#daugherty

Talulla Rhydderch (Born MacGinnis). 81

Naoise Rhydderch. 80

Grania Rhydderch (Born Kavanaugh). 78

Rhodri Rhydderch. 77

Odharnait Rhydderch (Born MacCarthy). 75

Uinseann Rhydderch. 74

Deryn Rhydderch (Born Heffernan). 72

Yorath Rhydderch. 71

Meinir Rhydderch (Born Gallagher). 69

Bran Rhydderch. 68

Rhosyn Rhydderch (Born Dougherty). 66

Delwyn Rhydderch. 65

Aoife Rhydderch (Born Daugherty). 63

Fergus Rhydderch. 62

Oda Rhydderch (Born Gilchrist). 60

Hywel Rhydderch. 59

Conall Pritchard. 51

Maeve Pritchard (Born Rhydderch). 50

Ivan Llewellyn. 48

Deirdre Llewellyn (Born Rhydderch). 47

Unity Rhydderch (Born Sauvageon). 48

Fionn Rhydderch. 47

Ursula Rhydderch (Born Cavanaugh). 45

Jarlath Rhydderch. 44

Keaton O'Hannigan. 45

Aisling O'Hannigan (Born Rhydderch). 44

Fachtna Mulrennan. 45

Kathleen Mulrennan (Born Rhydderch). 44

Moira Rhydderch (Born Callaghan). 42

Patrick Rhydderch. 41

Cadell O'Hannegan. 42

Caoimhe O'Hannegan (Born Rhydderch). 41

Yvette Rhydderch (Born Plamondon). 42

Sean Rhydderch. 41

Maeve Rhydderch (Born Pelletier). 42

Vaughan Rhydderch. 41

Raeburn Griffiths. 39

Bridget Griffiths (Born Rhydderch). 38

Whitney Rhydderch (Born Sauvageau). 39

Uilliam Rhydderch. 38

Ragnhild Rhydderch (Born Perreault). 39

Wyn Rhydderch. 38

Beatrix Rhydderch (Born Patenaude). 39

Neifion Rhydderch. 38

Genista Rhydderch (Born Lestrange). 39

Mostyn Rhydderch. 38

Rafferty O'Sullivan. 36

Nothing is more revealing than the composer's own description of his work, and so is the case of Michael Daugherty:   “Dead Elvis (1993) was commissioned by Boston Musica Viva and Chuck Ullery, principal bassoonist with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. It is more than a coincidence that it is scored for the same instrumentation as Stravinsky's L'Histoire du Soldat (1918) in which a soldier sells his violin and his soul to the devil for a magic book. In Dead Elvis, the bassoon is Elvis (or perhaps an Elvis impersonator). Does this rock star sell out his Southern folk authenticity to the sophisticated professionalism of Hollywood movies, Colonel Parker and Las Vegas in order to attain great wealth and fame? Dead Elvisgoes far beyond this romantic Faustian scenario. For me, the two clashing Elvis images (the hip, beautiful, genius, thin, rock-and-roll Elvis versus the vulgar, cheesy, fat, stoned, Las Vegas Elvis) serve as a Sturm und Drang compositional algorithm. Further, my use of the “dies irae” (a Medieval Latin chant for the Day of Judgment) as the principal musical theme of Dead Elvis signifies yet another aspect of the Elvis myth: some people believe Elvis is dead, while others believe he is alive and well in Kalamazoo. Perhaps the question is not whether Elvis is alive or dead, but why the phenomenon of Elvis endures beyond the grave of Graceland. Elvis, for better or worse, is part of American culture, history and mythology. If you want to understand America and all its riddles, sooner or later you will have to deal with (Dead) Elvis.” – Michael Daugherty

From Russian folklore to Faust and beyond, the tale of an every-man selling his soul to the Devil for riches and subsequently suffering eternal damnation remains one of humanity's greatest paradoxes – simultaneously a greatest wish and a most dreaded nightmare. Daugherty clearly states that Elvis fell prey to the Faustian trap, and as a consequence lost his artistic essence. But even more profane than questioning the infallibility of an American pop icon is another question: is Elvis America's Christ figure?  As an exceptional boy raised by a single mother in poverty, he was propelled into stardom by embodying in a pelvis-swinging, dreamy white boy the soul of Negro songs.  Elvis' meteoric career eventually sapped the young singer of his authenticity, leading to his inevitable fall from grace and into a dangerous cocktail of drugs, alcohol and debauchery. Forsaken by all but his most ardent fans, the destroyed singer's death is mysteriously unclear – and many continue to believe in his continued life beyond Graceland. 

(Elisabeth Askren, source: ligetifestival.ro)

Gottfried Rabl - conductor  Cristian Avram - bassoon  Ensemble Ad-HOC ”and Friends”

What happened to Jennifer Daugherty couldn’t have been more cold-blooded.

The 30-year-old Pennsylvania woman with intellectual disabilities was smiley and trusting, a Steelers fan who loved dancing, scary movies, auto mechanics and making friends.

Jennifer was about to move out of her parents’ house and into her own apartment. She wanted what most anyone wants — independence, meaningful work, love and a family of her own someday.

“This is my time to make a new start for myself, and making some new friends and not being afraid of anything …,” she posted on her MySpace page in February 2010.

Three weeks later, her stepdad took her to catch a bus to Greensburg for a medical appointment and a sleepover at a friend’s place. That was the last he saw of her.

“I remember her exact words. She said, ‘Pa, I will see you tomorrow afternoon. Tell mom I love her.’ And she gave me a kiss on the cheek.”

At some point in Greensburg, Jennifer met up with six men and women, ages 17 to 36, who she thought were her friends. Over the course of two days, they took turns humiliating and torturing her in their crash-pad apartment. As she begged them to let her go, they beat her, stomped on her stomach, cut off her hair, painted her face with nail polish and forced her to swallow vile concoctions of detergent, oil, medications, urine and feces. Held captive in the bathroom, she was forced to write a suicide note before she was stabbed over and over with a steak knife, her wrists slit, her throat slashed. When still she clung to life, two of her killers wrapped a string of Christmas lights around her neck, and with one on each side, pulled. Then they stole a neighbor’s garbage can, stuffed her body inside, dragged it through the snow for two blocks and left it in a school parking lot.

It’s been eight years, and those who loved her are still reeling.