Refinding my voice: ‘When I sing nowadays – out loud and alone – my voice is a shadow of its former self. In a choir setting? Sure I'm Lady Gaga'
I'm nervous. As in very nervous. While I stand there, poised with my ears and eyes on high alert as I await my cue, I'm vaguely aware of the hum of low voices, a bit of background throat-clearing, and the clicking of female high heels on the tiled floor as a few last-minute arrivals take their seats. Then everything falls silent.
Feeling that my heart is beating loudly enough for everyone to hear it, finally, I get the nod. Taking a deep breath, I launch myself into the first verse of Once in Royal David's City for the unaccompanied solo that so defines the opening of the well-known Christmas carol.
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Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
District news: Blackrock will add to festive cheer in village this coming Christmas
The Social Group which has taken charge of the running of different public events in the village undertook the sizeable task involving the substantial organisation of the day last month, featuring a football match between the Manchester Legends and their Rock Celtic counterparts, with supporting events, which included a gala dinner in the Fairways Hotel that night. The very happy outcome on top of the enjoyment and entertainment generated on the day was that group was able to raise and distribute almost €10,000 among the three local schools and sporting and voluntary organisation. The beneficiaries and sums received were Rock Celtic €4,000, Community Centre €1,200 and €750 to each of the following Saint Francis, Saint Fursey's and Saint Oliver Plunkett Schools, along with Blackrock Park, Blackrock Tidy Towns and the Geraldines. This enabled for instance the Community Centre to put on extra classes for children. The venture will also allow the Group to run Christmas lights along both sides of the village's Main Street for the annual Christmas Celebration and enhance the illumination of the promenade over the Christmas period. Heretofore the Christmas Lights ran down the sea side of the street and was extended then to the end of the lower car park to the Scouts Den. Now a line of festive lights will be strung all down along the other side of the promenade. Breakaways' swan-song Popular Blackrock trio The Breakaways are set to perform their very last concert at Blackrock sundial this Friday August 22 at 6.30 pm, weather permitting. The group, which consists Pat Breen on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Eamon Cooney on backing vocals and lead guitar and Paul Steeples on drums have been together for 62 years and have raised in incalculable amount of money for a whole myriad of charities since then, once turning down an opportunity to perform in the US as the three lads were all married and settled at home. Don't miss what is sure to be an absolutely unforgettable evening. A set of Irish dancing and a performance by Castlebellingham Ukulele Orchestra will also be a feature of the show. Should rain force a cancellation of the Friday performance, it is hoped to stage the show on the following evening, Saturday August 23 at the same time. Gers lotto Last week's draw again failed to produce a winner of the Geraldines lottery. So the jackpot this week was €23 400. The numbers pulled out last week were: 14, 15 21 and 29 Road closure Road diversions are still in place with only local access on old Golf Links Road. This is a result of the upgrading of foul sewage drainage facilities on the road. Louth County Council issued a notice of the closure of the road for a fortnight from Monday August 11 to this Friday to facilitate the carrying out of the emergency works. This entailed the prohibition of vehicular through traffic for the duration of the works. Beach group Amid the continuing disquiet and concern for health, water and wildlife a local groupcalling itself Friends of Blackrock Beach is inviting local folk to join them in a stand against the dangers posed. The ongoing situation with regard to the local beach and the odour emanating from it has highlighted the impact on lives for years now, not least discouraging and denying even the simple pleasure of swimming on treasured sunny days. Different times also there have been problems with the quality of public water flowing out of household taps. The beach odour is something that has been in the air and attacking nostrils for various lengths of times. What is the cause and what it is doing to health has not been satisfactorily allayed as it annually keeps coming back during the summer. There are strong suspicions in minds what is the reason for the terrible odour that pervades the village at times. The discharge of untreated sewage into the sea that makes its way onto the beach is right at the top end of the village. The Friends of Blackrock Beach has initiated an online action campaign and distributed leaflets to homes, urging local people to complain to the Environmental Protection Agency with regard to the 'smell, the sludge and the fact the beach is unsafe. The group also urges to flush only essentials into the sewerage system. The group as well has asked the local public to come out in a show of solidarity, showing they care by gathering on Saturday, August 30 at midday at the Community Centre on Sandy Lane and taking part in talk and walk for water to the Sundial on Main Street.
The Journal
a day ago
- The Journal
Oasis review: Last night was Christmas in August for long-time fans
OASIS FANS SAID Dublin city was 'buzzing' for the long-awaited reunion of brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, with the concert compared to 'Christmas in August'. Tens of thousands of fans descended on Dublin for the first of two sold-out gigs. The brothers performed to 80,000 people at Croke Park last night and are scheduled to do the same tonight. After an 'in-demand' dynamic pricing model left a poor taste for some fans last year, the ticket-holders were left to roll with it and enjoy the music in temperatures above 20C. In a regional change to the warm-up tunes, the crowd enthusiastically joined in singing as The Auld Triangle blared over the stadium speakers before the brothers walked out, raised hand in raised hand, as F***in' In The Bushes played for their entrance. Fans were also delighted as it appeared Liam gave Noel a peck on the cheek on stage. In an apt opening for the reunion, fans delighted as the words: 'It's good to be back' and: 'We need each other' filled Croke Park during Hello and Acquiesce. Liam Gallagher told the crowd: 'Oasis vibes in the area, Dublin vibes in the area.' The singer, who described himself as a 'Croke Park virgin' because the band had never played there, added: 'This is the soberest I've ever been in Ireland.' A heaving crowd, which saw Manchester City tops mingle with Oasis-branded Bohemian FC jerseys as well as Dublin GAA kits in a dancing sea of light blue, then sang along to (What's The Story) Morning Glory. Acknowledging how fans have missed the presence of the band, Liam added: 'You've been missed as well – you lunatics.' Advertisement Fans outside Croke Park before the start of the concert Sasko Lazarov / © Sasko Lazarov / © / © Liam also dedicated Roll With It to the people of Charlestown, Co Mayo – where his mother hails from. Mid-song, he also turned to the upper tiers where she was expected to have been sitting and blew kisses as he mouthed: 'I love you.' Liam later specifically dedicated Stand By Me To their mother, who he said was in the crowd. The band itself then had to pause briefly – as the packed stadium sang out a celebratory 'Ole, Ole, Ole'. Fan reaction Sarah and Neil Charlton travelled from Southampton to see the band, after a determined search for standing tickets saw them clinching access in Dublin. Charlton said they have both been waiting a long time to see the band reunite, having seen Oasis multiple times before their extended hiatus. He told the PA news agency: 'We thought, what a great city to come to and see the gig and have a couple of nights out in Dublin.' 'It's just so nostalgic – all the songs and all the music from when we were growing up. 'When we first started seeing each other, we went to a gig and so it's always been a part of our lives together.' Oasis formed part of the romantic story for fans Lisa and Alan Roe too, who said their love of the band dates back to when they got married in the 1990s. Roe said: 'Because the two of them are after getting back together after so many years, to be able to sell out a world tour the way they did – and their music going back to the late 80s and 90s. 'That brings an aura about in everybody and a buzz and the memories of growing up in Dublin with them – it's absolutely out of this world.' The view of the crowd last night from the stage Big Brother Recordings Big Brother Recordings Having had to wait a long time for the reunion tour, Sinead Millea from Kilkenny – who previously saw the band in Limerick in 1996 – said: 'Maybe we're all going through a bit of a midlife crisis – I turned 50 this year, and look, Noel and Liam, they're in their 50s as well. Read Next Related Reads 'Stuck in my head all these years later': Readers on their memories of Oasis in Ireland From set list to stage times - everything to know about this weekend's Oasis gigs 'And maybe things just dawned on them that life is too short and just, let's put grievances to bed. 'They seem to be getting on great, and it's fabulous. And at the end of the day, music transcends everything, and we're all here to enjoy a brilliant night and to share it with the people that mean the most. 'It's just amazing. The weather is fabulous and it's a brilliant venue.' Eoin Whelan from Newcastlewest described the brothers' return as 'legendary' and 'biblical'. Having seen the band's last performance in Ireland at Slane in 2009, he said he never thought the reunion would happen – further comparing the Croke Park gig to Christmas in August. Familiar hits The support acts for the Dublin dates are Richard Ashcroft from The Verve and Cast, formed by John Power after he left The La's. Ashcroft delighted the crowd by downing a full pint of Guinness as he ended his set with Bittersweet Symphony. The setlist on the tour has featured crowd-pleasing hits including Cigarettes And Alcohol and Little by Little. Fans on the tour have also been treated to favourites including Supersonic, Some Might Say and Live Forever – before a Don't Look Back In Anger, Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova crescendo in the encore. Oasis announced their reunion tour in August last year, 16 years after their dramatic split in 2009, when Noel quit after a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris. The highly anticipated 41-date run has already seen the band play Cardiff, Manchester, London and Edinburgh before taking them half the world away to major cities, including in the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia and Japan. As the band's first gig in the country since 2009, the Dublin leg of the reunion world tour holds a special meaning for once-feuding brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher. The Mancunian brothers have often spoken about their ties to Ireland through their Irish-born parents, Peggy and Thomas, and display the image of an Irish harp as part of their comparatively understated stage decor.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Bizarre Christmas attractions in the UK that you can visit NOW – from sleigh rides to a festive hotel room
Plus, TUI launches day trips to Lapland for 2026 MERRY TIME Bizarre Christmas attractions in the UK that you can visit NOW – from sleigh rides to a festive hotel room WE are barely through summer and some locations are already looking to Christmas - including year-round spots. Cold winter days and merry jingles seem like a distant memory, but for some destinations across the UK, the holiday season has already arrived. 4 There are a number of Christmas-themed spots you can visit right now in the UK Credit: Chessington World of Adventures Resort 4 At Sundown Adventureland there is a year-round Christmas sleigh ride Win one of 8 incredible holidays to the Caribbean, Mexico and Greece by voting in The Sun's Travel Awards - enter to win here Chessington's Christmas room Missing your festive fix? Then stay at Chessington World of Adventures' year-round Christmas bedroom. Full of twinkling lights, garlands and even a perfectly decorated tree, Chessington's Christmas gets guests into the festive spirit no matter the time of year. There are Christmas mugs in the room as well, to have marshmallow-loaded hot chocolate in. While the room is all things Christmas you can switch seasons with a dip in the hotel's Savannah Splash Pool. The room starts from £77 per person, based on a family of four sharing. If you are feeling extra festive, you can arrange to have an Elf Wake-up Call or Reindeer Encounter too. Santa's Sleigh Ride, Sundown Adventureland Sundown Adventureland markets itself as "the theme park for the under 10s". And while the theme park does have numerous non-festive themed rides, it is also "Christmas every day at Sundown" as the attraction has a year-round sleigh ride. Santa's Magical Sleigh Ride travels through a winter wonderland and has appearances from a number of Santa's helpers like Mrs Claus, Rudolph and dancing snowmen. I visited Lapland's Santa Claus Village in the summer — turns out Santa's not just for Christmas Those on the ride are taken through several rooms, including a quirky house set up where you see woodland animals preparing for the big day cooking and wrapping presents. There is even a reindeer sat in bed and a toy store advent calendar, with doors opening and closing as visitors slide by in the sleigh. Harrods Christmas Store For many festive fans, shopping for Christmas decorations and presents is a day out activity. And some keen holiday lovers will head to specific destinations for this. One such location is the Harrods Christmas Store, which opened last month - yes, in July. Located near the books, Harrods' Christmas World features new decorations including highland cow baubles and jewelled peach decorations. 4 And Harrods has already opened its Christmas store Credit: Harrods There is even a hair oil bauble full of pink glittering liquid. Several bloggers and vloggers have already headed to the store to document this year's offering, with one view having already racked up 114,000 views. And you can even purchase a nutcracker for £2,539... Bridmas, East Yorkshire The picturesque seaside town of Bridlington in East Yorkshire hosts an annual event called Bridmas. The Christmas-themed festival features a load of Christmas crafts, food, live music and even a panto dame - all in the peak of summer. The event aims to show that the town is more than just a summer staycation spot, and actually features year-round attractions. Bridmas only lasts for one day and includes showings of classic Christmas movies like Home Alone, a 'Santa Express' land train and festive-themed beach games. The event took place on August 6, so if you want to go - you will need to wait until next year. TUI launches day trips to Lapland for 2026 TUI has introduced a new 'extreme day trip' to Lapland for the winter of 2026. The trip, called "Search for Santa," allows families to fly to Kittila, Finland and return on the same day. Flights will be available from 11 UK airports, including Cardiff for the first time. The trip from Bournemouth airport is also returning for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. On the flight to Lapland, a cooked English breakfast is served, and a Christmas dinner is served on the return flight. Upon arrival, families receive snowsuits and boots before heading to the Snow Village. Activities include reindeer and husky sleigh rides and learning to drive a snowmobile. The day also features a magical journey to meet Santa and his elves. Some Christmas attraction tickets are already selling out – here is how you can still book. Plus, The Sun headed to Lapland UK - here is what it is like.
