal medal "Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice" in recognition of outstanding work for church music (1969). He died in 1970.
All are welcome to attend this free event. To register please contact: Aideen Hogan at ah@ucc.ie or by telephoning 021 4902925.
Image: Staf Gebruers at the Carillon console
564MMcS