What a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift! Gabriel Byrne, Ellen Barkin, Aidan Quinn, Liam Neeson, and Stockard Channing invite you to “Imagine Ireland” in these videos provided by Imagine Ireland Arts at their new YouTube channel.

Here is Gabriel Byrne reciting The Lake Isle of Innisfree by William Butler Yeats:

The other readings include:

Spring Love by Francis Ledwidge, read by Aidan Quinn
Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven by William Butler Yeats, read by Ellen Barkin
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, read by Stockard Channing
Worstward Ho by Samuel Beckett, read by Liam Neeson

Wasn’t that lovely? It seems so appropriate to invoke James Joyce this Valentine’s Day, during a year of celebrating Ireland in the United States. Here is the first poem from his Chamber Music:

Strings in the earth and air
Make music sweet;
Strings by the river where
The willows meet.

There’s music along the river
For Love wanders there,
Pale flowers on his mantle,
Dark leaves on his hair.

All softly playing,
With head to the music bent,
And fingers straying
Upon an instrument.

–James Joyce, Chamber Music, I

And here is your official Heart Day wallpaper (just click to enlarge/download it). Enjoy!

6 Comments

  1. Cythandra

    Beautiful! That was well done. And two of the three kings are in it! Those beautiful, sensual voices.

  2. Best thing ever.. HAPPY VALENTINeS day gb

  3. That was actually so beautiful I’m somewhat lost for words. Wasn’t barkin’s poem actually written by Yeats though? Either way GB looked so sincere and lovely and so did Liam and the others. Thank you :)

  4. That was really a beautiful video.
    Artists make the world a better place to live in!

  5. I loved the video, for several reasons, it was well done, the artists were interpreting the poem in a sincere manner, but obviously that Gabriel Byrne is the most standout. He says the words so soft and sweet, the end of the video is more than a good surprise, is actually, a gift for us.
    His eyes say everything that his soul feels and it is one of the qualities I love most in Gabriel.

    P.s. Here in Brazil is not Valentines Day yet, but honestly, I celebrated the day after watched Gabriel in the video.

  6. Inspiring video! Thank you.

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