THIS year’s West Cork Chamber Music Festival will have an economic impact on the area in excess of €5 million, its director Francis Humphrys confirmed.
The events, organised by West Cork Music, attracted up to 250 people for concerts, masterclasses, talks and exhibitions in the town every day, for 10 days.
The size and scale of the festival is light years removed from the first festival, back in 1996, which was started by Francis as festival director and Christopher Marwood as artistic director.
A young Barry Douglas was amongst the first performers, and there was even an appearance by Seamus Heaney, shortly after he had been honoured with a Nobel Prize for Literature.
People continue to travel to Bantry every year for the calibre of the concerts and the opening event at Bantry House certainly set the tone for what was to come:
Francis said much of its success is based on the small army of local volunteers, as well as the musicians who volunteer and make the masterclasses such an important aspect of the festival.
Looking to the future, Francis confirmed that West Cork Music is actively working on establishing a permanent base at a site near Bantry, with a planning application due to be lodged. Francis said: ‘We do not own a single piece of real estate and are totally dependent on the goodwill and generosity of the owners of all the venues we use and the dedication and skills of our team. None of the spaces we use are remotely suitable for what we do, each festival is an annual act of inspired artistic and logistical improvisation.’
It was after studying philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford, that Francis became a farmer in the beautifully situated Sheep’s Head Peninsula. It was here that he played classical music to his cows, and drew to him many family members, friends, musicians and neighbours who helped give structure to the annual festival.
Years ago, it was proposed at a board meeting that Francis should remain on until he is 100-years-old. Such is his love of this, his life’s work and his passion, Francis admitted to The Southern Star: ‘I will hang on as long as they will have me.’
