A Hamilton Opera by Flannery Cunningham

"Everything is legal in New Jersey."       

       —Lin-Manuel Miranda, "Hamilton"

Seeing Lin-Manuel Miranda's extraordinary musical "Hamilton" yesterday reminded me of a chance encounter last year with composer Flannery Cunningham. We were seated next to each other on an Aer Lingus flight home from Dublin and I couldn't help noticing she was doing a little in-flight composing. I love encountering creative people and struck up a conversation which one hopes didn't effect her productivity too adversely. She is influenced by 14th-century ars nova chanson, yet some of her own work incorporates contemporary electronic media.

Guillaume de Machaut (1300-1377) 

Puis qu'en oubli

A 14th-century ars nova period polyphonic chanson

As it turns out, her senior thesis at Princeton University was the composition of the opera Weehawken about the famous duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Ms. Cunningham did the historical research and wrote the libretto as well. The chamber opera received its first performance at Princeton in 2013. Three excerpts can be heard on Ms. Cunningham's website. At the time I spoke with her, Ms. Cunningham had not heard the score of "Hamilton."

A scene from Flannery Cunningham's chamber opera Weehawken

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Ireland: A Few Last Words

Here are a few last words—and names—from my trip to Ireland in July.

James Joyce, but not the one you were thinking of
Clifden, County Galway

Road sign in Tubbercurry pointing the way to Ballinacarrow

Insomnia coffee shop, Dublin

The cafe you've been looking for—and we are glad we found it!
Brother Hubbard, Dublin

Molesworth Street, Dublin
(Fans of Nigel take note.)

Queen of Tarts, Dublin  

Note:  This concludes my travel photos from Ireland. Would you like to see my pictures from Cape Cod in August too?

Attempted Bloggery's quick links:

Ireland

Dublin

James Joyce

Labor Day

Attempted Bloggery's wordy index

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National Museum of Ireland

The Archaeology and History division of the National Museum of Ireland is located in a complex with the Houses of the Oireachtas, the National Parliament. It houses many national treasures, including the Ardagh Chalice and St. Patrick's Bell.

Entry to the Houses of the Oireachtas, the National Parliament

Leinster House

National Museum of Ireland 

Inside the National Museum of Ireland

The Lurgan Logboat

The Lurgan Logboat was discovered in 1902

St. Patrick's Bell and it's Shrine, Armagh, Co. Armagh, 6-8th century AD and AD 1100

St. Patrick's Shrine

St. Patrick's Bell

The decoration also covers the side surfaces of the shrine, which is a bell cover

The Ardagh Chalice

Carved stone head, Corleck Hill, Co. Cavan, 1st-2nd century AD

Carved stone head, Corleck Hill, Co. Cavan, 1st-2nd century AD

Viking Burial, Memorial Park, Islandbridge, Dublin, 9th century
Discovered in 1934

St. Manchan's Shrine (19th century replica), Lemanaghan, Co. Offaly, 12th century

Deer Antler with Runic Inscription, Fishamble St., Dublin, 11th century

Model of Fishamble Street, Dublin in the Viking Age 

Head of a High Cross, Durrow, Co. Offaly, 12th century

Plaster cast of Romanesque Doorway
Cormac's Castle, Cashel, Co. Tipperary, Early 12th century

Cross-Inscribed Slab, Inishkea North, Co. Mayo, 6th-8th century AD

Gate finial

Houses of the Oireachtas, the National Parliament

Sidewalk tribute to Ulysses

Note:  A guide to the holdings of the National Museum of Ireland (Archaeology) may be found here.

Attempted Bloggery's quick links:

Ireland

Dublin

James Joyce

Labor Day

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The Custom House, Dublin

The Custom House remains one of the most picturesque buildings in Dublin.

The view from Memorial Road

Lion, unicorn, and the Trinity College harp

Custom House Quay

Liberty Hall and the Custom House from Talbot Memorial Bridge

Attempted Bloggery's quick links:

Ireland

Dublin

Labor Day

Summer

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Trinity College, Dublin and the Book of Kells

On my two previous visits to Ireland, I was delighted to visit the Book of Kells at Trinity College, Dublin. But when I stopped in on Sunday July 10, I found an improbably long queue of visitors waiting to see the most famous illuminated manuscript ever rescued from a bog. A student explained helpfully that it was cruise ship day! Clearly, this was not the day for a return visit to the Book of Kells.

Back in Dublin after a few days of travel in the countryside, I returned to Trinity College for another try. All the cruise ships were happily back at sea. The line was far more reasonable now and I got to see the stunning Book of Kells again.

The Old Library

The Long Room

Homer

Spiral staircase

Plato

Aristotle

Socrates

Sorry, but there are some things I just can't resist:

"The Princess Bride"

The Long Room's 200,000 books

Cicero, the great orator

John Locke

Boyle

Brian Boru Harp

As one proceeds down the hall, the busts of prominent men become more more obscure.

1937 Reading Room

Book of Kells official merchandise van

Campanile

Lecky

Campanile

Note:  To anyone lucky enough to be in Dublin when it isn't cruise ship day I strongly recommend paying a visit to the Old Library of Trinity College and seeing the Book of Kells. Note that there are only four pages on display at any given time and a crowded room is hardly the ideal personal viewing space. Fortunately, the museum experience can be supplemented with an excellent digitalized edition here.


Attempted Bloggery's quick links:

Ireland

Trinity College, Dublin

Dublin

Anthony Weiner

Attempted Bloggery's boggy index

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