16 novembre 2019

Change to programme

Chers Amis,

I am sorry to have to tell you that, due to unforeseen circumstances, we are unable to proceed with our talk …. “Haussmann et Paris embellie”.

It is planned to reschedule this talk early next year.

However we will still be meeting in The Dark Horse on Wednesday 20th November at 7:30pm. The idea will be to recreate, in our favourite Belfast venue, the atmosphere of a French Café with music and chat (French and English) and perhaps a little surprise or two.

Looking forward to seeing you in ….Le Cheval Noir ( sorry, The Dark Horse )
on … le mercredi 20 novembre 2019 à 19h30



À bientôt, Philip

12 novembre 2019

Bulletin mensuel : novembre 2019


Chers Amis,
The next meeting of the Cercle Français de Belfast will be …
on Mercredi 20 novembre 2019 à 19h.30
in The Dark Horse Coffee House,
30-34, Hill Street Belfast BT1 2LB

Topic: Haussmann et Paris embellie
Speakers: Hélène GUILLET et Philip McGRORY

Hélène et Philip vous emmènent dans le Paris de Napoléon III avec les grands travaux du Baron Haussmann pour l’embellissement de Paris.
Hélène and Philip take you back to the Paris of Napoleon III with the large-scale transformation of the city under the design of Baron Haussmann.




Book Launch by Cercle français Life Member, John Crothers

The Official Launch of …
Echoes of a Distant Music, a Biography of Ronald E Lee, MBE (1929-1992)
byJohn Crothers,
will take place ...
in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast,
on Friday 22nd November at 7.30pm.

This month John Crothers, who now lives in Paris, returns to his native city to launch his new book … Echoes of a Distant Music, a Biography of Ronnie Lee (1929-1992).

Ronnie Lee was unique, in that he blazed a trail for the choral directors who would come after him. The fact that he was a personal friend of, and admired by, such musicians as David Willcocks, John Rutter and Yan Pascal Tortelier, speaks for itself. His life's work took him to St Matthew's Parish Church, St Bartholomew's Parish Church and Grosvenor High School, where his singers covered themselves with glory, both at national and international level. His recordings on the Chandos label with the Ulster Orchestra have become the stuff of legend.

Of particular interest to us is the fact that the very last concert Ronnie conducted publicly, in October 1992, was for the newly-constituted Alliance française de Belfast, the brainchild of Professor Colin Radford, and the forerunner of the Cercle français.

With two choirs, Grosvenor (conducted by Edward Craig) and Renaissance (conducted by Ian Mills), singing some of the works associated with the legendary Belfast conductor the evening promises to be a musical delight and one which members will much enjoy. Make a note in your diary … St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast, Friday 22nd November at 7.30pm.
Looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday 20th November.

À bientôt, Philip



08 novembre 2019

Tristes nouvelles : Hilary HEADLEY

Hilary pictured at her 2017 Cercle talk on Debussy and friends
Chers Amis,
It was with great sadness that we learned this morning of the death of Hilary Headley. Hilary was a member of the Cercle Français de Belfast from its early days and in more recent times was a much valued and active member of our committee.
She will be greatly missed.
Hilary’s funeral is on Wednesday 13th November at 12.00 in St George’s Parish Church, High Street, Belfast then to Roselawn Cemetery at 2.30.

Philip