The Cork-born musician will be joined on stage by his sister at the NCH tonight, writes Jo Kerrigan.

NEXT week, The Irish Chamber Orchestra will present ‘Joyeaux Noël’, a programme of French festive music, at two of the country’s most historic cathedrals, St Fin Barre’s in Cork, and St Mary’s in Limerick.

Godolphin have signalled their intent for 2015 by recruiting William Buick and James Doyle to ride as joint-number one jockeys.

Alan O’Riordan had mixed feelings about the programme at the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival

THEY have been described, by the New York Times as “one of the greatest bands in the world”. The Guardian has been similarly breathless, eulogising them as “one of the most extraordinary groups on the planet”.

St Columba’s, Ennis

Bantry, Co Cork

This year’s West Cork Chamber Music Festival promises to be the best ever, writes Declan Townsend.

Rachel Borrill says age is no barrier to fitness. If you are over-50, start now.

‘The Birth of Modern Music’ is the programme for the Music for Galway Midwinter Festival, which runs from Jan 17 to 19.

Classical: Calefax Reed Quintet - CIT Cork School of Music

St Barrahane’s, Castletownshend

Declan Townsend finds the programme for the West Cork Chamber Music Festival has him feeling like a child in a sweet shop, hoping he can sample everything

American classical pianist, David Syme, has played to audiences of 10,000 at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Centre, in New York, and the Kennedy Centre, in Washington DC.

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ONE of the world’s most celebrated cellists, Julian Lloyd-Webber, is looking forward to his return visit to Ireland.

What I do: Baroque cellist and virtuoso recorder player.

Polish quartet to launch West Cork Chamber Music Festival, Nicki ffrench Davis reports

THE Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes is the feature event on the Knavesmire this afternoon and it looks an ideal opportunity for Henry Cecil’s Twice Over to rediscover some winning form.

MICHAEL Stoute is confident Workforce is in better shape than 12 months ago as he has a second shot at the Betfair-sponsored King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

SIMON Crisford believes a strongly run race is the key to Rewilding’s success ahead of Saturday’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

BANIMPIRE, beaten a short head by Blue Bunting in the Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh on Sunday, could join the star line-up for the Markel Insurance Nassau Stakes at Goodwood on July 30.

GODOLPHIN’S Rewilding is now a 5-2 shot with William Hill for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes following the latest round of forfeits.

So You Think is a red-hot favourite to land his first British Group One when he faces six rivals in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot tomorrow.

WILLIE MULLINS makes one of his rare forays to the Royal meeting with Rattan in the Ascot Stakes today.

So You Think is a red-hot favourite to land his first British Group One when he faces six rivals in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.

CANFORD Cliffs remains firmly on course for Tuesday’s Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot after coming through a racecourse gallop at Kempton with flying colours.

So You Think takes top billing among 11 remaining entries for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.

St Nicholas Abbey, the one-time 2010 Derby favourite, makes it to Epsom a year late for the Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom on Friday, which has attracted a small but select field of five.

GARRET FitzGerald passed away knowing that the good relations he dreamed of between Ireland and Britain were a reality, mourners at his funeral were told.

Connections of Gio Ponti have decided to skip taking on one superstar filly Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and will instead take on another in Goldikova in the Mile.

Twice Over will again be aimed at the Dubai World Cup after completing back-to-back victories in the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes at Newmarket.

David Simcock is eyeing further Group One prizes for Dream Ahead after he blew away the opposition in the Darley Prix Morny at Deauville.

Owner William Bellew is hoping Kieren Fallon can produce Summit Surge with another perfectly-timed run in Saturday’s Arlington Million.

ANDRE Fabre saluted Maxime Guyon after the rookie pilot guided Byword to glory in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot yesterday.

Andre Fabre saluted Maxime Guyon after the rookie pilot guided Byword to glory in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Father Time gave Henry Cecil his 71st Royal Ascot winner when streaking away with the King Edward VII Stakes today.

South Easter has been supplemented for the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot on Friday after missing the Investec Derby.

ALL 13 entries for the Investec Derby have stood their ground for the Epsom Classic following the 48-hour declaration stage.

John Gosden is likely to let Expresso Star take his chance in the Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom despite being unsure about the four-year-old’s stamina.

Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos faced a different kind of crowd tonight as he took part in a high-brow discussion on the future of music.