Lucia: A Suite for Guitar and Strings

Axis Ballymun is delighted to present the world premiere of ‘LUCIA’ – a suite for guitar and strings composed by multi-award nominated musician Joe Chester. This new composition will be brought to life by ‘The Sound of Bells’ a quartet featuring long-time collaborators Trevor Hutchinson, Vyvienne Long, Steve Wickham alongside Chester.

Lucia Joyce spent 47 years in institutions as a result of mental illness, including long periods in isolation. She died in the notoriously cruel St. Andrew’s asylum, Northampton at the age of 75. And yet, in her youth she had shown enormous potential, as a dancer and illustrator. Over the course of two years, Chester took ten key moments from the life of Lucia Joyce, ten facts of her existence, and composed a piece of music for each, to pay tribute to her, to bear witness to her and, in some fantastical, imaginary way, let her speak.