3 Kinds of Music, December 2025

We’re bringing our 2025 programme to a close with a final instalment of our renowned multi-genre series 3 Kinds of Music at the Mick Lally Theatre.

On Saturday 20 December at 3pm, audiences will have the chance to take respite from the busyness of the season with a musical moment of pause. At this time of year, nature slumbers preparing for the spring ahead. We should follow suit as our ancestors once did, but with the festive season so full of opportunities and commitments, our natural urge for quiet can become stifled. Through three unique performances, MusicConnects and The Black Gate offer you the chance to take pause, reflect and rest.

ConTempo Quartet, MusicConnects ensemble-in-residence, explores the theme of wintering through a classical music lens with works by Vivaldi, Corelli and Haydn. Java Blue, a vocal quartet born in Galway’s evolving jazz landscape, craft a soothing nostalgic sound where jazz, gospel, and folk converge through intricate harmony and rhythm. While Rodney Owl will treat audiences to his quirky and whimsical electric folk. Together, these musical offerings will calm your mind and soothe your soul.

3 Kinds of Music is free, family-friendly, and donations are welcome. Booking is not required but early arrival is advised to avoid disappointment.

About the Artists:

Java Blue is a vocal quartet born in Galway’s evolving jazz landscape. They craft a nostalgic sound where jazz, gospel, and folk converge through intricate harmony and rhythm. The ensemble—Róisín Mulliez (soprano), Sarah O’Toole (alto), Cesar Benzoni (tenor), and Eamonn Gannon (bass)—creates an engaging live experience that entertains and delights.

Born Mark McConville in Lurgan, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, Rodney Owl moved to Galway in 1996 and has since established himself as a distinctive voice in the Irish indie/folk scene. Rodney Owl’s music defies easy categorization—part folk, part indie rock, part ambient exploration. His debut album Woe (2016) introduced his evocative style: emotional, textured, and reflective of both inner and outer landscapes. His 2023 sophomore album Truth Is Broken (released via the Galway‑based label Black Gate Label) further cemented his reputation, drawing on influences as varied as Aldous Harding, The Velvet Underground, The Smiths and Sly & the Family Stone.
McConville describes his own music as an attempt to create “a feeling, not a hearing.” He currently lives a somewhat reclusive life in the west of Ireland, drawing inspiration from his surroundings—ancient woodland, wildlife, the natural world around him.

Formed in 1995 in Bucharest, ConTempo Quartet is recognised as one of the most exciting and vibrant chamber ensembles performing today. ConTempo Quartet was chosen as MusicConnects Ensemble-in-Residence in 2003 and continues to captivate audiences throughout Galway city and county with its repertoire of classical, contemporary, folk and traditional music. In June 2016, the members were conferred with Honorary Doctorates in Music by University of Galway in recognition of their role in promoting music and education in the West of Ireland.