Irish musician group Hibsen will be preforming a 15 song concert based on the iconic short story collection 'Dubliners' by James Joyce on on June 9 and 10.
The concert will be taking place in Dublin's Smock Alley Theatre and audiences can expect to be fully immersed in these captivating and original songs that are inspired by the 15 short stories of Joyce’s seminal novel.
The duo consist of Grainne Hunt and Jim Murphy. This concert has been two years in the making and Jim said: “Out of the challenges posed by lockdown restrictions, an inspiring collaboration was born. I connected with Grainne, who is a renowned Irish folk singer, in November 2020, and we wrote our first song Araby over a Zoom session.
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"We realised that this project had wider potential to turn James Joyce's 15 short stories into an extraordinary show! Our idea received support from The Arts Council which provided us funding for its further development.”
They are joined by a group of 10 musicians, a string quartet called Musici as well as guided readings from Irish Times journalist Frank McNally.
The Bloomsday Festival show also premieres Hibsen's album, ‘ The Stern Task of Living’, due for release on May 26. Each song on the album, which follows the sequence of stories in Joyce’s Dubliners, is named after the story upon which it is based.
The name Hibsen in inspired by Norwegian writer Henrik Ibsen who is said to have had a lasting influence on James Joyce. The artistic folk duo formed during the Covid-19 pandemic after they were paired together at an online song-writing workshop in November 2020.
Despite the challenges of not having met before and of collaborating remotely, Gráinne and Jim clicked immediately and within a couple of days they had written Araby .
Grainne said: “After months of preparation and anticipation we’re delighted to present this performance to Irish audiences - a show that promises something for everyone – from Joyce fans to folk-lovers. Even if you're not familiar with the novel 'Dubliners', Frank McNally will be on hand throughout the evening - reciting selected passages at various points during the performance.
Each song is named after the story upon which it is based. To top it off, some incredible musicians join us as accompaniment, ensuring an inspiring evening all round.”
Tickets for the concerts are €20 and can be purchased on the Smock Alley Theatre website.. The accompanying album ‘The Stern Task of Living’ will be available on all streaming platforms from May 26.
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