Author’s latest publication was illustrated by Wexford artist David Mahon
The panoramic surroundings of La Vista, the popular café on the upper floors of the National Opera House, was packed on Thursday for the launch of Dr Noel Culleton’s highly anticipated new book Nature’s Music – Inspiration for 100 composers.
Anne Doyle the Wexford ambassador and legendary retired RTÉ newsreader, was due to officially launch the publication, but was unable to travel from her Dublin home due to illness. However, Wexford Festival Opera chairman Paul Cleary saved the day when he stepped in to take her place.
Mayor of Wexford Cllr Vicky Barron Barron, opening the launch of the publication with illustrations by local artist David Mahon of Newbay, said that she hopes to support local artists, local creativity, local craftspeople and local businesses in building a sustainable Wexford in the next year.
She said that as a classically trained clarinet player and school teacher, she held the arts close to her heart and added that as a community, we are extraordinarily fortunate to have a rich community of artists, musicians, writers, actors, designers, illustrators and dance people in Wexford.
“Creativity is woven deeply into the identity of Wexford as shown in the fantastic illustrations in Noel’s book by the very gifted young man David Mahon.”
Mayor Barron congratulated Dr Culleton on writing and producing an all-Wexford book with David Mahon as illustrator, Helen Ashdown as proofreader, Áine Boland as designer, supported by Think Print and Three Sisters Press.
Dr Culleton said that in his years as scientist studying plants, biodiversity and climate change, he developed a more holistic view of the environment and found that so many classical composers were inspired by the world around them.
“This book is a gentle reminder of what we stand to lose through climate change,” he explained.
The 220-page book titled Nature’s Music features the lives of 100 classical composers who were inspired by nature and the world around them and is the fourth in the series.
Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart, Strauss, Field and Mendelssohn are among the popular composers featured in the book and how they were inspired by the birds, the bees, the trees, the flowers, the seas, the wind, the storms, the plants on the ground and the planets in the heavens above.