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MASKS & MASQUES
18th–22nd MARCH 2026
MUSIC IN THE MILK MARKET
Saturday 14th March
10am–12pm
Milk Market Limerick
LEMF artists in historical costumes roam the Milk Market, stirring marketgoers to come to LEMF 2026!
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
10am–12pm
Milk Market Limerick
LEMF artists in historical costumes roam the Milk Market, stirring marketgoers to come to LEMF 2026!
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
FESTIVAL LAUNCH
Wednesday 18th March
5:30pm–8:30pm
The People’s Museum, Blue Room
Performances and Reception
5:30pm
WELCOME
5:45pm–6:15
MASQUERADE: Exploring the Human Psyche through Gombrowicz, Baroque Music, and Chant
Justyna Czwojdzińska: actor
MASQUERADE is an experimental performative happening that shares an ongoing artistic and philosophical exploration of the role of masks in human existence. Inspired by Witold Gombrowicz’s thinking on form and the mask—as something unavoidable yet unstable—the happening unfolds as a live inquiry rather than a completed performance. It moves between reflection, action, sound, and silence, allowing ideas to emerge, dissolve, and re-form in real time.
Using spoken thought, fragments of text, embodied actions, and musical interventions, the artists test how identity is constructed, performed, and disrupted. A variety of masks—traditional, modern, grotesque, neutral, and ceremonial—appear as provisional tools, not fixed symbols, inviting both play and discomfort. Excerpts from Gombrowicz’s writings (Ferdydurke, diaries) surface intermittently, spoken or chanted, treated as material to be handled, questioned, and exposed.
Baroque music and Gregorian-inspired chant are woven into the happening as living elements that interact with movement and voice. At times they support structure; at others they resist it, echoing the tension between sacred aspiration and worldly entanglement, discipline and excess. Nothing is resolved in advance; the form remains porous and responsive to the moment.
MASQUERADE invites the audience to witness and inhabit a shared experiment—part presentation, part action, part thought-in-motion. It asks, without insisting on answers: Are we ever ourselves without masks, or are we always becoming through them? What remains is an open space of ambiguity, where meaning is provisional and identity continually negotiated.
6:30pm–7:30pm
MASKS AND MUSIC IN CEREMONIAL CONTEXT: Transformation and Liberation
Billy Mac Fhloinn: presenter, musician
Billy Mag Fhloinn will give a presentation and performance based on his work as director of Pagan Rave. This is an ongoing project which aims to reimagine folk traditions and calendar customs of Ireland. Using as a starting point the ancient costumed figures of Irish and European folk theatre and seasonal festivals, it seeks to operate at the margins of place and mind, and embody the transformative and liberating aspects of masks and music in a ceremonial context. The event is proposed as an illustrated talk, where elements of the project will be explored through video, image, and text. Examples of masks, costumes, and musical instruments will form part of the presentation. Some of these instruments are accurate copies of historical examples, while others have been invented as part of the project. Space will be given to audience questions and interaction, and the event will finish with a performance on the yaybahar, an acoustic instrument invented by the Turkish musician Gorkem Sen.
7:30pm–8:15pm
RECEPTION
Free ticketed event (Limited capacity—book early!)
Please note: This event is held upstairs in an historic building and is not wheelchair accessible.
5:30pm–8:30pm
The People’s Museum, Blue Room
Performances and Reception
5:30pm
WELCOME
5:45pm–6:15
MASQUERADE: Exploring the Human Psyche through Gombrowicz, Baroque Music, and Chant
Justyna Czwojdzińska: actor
MASQUERADE is an experimental performative happening that shares an ongoing artistic and philosophical exploration of the role of masks in human existence. Inspired by Witold Gombrowicz’s thinking on form and the mask—as something unavoidable yet unstable—the happening unfolds as a live inquiry rather than a completed performance. It moves between reflection, action, sound, and silence, allowing ideas to emerge, dissolve, and re-form in real time.
Using spoken thought, fragments of text, embodied actions, and musical interventions, the artists test how identity is constructed, performed, and disrupted. A variety of masks—traditional, modern, grotesque, neutral, and ceremonial—appear as provisional tools, not fixed symbols, inviting both play and discomfort. Excerpts from Gombrowicz’s writings (Ferdydurke, diaries) surface intermittently, spoken or chanted, treated as material to be handled, questioned, and exposed.
Baroque music and Gregorian-inspired chant are woven into the happening as living elements that interact with movement and voice. At times they support structure; at others they resist it, echoing the tension between sacred aspiration and worldly entanglement, discipline and excess. Nothing is resolved in advance; the form remains porous and responsive to the moment.
MASQUERADE invites the audience to witness and inhabit a shared experiment—part presentation, part action, part thought-in-motion. It asks, without insisting on answers: Are we ever ourselves without masks, or are we always becoming through them? What remains is an open space of ambiguity, where meaning is provisional and identity continually negotiated.
6:30pm–7:30pm
MASKS AND MUSIC IN CEREMONIAL CONTEXT: Transformation and Liberation
Billy Mac Fhloinn: presenter, musician
Billy Mag Fhloinn will give a presentation and performance based on his work as director of Pagan Rave. This is an ongoing project which aims to reimagine folk traditions and calendar customs of Ireland. Using as a starting point the ancient costumed figures of Irish and European folk theatre and seasonal festivals, it seeks to operate at the margins of place and mind, and embody the transformative and liberating aspects of masks and music in a ceremonial context. The event is proposed as an illustrated talk, where elements of the project will be explored through video, image, and text. Examples of masks, costumes, and musical instruments will form part of the presentation. Some of these instruments are accurate copies of historical examples, while others have been invented as part of the project. Space will be given to audience questions and interaction, and the event will finish with a performance on the yaybahar, an acoustic instrument invented by the Turkish musician Gorkem Sen.
7:30pm–8:15pm
RECEPTION
Free ticketed event (Limited capacity—book early!)
Please note: This event is held upstairs in an historic building and is not wheelchair accessible.
Lunchtime Concert:
VEILED:
Masks, Madness, and Melancholy
Thursday 19th March
1:15pm
Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, Theatre 2
Dr Breandán de Gallaí, dance
Dr Róisín Ní Ghallóglaigh, voice
Dr Yonit Kosovske, piano
This performance explores symbols of what is seen and unseen, both in nature and in the vulnerability of our personal lives as performing artists. As the Northern hemisphere approaches the spring equinox, the Cailleach, the mythological Irish winter goddess and supernatural being of storms, yields to Brigid’s youthful spring and rebirth, shedding her guise as life reawakens and balance returns. Likewise, as the new moon emerges from its everchanging cycle of waxing and waning, light meets darkness, and what was obscured is revealed. This lunchtime concert is one of many activities during the week leading up to the 2026 Limerick Early Music Festival on March 20th–22nd, the theme of which is “Masks & Masques”.
Presented in association with the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick
1:15pm
Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, Theatre 2
Dr Breandán de Gallaí, dance
Dr Róisín Ní Ghallóglaigh, voice
Dr Yonit Kosovske, piano
This performance explores symbols of what is seen and unseen, both in nature and in the vulnerability of our personal lives as performing artists. As the Northern hemisphere approaches the spring equinox, the Cailleach, the mythological Irish winter goddess and supernatural being of storms, yields to Brigid’s youthful spring and rebirth, shedding her guise as life reawakens and balance returns. Likewise, as the new moon emerges from its everchanging cycle of waxing and waning, light meets darkness, and what was obscured is revealed. This lunchtime concert is one of many activities during the week leading up to the 2026 Limerick Early Music Festival on March 20th–22nd, the theme of which is “Masks & Masques”.
Presented in association with the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick
Festival Opening Concert:
CONCEALED AND REVEALED
Friday 20th March
8pm–9:30pm
Saint Mary's Cathedral
Peter Barley, conductor
Choirs: Ancór (Cecilia Madden, dir.) and Saint Mary's Cathedral Choir (Peter Barley, dir.)
Guest Vocal Soloists: Emma English (soprano), Sarah-Ellen Murphy (contralto), Wolodymyr Smishkewych (tenor), RIchard Pomfret (bass)
LEMF Chamber Orchestra
LEMF 2026 McCullagh-Ó Briain Emerging Artist: Dylan Donegan
Concealed and Revealed delights in images of revelation and spiritual epiphany, of texts and sounds whose meanings are elucidated and uncovered, and of a multitude of ideas and images on the theme of concealment: the night, the moon, and sensual metaphors such as budding flowers and other feminine imagery, both sacred and secular. Featuring music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Henry Purcell, and Maddalena Casulana, this annual choral concert brings together multiple local choirs under the baton of Peter Barley and Vlad Smishkewych. Cantatas, motets, madrigals, and virtuosic instrumentals are sure to delight the ear and move the heart in this programme of sacred & secular music in the beautiful medieval venue of Saint Mary's Cathedral. The recently established McCullagh-Ó Briain Emerging Artist Award marks its second year, recognising an outstanding instrumentalist playing with historically informed style, and named in memory of Bertha McCullagh-Ó Bríain, educator, and longtime supporter of arts, literature, and culture. The winner of the award will once again be showcased as a soloist during the evening’s concert.
TICKETS: €25/€20
8pm–9:30pm
Saint Mary's Cathedral
Peter Barley, conductor
Choirs: Ancór (Cecilia Madden, dir.) and Saint Mary's Cathedral Choir (Peter Barley, dir.)
Guest Vocal Soloists: Emma English (soprano), Sarah-Ellen Murphy (contralto), Wolodymyr Smishkewych (tenor), RIchard Pomfret (bass)
LEMF Chamber Orchestra
LEMF 2026 McCullagh-Ó Briain Emerging Artist: Dylan Donegan
Concealed and Revealed delights in images of revelation and spiritual epiphany, of texts and sounds whose meanings are elucidated and uncovered, and of a multitude of ideas and images on the theme of concealment: the night, the moon, and sensual metaphors such as budding flowers and other feminine imagery, both sacred and secular. Featuring music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Henry Purcell, and Maddalena Casulana, this annual choral concert brings together multiple local choirs under the baton of Peter Barley and Vlad Smishkewych. Cantatas, motets, madrigals, and virtuosic instrumentals are sure to delight the ear and move the heart in this programme of sacred & secular music in the beautiful medieval venue of Saint Mary's Cathedral. The recently established McCullagh-Ó Briain Emerging Artist Award marks its second year, recognising an outstanding instrumentalist playing with historically informed style, and named in memory of Bertha McCullagh-Ó Bríain, educator, and longtime supporter of arts, literature, and culture. The winner of the award will once again be showcased as a soloist during the evening’s concert.
TICKETS: €25/€20
MUSIC IN THE MILK MARKET
EARLY MUSIC DAY 2026
Saturday 21st March
10am–12pm
Milk Market Limerick
LEMF artists in historical costumes roam the Milk Market, stirring marketgoers to come to LEMF 2026!
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Saturday 21st March
10am–12pm
Milk Market Limerick
LEMF artists in historical costumes roam the Milk Market, stirring marketgoers to come to LEMF 2026!
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Family Event:
HARPSICHORD DIARIES
EARLY MUSIC DAY 2026
Saturday 21st March
Belltable 1pm–2pm
Fun for all the Family, ages 6+
(in partnership with H.I.P.S.T.E.R., Historically Informed Performance Series, Teaching, Education & Research)
Elaine Funaro: harpsichord
Eric Love: actor, narrator
In a special theatrical performance, Elaine Funaro and Eric Love present the live version of their children’s book, "The Harpsichord Diaries". This hour-long, family-oriented musical journey features Elaine at the harpsichord playing music from five centuries, in conversation with Eric acting over a dozen characters. The experience is enriched by projections of Andrea Love’s animated illustrations from the book. The script for this theatrical event is adapted from the audio play version of "The Harpsichord Diaries" called "Elena’s Dream".
TICKETS: €15 pps, €50 for family of 2 adults & 2 children
Featuring illustrations by Andrea Love
Saturday 21st March
Belltable 1pm–2pm
Fun for all the Family, ages 6+
(in partnership with H.I.P.S.T.E.R., Historically Informed Performance Series, Teaching, Education & Research)
Elaine Funaro: harpsichord
Eric Love: actor, narrator
In a special theatrical performance, Elaine Funaro and Eric Love present the live version of their children’s book, "The Harpsichord Diaries". This hour-long, family-oriented musical journey features Elaine at the harpsichord playing music from five centuries, in conversation with Eric acting over a dozen characters. The experience is enriched by projections of Andrea Love’s animated illustrations from the book. The script for this theatrical event is adapted from the audio play version of "The Harpsichord Diaries" called "Elena’s Dream".
TICKETS: €15 pps, €50 for family of 2 adults & 2 children
Featuring illustrations by Andrea Love
Evening Concert: CHACONNES, CHARADES, & CHICANERY
EARLY MUSIC DAY 2026
Saturday 21st March
Belltable 8pm
Mary Collins: historical dance specialist
Steven Player: baroque guitar, historical dance specialist
With guest musicians: Paulo Alonso (viola), Sarah Groser (viola da gamba), Yonit Kosovske (harpsichord)
Chaconne: a stately dance, popular in the 18th century
Charade: an absurd pretence intended to create a pleasant or respectable appearance
Chicanery: the use of deception or subterfuge to achieve one’s purpose
This delightful performance of dance, music, and drama offers a peek into the world of Baroque Theatre with its fascination for masquing, disguising and Commedia dell’Arte and explores the use of these conventions to satirise and reflect the timeless foibles of human behaviour.
TICKETS: €25/€20
Saturday 21st March
Belltable 8pm
Mary Collins: historical dance specialist
Steven Player: baroque guitar, historical dance specialist
With guest musicians: Paulo Alonso (viola), Sarah Groser (viola da gamba), Yonit Kosovske (harpsichord)
Chaconne: a stately dance, popular in the 18th century
Charade: an absurd pretence intended to create a pleasant or respectable appearance
Chicanery: the use of deception or subterfuge to achieve one’s purpose
This delightful performance of dance, music, and drama offers a peek into the world of Baroque Theatre with its fascination for masquing, disguising and Commedia dell’Arte and explores the use of these conventions to satirise and reflect the timeless foibles of human behaviour.
TICKETS: €25/€20
Performance & Workshop (ages 13+): Mask - The Art of Culture, Expression, and Transformation
Sunday 22nd March
Belltable
12–1:15pm
Simon Thompson: presenter, actor
This event maps historical and contextual information in relation to Masks and Masking. Simon Thompson—celebrated clown noir, actor, and researcher—will discuss and demonstrate how the masks relate to ritual, performance, and audience engagement through an exploration of the Commedia dell’arte Mask, Neutral Mask, Character Mask, Ritual Mask, and Larval Mask. Simon will discuss how the application of a mask promotes patience and openness, teaching the student that every small gesture or movement suggests meaning, taking the focus away from the face and redistributing it to the whole body. Simon will share his research on how the mask facilitates the very first steps of play by reducing our tendency to overthink, allowing the body, its impulses, sensations, and emotions to lead.
TICKETS: €20 active participant (maximum 20 persons) / €10 audience
Belltable
12–1:15pm
Simon Thompson: presenter, actor
This event maps historical and contextual information in relation to Masks and Masking. Simon Thompson—celebrated clown noir, actor, and researcher—will discuss and demonstrate how the masks relate to ritual, performance, and audience engagement through an exploration of the Commedia dell’arte Mask, Neutral Mask, Character Mask, Ritual Mask, and Larval Mask. Simon will discuss how the application of a mask promotes patience and openness, teaching the student that every small gesture or movement suggests meaning, taking the focus away from the face and redistributing it to the whole body. Simon will share his research on how the mask facilitates the very first steps of play by reducing our tendency to overthink, allowing the body, its impulses, sensations, and emotions to lead.
TICKETS: €20 active participant (maximum 20 persons) / €10 audience
Workshop (ages 13+): Masks & Gesture
Sunday 22nd March
Belltable
2pm–4pm
Mary Collins: historical dance specialist
Steven Player: baroque guitar and historical dance specialist
This workshop explores the techniques and application of Baroque gesture, as well as the power and use of masks. This work has an intrinsic focus upon the relationship between social interaction, its customs and boundaries, and community health and well-being. It is particularly important for young people in the light of current research concerning social isolation and its impact upon mental health resulting from a deficit of physical interaction, the dominance of keypad communication, and the virtual world of the internet and social media.
TICKETS: €20 active participant (maximum 20 persons) / €10 audience
Belltable
2pm–4pm
Mary Collins: historical dance specialist
Steven Player: baroque guitar and historical dance specialist
This workshop explores the techniques and application of Baroque gesture, as well as the power and use of masks. This work has an intrinsic focus upon the relationship between social interaction, its customs and boundaries, and community health and well-being. It is particularly important for young people in the light of current research concerning social isolation and its impact upon mental health resulting from a deficit of physical interaction, the dominance of keypad communication, and the virtual world of the internet and social media.
TICKETS: €20 active participant (maximum 20 persons) / €10 audience
WAYFARING PIPERS: Virtuoso Everyday Music of the Middle Ages
Sunday 22nd March
Belltable
8pm–9:30pm
Ian Harrison; bagpipes, shawm, cornett
Poul Høxbro; pipe & tabor, percussion
Considering the many natural and human disasters that have struck Europe, it is remarkable how much medieval music has survived. Numerous liturgical manuscripts preserve Gregorian chant, hymns, sequences, and complex polyphonic masses, alongside sacred and secular songs sung by both nobles and commoners. Yet this material cannot provide a complete picture of medieval musical life. Most surviving notation records vocal music, and only the social elite—religious and worldly—documented what they performed. What remains is only the visible tip of a vast musical iceberg. Still, medieval images of active musicians show a vibrant everyday musical culture now largely lost. This living sound world is what the Wayfaring Pipers programme explores. Drawing on surviving sources and folk traditions that have continued unbroken since medieval times, Ian Harrison and Poul Høxbro reveal a rich exchange between popular melody and liturgical music, blending classical medieval sounds with inherited folk traditions.
TICKETS: €25/€20
Belltable
8pm–9:30pm
Ian Harrison; bagpipes, shawm, cornett
Poul Høxbro; pipe & tabor, percussion
Considering the many natural and human disasters that have struck Europe, it is remarkable how much medieval music has survived. Numerous liturgical manuscripts preserve Gregorian chant, hymns, sequences, and complex polyphonic masses, alongside sacred and secular songs sung by both nobles and commoners. Yet this material cannot provide a complete picture of medieval musical life. Most surviving notation records vocal music, and only the social elite—religious and worldly—documented what they performed. What remains is only the visible tip of a vast musical iceberg. Still, medieval images of active musicians show a vibrant everyday musical culture now largely lost. This living sound world is what the Wayfaring Pipers programme explores. Drawing on surviving sources and folk traditions that have continued unbroken since medieval times, Ian Harrison and Poul Høxbro reveal a rich exchange between popular melody and liturgical music, blending classical medieval sounds with inherited folk traditions.
TICKETS: €25/€20
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