A portrait of Bill Whelan
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382036)
Rockingham, Australia
September 15, 2017 1:21pm CST
Our son is a professional jazz musician and plays double bass. While we were staying in Ireland we were able to attend a performance that he was involved in which took place in the John Field room of the Dublin Concert Hall. In the room I saw this portrait of Bill Whelan. I’m ashamed to say I didn’t know who he was but I thought the portrait was lovely.
It turns out Bill Whelan was born in Limerick in Ireland and is probably best known for composing Riverdance. This was originally a seven-minute display of Irish dancing which was used during the interal of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. It later became a full-length stage production and I’m sure many myLot members would have heard of Riverdance.
One room in the concert hall was closed off for a recording session involving the RTE Orchestra with Bill Whelan conducting. I wonder if he stopped to look at his portrait on the way out.
4 people like this
4 responses
@YrNemo (20254)
•
15 Sep 17
@JudyEv It became a fashion dance for a while if you remember (maybe it is still like that these days?). Kids everywhere seemed to want to enrol into those centres at the time to learn Irish dancing (riverdance etc). A little girl I met almost 2 decades ago did so - a few classes a week - and had to stop after a few years due to a foot problem, resulted from too much Irish dancing!
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43586)
• Denver, Colorado
15 Sep 17
I've never heard of him, either. But yes, that is a great portrait.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382036)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Sep 17
It was a bit strange to think he was the other side of the door, recording some sort of album.
@JudyEv (382036)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Sep 17
Seven minutes of Michael Flatley would never be enough. 
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
16 Sep 17
Very nice portrait of him. Yes, I've heard of Riverdance and seen bits of it performed. It's an exciting dance. That's exciting to know you were that close to the conductor during your visit to the concert hall.
