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James Joyce - Zurich, 1915
(Reproduced with the permission of The Poetry/Rare
Books Collection, University Libraries, University at Buffalo,
The State University of New York)
Performance Bill announcing McCormack/Joyce concert, 1904.
(From James Joyce, Oxford University Press)
James Joyce on the £10
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•Listen
to the James Joyce Segment of Sounds Irish 2003
•Listen to an exerpt of
"Chamber Music" read by Cyril Cusack
•Listen to Joyce read from
Finnegan’s Wake
•Listen to Tenor John
McCormack singing “O Mio Tesoro”
In 1904, James Joyce appeared on a concert program
with none other than John McCormack, the legendary Irish tenor.
In fact, Joyce’s wife Nora was reportedly disappointed that
he didn’t follow a musical career and his father thought
he’d make a better singer than a writer.
But music and song is a vital part of Irish culture, and Joyce
never lost that musical sense, even after he left Ireland and
lived on the continent in Paris, Trieste and Zurich.
Senator David Norris is a lively expert on Joyce’s
life and works. He believes that the key to Joyce’s often
thorny works is to read them aloud. Listen
as he tells Tom Crann about Joyce’s musical tastes, and
how “there is music all thru Joyce.”
Senator
David Norris Web site
James
Joyce Centre
"Strings in the Earth and
Air"
(1935; Moderato; From Chamber Music I)
Listen
Strings in the earth and air
Make music sweet;
Strings by the river where
The willows meet.
There's music along the river
For Love wanders there,
Pale flowers on his mantle,
Dark leaves on his hair.
All softly playing,
With head to music bent,
And fingers straying
Upon an instrument.
"In
the Dark Pinewood"
(1937; Moderato; From Chamber Music XX)
In the dark pinewood
I would we lay,
In deep cool shadows
At noon of day.
How sweet it is to lie there,
Sweet to kiss,
Where the great pine-forest
Enaisled is!
Thy kiss descending
Sweeter were
With the soft tumult
Of thy hair.
O, unto the pinewood
At noon of day
Come with me now,
Sweet love, away.
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