Sir Van Morrison: Mixed reaction to artist-in-residence role at Queen’s

Toby Shannon, who studied music at Queen’s and now works in audio post-production, said the musician was a “weird and controversial choice” for the residency.

Mr Shannon questioned whether some might be “opposed to taking financial aid from him because they don’t really like him”.

He said he was “in two minds” about the initiative – but acknowledged that Van Morrison is “a big name and probably Northern Ireland’s most successful musician”.

“It will attract eyes and ears to Northern Ireland and Queen’s,” he said.

“I can see why Queen’s have done it.”

He added that it’s “good to be able to support people who wouldn’t be able to go to university”.

Mr Shannon does, however, feel that other musicians, such as Duke Special or composer Hannah Peel, might have been better choices.

He added that Queen’s could invest more in links with local musicians who could provide “good insights” on how to navigate the industry – and would also be up to speed with social media use, promotion and networking.