Teaching composition may indeed be impossible, or so Seóirse Bodley will say in a conference in Waterford on 29 January.

In his lecture on teaching composition, the veteran Irish composer and educator will explore the problems facing composition teachers in helping young composers to find their own voice.

The conference [RTF format ~21K], entitled ‘Teaching the Unteachable’, takes place on Saturday 29 January from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm as part of Waterford New Music Week. It is run in association with the Council of the Heads of Music in Higher Education. With the subtitle, ‘The role of composition in music education’ it includes papers from composers and lecturers working in many of the Irish third-level colleges.

Bodley is guest composer at this year’s Waterford New Music Week and his Mass of Peace will be performed on Sunday, 30 January. On Monday 31 January he will give a lecture on his own compositions while that evening a celebration concert of his works will be given by staff and friends of the WIT music department.

On Tuesday, 1 February, Bodley will introduce a screening of Is There One Who Understands Me? The World of James Joyce, a film by Seán Ó Mórdha for which he composed the score.

An event on Wednesday 2 February will feature Iwan Llewelyn Jones performing extracts from Bodley’s work, News from Donabate.

For performance details, visit the Calendar . Further information: Olive Thorpe, tel. 051-302809 or email othorpe@wit.ie

Waterford New Music Week is supported by Waterford Institute of Technology, Garter Lane Arts Centre, The Arts Council, South East Tourism and Fáilte Ireland, Waterford City Council and Lyric FM.

Posted: 13 January 2005