Staying tuned in

COMPOSER and musician Donal Lunny is delighted to be involved with Culture Night 2012, which sees free cultural experiences happen around Ireland on Fri, Sept 21.

At the cutting edge of the evolution of Irish music for 30 years he has put music to a long poem by Anthony Cronin.

The poem is about the RMS Titanic and sections will be sung by Allison Sleator and Daoiri Farrell, while Lunny and Graham Henderson will play the music. It takes place in Ranelagh Market, Dublin at 8pm next Friday.

Lunny has composed music for theatre, TV dramas and documentaries, written scores for several films and produced albums for Kate Bush, Elvis Costello and Rod Stewart.

Aged 65 and a dad of four, his nine-year-old daughter, Sora, lives in Japan with her mum while another daughter, Cora, has given him a grandson.

¦ For more info on Culture Night 2012, visit www.culturenight.ie

What shape are you in?

I wouldn’t flatter myself by saying I’m very fit. I’m half reasonable but I could do with losing a few pounds. I don’t use a car so I cycle anytime I can. It certainly helps keep me active and stops me putting on weight.

Do you have any health concerns?

Not really, although over a year ago I had an unusual sensation in my chest. I had it checked and discovered I had a blockage somewhere in the vicinity of my heart. I had a stint installed and was out of hospital within a day. I used to smoke on and off and I stopped that day. It was a clean and happy break without any withdrawal symptoms.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

I try to eat brown wholemeal bread. In the winter months I eat porridge with soya milk. I try to eat the odd smoked mackerel and I do quite a bit of cooking myself – straightforward stuff such as chicken and vegetable stews.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?

I’m not drawn to cream or sweet stuff. I love Indian food. Sometimes I’ll sit down to a large Indian meal with lots of spices.

What keeps you awake at night?

I’m glad to say that not much would keep me awake, just the odd pressing deadline where I have something that needs to be written, mixed or produced by a certain time.

How do you relax?

If I get the opportunity, I’ll go to a session and play music for hours with other traditional musicians.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

Mahatma Gandhi.

What’s your favourite smell?

I love the smell of herbs and spices — basil would be one of my favourites and thyme is a close second.

What would you change about your appearance?

There was a time when I’d like to have been taller but I don’t care anymore.

When did you last cry?

Quite recently I was watching TV very late at night in a hotel. There was a programme about a British soldier who had been fatally wounded in Afghanistan and his father was describing going to the hospital to see him and he got there just before he died. The emotion of that father really broke me up.

What trait do you least like in others?

The kind of predatory opportunism that is sometimes considered a great asset in business. You see it in young men in BMWs who really jump at opportunities in traffic.

What trait do you least like in yourself?

I’d like to be more focused. My memory is bad — that’s one thing I’d like to change. I forget things. I wish I had a better memory.

Do you pray?

Maybe not in a conventional way but I would have the same emotional internal expression as prayer.

What would cheer up your day?

A piece of music, meeting an old friend, the sun coming out from behind a cloud.