There are few opportunities for composers in Ireland, particularly those starting out, to hear their music performed by experienced professionals outside of the sometimes stressful formality of the concert hall. Now Britain's Society for the Promotion of New Music (spnm), whose remit has always extended to Northern Ireland, is holding its first ever workshop in the Republic of Ireland. This is due to the impetus of its current artistic director, composer Deirdre Gribbin (herself from Northern Ireland), who is taking the opportunity of her two-year tenure to forge closer links for spnm in Ireland.

So what is spnm? The organization aims to promote new music in any medium or form by emerging living composers. It runs an annual Call for Scores from which a shortlist of works and composers is created. Both works on the shortlist and other new works by the shortlisted composers are then programmed during spnm's annual season.

It is Gribbin's belief that in the classical music arena, increasingly limited funding forces organisations to cut rehearsal time and, in many cases, to stick to repertoire that is familiar. As a result, it is difficult for ensembles to devote much programme space and rehearsal time to new music. A new piece of music takes time to emerge and to fix in the players' minds, she feels. To enable musicians to reach beyond a superficial understanding of a piece, the players need to be given the opportunity of having lived with the work for some time before they deliver it to the listening audience. This is where spnm comes in, programming new work by emerging composers throughout its season of events and ensuring that the composers, performers and audience get the best possible experience from the events.

Having been closely involved with spnm for a number of years, Gribbin feels there is a great awareness of the need to find ways to accommodate emerging composers, and to give each individual the best opportunity of hearing their work performed by committed and skilled musicians. She is, she says, committed to finding new undiscovered voices, to focusing development of new work in areas not yet visited in the UK and in Ireland and in getting music out of the usual concert hall environment and out to prospective audiences in a new more appealing way.

spnm's first Irish event will take place on 22 January 2004 in the National Gallery of Ireland. The contemporary music ensemble Concorde will perform a concert of new works by composers based in Ireland, written for the occasion in response to a call for scores from spnm. The rehearsal and mentoring process will be an important part of the occasion since, as Gribbin points out, rehearsal situations are all about communication. For less experienced composers who are new to the professional scene, knowing what to say and when it (and when to say nothing!) can be very daunting.