The Antient Concert [CF:VS4]

Legend has it that John McCormack and James Joyce competed in the Tenor singing competition. Joyce won the Bronz Medal that year. Many believe that it was McCormack's 1903 win of the Gold Medal that launched his career. Five traditional ballads that Joyce and McCormack may have performed that evening are the foundation upon which the piece is built. Consequently, throughout the recital, the characters shift between "performance mode" and the expression of their internal thoughts.