The latest in CMC’s CD series, Contemporary Music from Ireland Volume 4, is released this month.

This fourth compilation album or ‘musical calling card’, as it has been termed, brings together twelve composers, each with their own distinctive voice and personality. While established names such as Ben Dwyer, John McLachlan and Kevin O’Connell are included, the CD tracklist has a deliberate bias towards the younger composers now emerging as distinctive voices in Irish new music. These are Rob Canning, Andrew Hamilton, Dave Fennessy, Judith Ring, Jennifer Walshe, Gerard Power, Jürgen Simpson, Rachel Holstead and Ailís Ní Ríain.

There is an impressive line-up of performers, with distinguished international ensembles Orkest 'de ereprijs' (Netherlands), the Castagneri String Quartet (France), the Capricorn Ensemble (UK) and Ensemble Récherche (Germany) joined by the Irish ensemble, Concorde, the latter featuring a guest appearance by Dutch bass clarinetist, Harry Spaarnay.

Individual performers include Malachy Robinson (double bass), André Leroux (saxophone), Susan Doyle (flute), Richard O'Donnell (percussion), Síle Daly (oboe), Deirdre O'Leary (clarinet), Ian Dakin (horn), Rhian McLeod (percussion), David Adams (organ) and the composer Jürgen Simpson playing accordion in his own composition.

Contemporary Music from Ireland Volume 4 provides a snapshot of Irish music today. All the works but one date from the twenty-first, as opposed to the twentieth century. Based on experience with earlier CDs in the series, it can be expected to generate quite an amount of airplay on radio stations internationally. It will also be distributed without charge to members of the media, music publishers, record companies, performers and concert promoters in some 50 countries.

The project has been made possible by the financial support of the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon, and also by the generous co-operation of the performers in waiving their recording fees.

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Track Listing