I am breaking any sort of chronological order with this post. I know I am still writing about Scotland and I should write about Belgium before starting with Northern Ireland (my current location). However, I’m so behind that I’d take me weeks to reach it, and by that time it’d be too late for this article.
With Halloween spirit still lingering in the air, I could hardly miss the opportunity to let you know how people in this side of the UK celebrate All Hallows’ Eve.
Since the moment I arrive to Portrush, the landlords of my place told me that if I wanted to be somewhere during Halloween, it should be Derry. Derry is famous in Northern Ireland for its eccentric festivities around October 31st. And they really go big or go home. Not satisfied with just one day of partying, the citizens of Derry plan FOUR days of on-going activities for locals and tourists around town. And I’m glad to say that I was lucky enough to be present in one of those days.
The city of Derry
Derry is one of the oldest cities in Ireland. In 2013 it was named the first UK city of culture, so it is definitely a place full art and creative life! There are a couple of museums and churches, as well as great shopping areas and shows.
Derry is also a walled city. The walls appeared in the 17th century to protect the town from English and Scottish and they are completely intact nowadays. Meaning you can walk on top of them and enjoy some of the best views of the city. You can wander from St Columbs cathedral, to the city’s Guildhall from wall to wall and even get a perfect shot of the river Foyle.
Additionally, the city received the award as the Best Halloween Destination in the world by USA Today, so I’d say my timing was more than perfect.
Halloween market
There is no way I could miss a street market, especially a themed one. The first thing I saw when I crossed the Peace Bridge was a line of stalls in front of the Guildhall. Didn’t take much more than that to start loving my weekend escapade.
At first sight it was like a typical street market: food trucks, hot drinks, artisanal soap… However, most of the stalls had Halloween ornaments and they even made a themed food station featuring “bloody sandwiches” and other spooky-inspired foods.
Also, there was a band performing live in the middle of the square. They were all dressed up and their covers were amazing! Obviously, I had just found the perfect excuse to treat myself with a pumpkin spice latte and listen to Paradise City with my new fellow here:
The atmosphere was very festive and I really enjoyed watching all the kids’ little costumes. Although I also encountered with this particular versions of Mickey and Minnie Mouse wandering about and I’m still having some nightmares. Seriously, the food stalls and the band were enough, guys.
Street performances
During the day, the city had a schedule featuring plenty of street performances and shows for the guests. There were Spooky Storytelling sessions in the Guildhall, a lantern installation in the middle of craft village, an organ concert and some great local art exhibitions around town.
I wasn’t able to make it to all of them, of course, because there just wasn’t enough time. But I really enjoyed this particularly entertaining show featuring these festive performers dancing around the walls of the city.
There were basically around five artists in flashy costumes, playing the drums and the plates while they danced a carefully precise choreography among the spectators.
Believe me, it was hard to take these photos. In Mexico I usually don’t have any troubles watching a show among a big crowd because I tend to be taller than everyone else, but with the Irish fellows there’s another story… I’m so not used to be on my toes to see something!
Ulster Orchestra
I wasn’t planning on going to the Orchestra’s concert, to be honest. I really wanted to go, but it was a bit pricey for my current budget. However, I missed the 7pm train back to Portrush and the next one wouldn’t leave until 9:30. So I found myself with two hours and a half to kill… It was a sign of the destiny.
The Spooky Classics with Ulster Orchestra was a Halloween special that performed in the Millenium Forum. The Forum is the main auditorium in town and they host plenty of shows, concerts and, surprise, surprise, an indoor market. But since it was a special occasion, the Orchestra decided to play some incredible melodies with a Halloween twist. Sounded like something I shouldn’t miss.
The actual concert (at last)
After judgy lady, I managed to get to my surprisingly good seat to enjoy the concert. And let me tell you, boy those £17.00 were worth it.
The show had its fair share of classics. I particularly enjoyed Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre and the famous In the Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg. Nevertheless, the Orchestra surprised us with some Pop Culture tunes including Ghost Busters theme song and (oh yeah, that happened) Harry Potter’s Hedwig song!
However, I think the absolute best part of the show was the Coductor, Christopher Bell. I’ve been to a lot of orchestra’s concerts in my life and yeah, I do know that some of them can be a little bit boring. Especially if you are not familiar with the pieces, but Bell was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. He did not only perfectly conduct the Orchestra, but he also was an outstanding entertainer.
Bell wouldn’t let the audience get bored for a second. He kept telling jokes related to the pieces they were playing and interacting with the public. The man even made us scream the iconic “Ghostbusters” choir to compliment the instruments. And made fun of us when we were terribly out of rhythm, if I may add. I laughed during the whole concert! When he spoke between the performances, I had the feeling that I was also attending to a stand-up comedy act.
After the first act, we returned to our seats and found out that all the members of the orchestra had changed their super fancy formal attires and replaced them with Halloween costumes! And let me tell you, those cellos sure know how to dress up. You found your typical witches and vampires among the other musicians. But the cellos really raised the bar with their extremely elaborated zombie attires (how did they manage during the ten minute intermission?).
The Ulster Orchestra’s Concert was the highlight of my day in Derry. Unfortunately, I had to leave early, since I had to catch the train back home (otherwise I’d have had to spend the night in the city). So I was only able to hear the beginning of Hedwig’s theme song. But it was still completely worth it! I’d make sure to check other concerts direct by Bell during my time here for sure.