Wexford's Theatre Royal was packed to capacity on Thursday 27 May for the world premiere of The Whisper of Ghosts by Elaine Agnew.

The choral and orchestral work was composed in conjunction with the pupils from three rural County Wexford Primary Schools. The piece, commissioned under Wexford County Council's Public Art Programme, saw a children's choir of one hundred and twenty, plus three percussion groups, one from each of the participating schools, join the Irish Chamber Orchestra and harpist Cliona Doris and percussionist Robert Kendall under the baton of David Brophy.

Elaine Agnew had been working with the three primary schools - Piercestown, Murrintown and Mayglass - since January, facilitating a series of vocal and percussion workshops and engaging the children directly in the composition process. Writer Kate Newmann animated a parallel series of writing workshops, using the children's creative responses to generate text.

At the other end of the generational spectrum, Piercestown Active Retirement Group were also involved, contributing their recollections of life in times gone by to the voice track which was central to the work. The Whisper of Ghosts alternates four pre-recorded voice tracks with four songs, linked by instrumental interludes and narration.