Peter and the Wolf Category

The Irish Hospice Foundation is delighted to announce the publication of 'Peter & The Wolf' on 1st October 2003.

Described as "A modern take on the classic Prokofiev children's tale", Peter & The Wolf was adapted for the Friday-Seezer ensemble by Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer. Using instruments such as the accordion, the banjo and the mandolin, Gavin and Maurice have produced a clever and humorous take on the much-loved original. The enhanced CD is presented with a 64-page cloth-bound book illustrated by U2's Bono, with help from his daughters Jordan and Eve.

Peter and the Wolf is an original composition, not a book set to music. The Russian composer Prokoviev wrote the story of Peter and the Wolf when in 1935 he was asked to compose a work for The Moscow Theatre for Children.

Gavin Friday first performed the piece with the RIAM orchestra in November 2000. Gavin Friday and the Irish Hospice Foundation developed an idea to rework the old classic in order to raise funds to aid hospice care both at home and abroad. The Friday-Seezer Ensemble recorded the music for the Irish Hospice Foundation in May 2002, after which Bono was asked to illustrate the accompanying book.

The Friday-Seezer Ensemble consists of multi-wind instrumentalist Renaud Pion (Hector Zazou, Dead Can Dance), drummer Michael Blair (Lou Reed, Tom Waits), cellist Julia Palmer, guitarist Des Moore (Secret Garden, Sinead O'Connor, Riverdance), bass player Gareth Hughes and flutist Catriona Ryan.

A not-for-profit organisation, The Irish Hospice Foundation promotes the hospice philosophy and supports the development of hospice and palliative care for the seriously ill.

The Peter & The Wolf book/CD is the first Irish Hospice Foundation project to be published outside Ireland. The 16 original illustrations by U2's Bono and his two daughters Jordan and Eve will form a touring exhibition to coincide with the book's publication. The exhibition dates are:

• Ireland: 1-3 October at City Hall, Dublin
• The UK: 6-8 October at Christie's, King Street, London
• The US: 13-15 October at Christie's, Los Angeles and 20-21 November at
• Christie's, Rockefeller Plaza, New York.

The original artworks will be auctioned by Christies, New York, on 20-21 November 2003. All funds raised from the project will be administered by the Irish Hospice Foundation to aid hospice care in Ireland and internationally.

• Listen to preview (mp3)
• More photos at U2log.com.
• Publishers: Bloomsbury

Friday/Seezer ensemble photographed by Neil Gavin.
Bono photographed by Perry Ogden.

RTE 2FM DJ Dave Fanning rang Gavin during his show devoted to 'celebrity auctions' on Wednesday. We caught the tail end of the interview, just after Gavin announced the Peter and the Wolf box set has already made 2 million Euro for the Irish Hospice.

• Listen to part of the interview (Windows Media)

Documentary screened on Ireland's RTE 1, January 5, 2004
Review by Patrick Lynch

THIS IS THE STORY OF PETER AND THE WOLF is a fascinating insight into the background and considerable time, effort, creativity and talents that went into this unique fundraising project for the Irish Hospice Foundation.

Beginning with the final stage of the project, with footage of the New York Christies auction including Gavin's humorously daring introduction and Bono's humble self-effacing speech the half hour documentary brought us back to the recording studios of the Friday Seezer ensemble to the artist studio of Bono and his daughters and co-workers, Jordan and Eve.

The programme was sprinkled with interviews with Maurice Seezer and Gavin, as well as hosting contributions by overall designer of the book project Colm O Gaora and Irish Hospice director Marie Donnelly.

Now that we are on the other side of Christmas the film serves as a timely reminder of a delightful project brought to the world with much hard work and charm. Footage of a genuine labour of love for a fitting cause. There's always someone else you could be buying it for...

Copyright 2004 © Patrick Lynch / gavinfriday.com