‘Rory Craig: A Life of Music‘, a fundraising and memorial concert held in Rory’s honour, was a moving celebration of his talent and creativity. Stepping into the Curtis Auditorium in the Cork School of Music, attendees were greeted with a beautiful slideshow of pictures from Rory’s life, lovingly arranged by his cousin Niamh. Rory’s mother, Ursula O’Sullivan and friend, Áine Whelan had worked together to organise the event to raise funds for Breakthrough Cancer Research, after both Rory’s parents were diagnosed with the disease. For them, it was above all an opportunity to honour Rory’s life and spirit through his music
O Emperor Tribute
Rory’s song ‘Seen it all Before‘ was performed by members of the band O Emperor, with Johnathan Murray on Keys and Rory McCarthy on Vocals. The room was tapping along and bubbling with happiness. The piece demonstrated Rory’s playfulness in composition, for a flute solo is rarely heard in popular music written in a commercial mindset, but it totally worked. The song reached #1 in the Irish iTunes charts, with the proceeds being donated to Breakthrough Cancer Research.
O Emperor performed their song ‘Sedalia‘ with Rory himself. A beautiful rendition recorded by a 13 year old Rory in 2013 for Voiceworks TV, was projected for the audience while the band played along, providing a full circle moment. As a fan of O Emperor, they would have come “a close second” to The Beatles for Rory. There was something quietly heartbreaking about hearing young Rory sing the lyrics “I was young once, I can still recall”. Many of us fear getting older, finding grey hairs or noticing wrinkles. It is even considered impolite to ask someone over a certain age how old they are. But for Rory, he will be young forever. If there is anything to be learned from losing someone so bright and young, perhaps it is that growing older may not be a burden, but a privilege.
A Mother’s Love
The most touching moment of the evening was undoubtedly when Rory’s mum, Ursula played piano for a rendition of Rory’s original song ‘Pay Per View’. As she took to the stage, the entire room swelled with applause and cheers reminding her of the love and encouragement she carried with her. Her stunning performance had the crowd in awe of her strength, as Rory smiled down on her, cheering her on.
Orchestral Arrangements
The orchestra, conducted by Cormac McCarthy, performed ‘Four Brazilian Songs‘, arranged by Rory. The four pieces were wonderfully uplifting, with Áine Whelan’s vocals bringing light and joy, woven through whimsical and mischievous arrangements that are unmistakably Rory’s.Later, the orchestra closed the evening with a powerful rendition of ‘Pity the Child’ from ‘Chess’, which was arranged by Rory for the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in 2021.
Included in the orchestra’s ranks were Rory’s cousins, Hugh and Brian. While speaking with them, they shared how important it was to honour Rory’s memory through this performance, despite the weight of emotion surrounding the evening. They wanted to do this one last act of service for their younger cousin, the same cousin who, as a child, once listed “Hugh and Brian” among his hobbies, between “drawing” and “magic.”
As the evening drew to a close, Ursula returned to the stage for a final presentation of flowers to members of O Emperor, pianist Billy O’Brien, and vocalist Rory McCarthy. The entire room rose to a standing ovation, a gesture of love for Rory as well as gratitude for the chance to witness to his creativity and musical talent.
A truly beautiful evening and tribute to a young man who left his spirit echoing with us, through his music.
Rory Craig: A Life of Music Memorial Concert can be viewed here
