Gerard Manley Hopkins’ poem “The Leaden Echo and The Golden Echo”, opens by asking how to “keep it, beauty, beauty, beauty, … from vanishing away?”.
The poem examines the corruptive nature of physical appearance and the permanence of spirituality. It was chosen by the chair of Trinity Arts Festival (TAF), Seirce Mac Conghail, to be the core inspiration for this year’s TAF takeover of the Graduates Memorial Building (GMB). Speaking to The University Times about the poem, Mac Conghail said candidly: “To be honest, I primarily chose this poem because of the title. It’s both mysterious and evocative, and just the right amount of pretentious.”
“Previous GMB takeovers have had similarly uninformative titles based on literature and I have found that it really encapsulates the magic of the event, especially for people going for the first time”, they said. “In my experience, nobody quite knows what to expect when they show up, then they have an experience they’ve hopefully never had on campus before, and then they leave wondering ‘what the hell was that?’. The title ideally adds to that effect.”
The TAF takeover is a source of great anticipation amongst the artistic community in College. For one night every year, the neo-Gothic building hosts a multitude of societies for a celebration of creative prestige. For the first time in two years, due to the interactive, in-person nature of the event, the date was set for a Friday evening in early November. I possessed no preconceptions about what shape the evening would take due to TAF’s relatively reticent publicity campaign, but the takeover dramatically surpassed all of my expectations.
The task of locating the takeover was a straightforward one as the GMB was soaked with coloured light. A deep purple poured from the ground floor of the building onto Front Square. The first floor was illuminated by a blue hue, the second shone with an emerald green and the top floor displayed a menacing red. Even before the event had begun, attendees were transported into a transcendental realm.
As audience members waited at the front steps to have their vaccine certificates and tickets scanned, we were accosted by two “creatures” who scurried out from behind the closed doors of the GMB. The actors from DU Players, wearing fur and heavy makeup, danced around us in a menacing manner before returning inside the building. Nervous laughter radiated from the audience, as we mused on what would possibly greet us on the other side of the door following this striking encounter.
At 8:30pm, the doors opened and we were beckoned inside. To describe the interior as dazzling would be an understatement. The winding staircase of the GMB was strung with dozens of delicate, coloured lights, casting a vibrant colour. Hanging from the bannisters and the rafters were fluttering installations designed by Sienna Swire and crafted with the help of the TAF subcommittee. The hall went from formal to fantastical. This central decoration was the greatest artistic triumph of the evening and an excellent testament to the committee’s talent .
The door to the chamber was slightly ajar, offering a soft, golden light accompanied by the gentle sound of a harp. I entered to find the space had been transformed from a hollow debating chamber to an ethereal palace. The tribute to “The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo” comprised vines, grapes and paintings of ancient gods displayed around the room. Seats were placed in a semi-circle for audience members to observe contributions from DU Players, Trinity Visual Arts (VisArts), Trinity Fashion Society (Fashion Soc) and DU Dance.
Molly Donnery sat at the front of the room, playing a soothing melody on the harp, while actors interacted with attendees. Performers were dressed in long, white garments with golden headdresses and shimmering makeup reminiscent of mythological goddesses. At one side of the room, VisArts painted glitter on the faces of willing attendees.
Audience members were encouraged to move from room to room in their own time, so I reluctantly pulled myself away to see what delights the first floor had in store. Occupied by the University Philosophical Society (the Phil), this space was based on “Dante’s Inferno”, marking a stark contrast to the ethereal beauty of the chamber. Placed around the room were broken mirrors with the words of “Dante’s inferno” scrawled onto them – ruby red to match the lighting. A projection of fire bounced off the mirrors. Members of the Phil dressed in black, with one even wielding a sword, attended to visitors.
I was delighted to find that on exiting the room and ascending the stairs, the exhibition continued as DU Photography Association (DUPA) had mounted a series of installations onto the walls. Every detail had been accounted for. Even the simple act of moving from room to room was scattered with artistic jems. Dotted across the staircase were actors from DU Players, who poised elegantly against the door frames, marking the entry into “Limbo”, the middle floor of the building.
Occupied by DUPA, DU Music and DU Metaphysical Society (DU Metafizz), “Limbo” was the most intriguing out of all the spaces. At the front of the space, the music group Rhizome Collective performed a haunting piece. The cellist at the front of the group played fervidly, swinging his head back and forth with passion, while another member stood at the front of the group and read from an open text. The loud, bracing music drowned his voice out for the majority of the performance, however the sound of the unintelligible human voice, strangely added to the overall effect. On the wall, a projector showed different near-hallucinogenic visuals. The performance was deeply intense yet utterly enthralling. Unfortunately there was little space to accommodate the increasing number of people shuffling around the doorframe, so I moved on sooner than I would have liked.
On the top floor, “the leaden echo” and “the golden echo” were ingeniously presented side by side in the form of the pool room and the rec room. The pool room (“the golden echo”) was lit with a welcoming green, offering a respite space, occupied by Trinity Literary Society (LitSoc), TCD Knitting Society (KnitSoc) and DU Pagan Society. Tarot cards were splattered over the pool table, with LitSoc members sitting on the sofas, clutching poetry books. The society read a mixture of darker and more delicate poetry, featuring poets such as T.S Eliot and Oscar Wilde.
In contrast with the pure comfort of the pool room, the rec room’s deep red evoked edginess and intrigue. Occupied by Trinity Juggling and Circus Society, DU Music and the Phil, this room’s theme of dark paganism would tempt even the purest soul. A relentless drum beat grounded the space while Grellan Lambert read barbarous stories from norse mythology. Reflected onto the wall was a large moving installation designed by Maisie McGregor. Various scenes, some hellish, some ominous, were projected on the walls. It appears some people found the décor a little too menacing as, unfortunately, this room lacked visitors. The location of the room was somewhat difficult to uncover, which was a common issue as the event lacked clear signage for several of the rooms. I only wish I stayed to get my tarot cards read by one of the resident clairvoyants.
The final room, however, did have a sign, directing audience members to the attic. It is an unusual treat to get to poke around in the GMB. I could feel the anticipation of my fellow attendees as we climbed the staircase to the top floor – a space I’m quite sure most of us never knew existed. The sweaty faces I met on the way up indicated that a rave was in full swing. The theme of the attic was “space” and the entertainment and décor was provided by DUDJ and the Physics Society (PhysSoc). Boogying with a spectacular view of Front Square would almost make up for the past two Trinity Balls that never were. As soon as stellar Trinity DJs Eloise Powell and Max Lynch got on the decks, the attic was transformed into a disco that would (literally) top off the magical event.
The GMB takeover was a stunning concoction of Trinity’s artistic talent. From lighting to goodie bags (provided by DU Food and Drink), TAF and its contributors thought of everything. But the event was about more than just aesthetics. After months of lockdowns and little let up for the arts sector particularly, it was a privilege to celebrate the work of Trinity’s creatives. The event felt like a long-awaited release of artistic tension.
