Down Arts Centre in Downpatrick is delighted to have two fantastic live performances programmed on Saturday 21 November.
A Spoonful of Jelly at 11am offers babies and children from 6 months to 6 years old, and their grown ups, a wonderful opportunity to take part in a live musical experience.
And Cinema Paradiso at 8pm is an evening of romantic and inspiring film music by international flautist Karin Leitner, and Irish pianist Mary McCague.
Down Arts Centre’s Dance Artist-in-Residence, Paula Guzzanti, has created a dance and live music piece, A Spoonful of Jelly, to inspire and entertain young audiences. The piece was inspired by the playful movement and colour of jelly desserts and is a collaboration between Ireland-based dance artist Paula Guzzanti and her long-term music collaborator (and husband!) Martin Devek. The creative journey started with having an actual spoonful of jelly!
A Spoonful of Jelly is unique in many ways. It offers a live musical experience for little ones, perhaps their first one, to connect children with music-making and expressive movement. The performance includes live piano and clarinet playing, as well as a range of original sounds.  And Paula, the dancer in the piece, relates to her environment and audience through movement in a way that children can ‘read’ and imitate. This offers a movement experience that is accessible as well as creative and allows lovely moments of interaction with the audience.
Cinema Paradiso offers a special evening of romantic and inspiring music from uplifting films including Chocolat, Amelie, Titanic, Twilight, The Mission and Cinema Paradiso itself of course, played by internationally renowned flautist Karin Leitner and accompanied by Irish pianist Mary McCague. Expect to hear beautiful music by famous composers such as Ennio Morricone, much-loved favourites and well-known pieces from major film hits. 

Karin Leitner is touring worldwide playing popular concerts, as well as composing her own music. Her career to date includes playing Principal Flute in the Stage Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera and Principal Piccolo in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. She played in the Irish Chamber Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Mozart Players and in the London West End Production of Phantom of The Opera.
Mary McCague is an acclaimed pianist and violinist originally from Dundalk, now living in Cork. She has won numerous awards and has toured extensively throughout America with her group, Affinità with whom she has recorded three albums. Mary has worked both as an orchestral pianist and as violinist with all the professional orchestras in Ireland and has performed as piano soloist with the RTE Concert Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra for The Irish Times ‘Music in the Classroom’ series.
To buy tickets (Spoonful of Jelly £3 per child, grown-ups free; Cinema Paradise £12/£10) and for further information on any Down Arts Centre events, please contact the box office on 028 4461 0747 or visit:
www.downartscentre.com]]>
