The Inside Story: Vincent Kennedy and MUSIC OF PEOPLE AND PLACE

Composer Vincent Kennedy and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra bring MUSIC OF PEOPLE AND PLACE to Navona Records. Selected from some of his most beloved works and inspired by the people, mysticism, mythology, history, and landscapes of his native Ireland, this album is a rich collection of 19 stories, each appealing to the human spirit with sublime performances by the superb musicians of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.

Today, Vincent is our featured artist in “The Inside Story,” a blog series exploring the inner workings and personalities of our composers and performers. Read on to learn about his various passions outside of music, from family to modern science, great cinema, and more…

What were your first musical experiences?

I grew up in a very small house situated in a laneway in Dublin that had only three rooms, two of which were used as bedrooms. There was no hallway and no front or back garden though we had a tiny yard at the end of which was the toilet, a particularly scary place at night. I shared one of the bedrooms with my brother, our uncle, and one of my sisters. Because space was so tight, the radio for our house was in our bedroom, on top of one of the wardrobes. My mother had the habit of coming into our room early in the morning to turn on the radio and this also acted as a wake up call. I remember vividly when I was 3 years old that one morning when my mother turned on the radio, a piece of music came on and it filled my whole being. It was as though every cell in my body resonated with the wonderful sounds I was hearing and whose vibration touched me so deeply. It was not until I was 14, playing in an orchestra that I heard that music again and knew its name. Then, as every time since, it brings me back and it always fills me with magnificent joy and sense of wonder. The music is the Scherzo Presto, 3rd movement of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony. 

If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?

Hilary Hahn, violin. In July 2023 I got the chance to sit in on a rehearsal at Tanglewood with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons, conductor where the soloist was Hilary Hahn who was rehearsing the Brahms Violin Concerto. I have long admired this brilliant violinist and to hear and see her in rehearsal was an inspiring experience. It wasn’t really a rehearsal because Hilary played through the concerto perfectly, sublimely, and with just exactly the emotion needed. Her playing was flawless, her sound so magnificent. Birds stopped singing to hear her musical voice ascend from the violin strings and every time she finished a passage they chirped as if commenting on the heavenly music. I would love to perform my piece Dreams for solo violin and orchestra with Hilary. That would be a magical experience and to hear her play particularly the slow movement would be one of the greatest moments for me. 

What emotions do you hope listeners will experience after hearing your work?

I hope they will feel joy, peace, love, and be uplifted. I hope for moments where they are listening and they can forget about all of their cares and worries. I believe it is a sacred responsibility we as performing musicians have to our listeners, to fill the time they are giving to listen with beauty, with notes that transport them to a beautiful place. We never really know what pain, sickness, or worries are in our audience. I hope that the emotions we elicit in them by our performance and by our music brings some healing, some distraction from badness, some hope, perhaps even an enlightenment that will be the beginning of something special, something positive in their lives.

If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing?

I would love to run a small farm onto which a mountain stream falls and runs through. From the stream fall I would harness electricity and use it to power the farm and little house I would build there. I would grow vegetables and some small amounts of crops and take in donkeys to live out their days. This little plot would be run on green energy and I would have a separate hut for composing in. I would plant great rooted blossoms like Chestnut and Oak trees for future generations and cover one field in daffodils and red tulips, and when the latter bloom in late spring, they together would form a heart visible from airplanes and set in the host of golden daffodils. I would also make a pool from the stream where I could swim daily, heated in winter by solar panels. There we would be self-sufficient in good food and bake a lot. And of course I would write.

What advice would you give to your younger self if given the chance?

Believe in yourself. Don’t wait to be asked, just go do it. Don’t waste time on regrets. Forgive quickly and move on. Say nice things to people. Let most insults go over your head. Go around or over barriers. Trust in your own instincts. Don’t give in to hating. Always value true friendship and listen to the voice of those who love you and have your best interests at heart. Some things are just not worth the effort. Read well. Every moment is a blessing. Look after your health. Don’t forget to rest and exercise. 

What are your other passions besides music?

My number one passion and focus is my family. Also I love sea swimming. I am an avid fan of New Scientist magazine and am curious about how things work and the people behind the great strides in all areas. I use my phone camera to capture local nature scenes and I am lucky to live in an area where there are mountains, rivers, and beautiful natural walks. Going to the cinema is a passion, I love the big screen and sound. I can be creative anywhere from a noisy bus to a quiet room. I get my best work done very early in the morning or very late at night when the natural sounds of the world are predominant. I often think of how much of the greatest art humans have produced comes from a time before we harnessed electricity and was made by natural or candle light.