The Contemporary Music Centre celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2006.

To mark this important year, a short audio podcast is available on this web site outlining the history of the Centre, speaking to some of those who use its resources and hearing from the staff who work there.

A special programme of events is planned for 2006. The first of these has already taken place: a choral workshop with composer Rhona Clarke on 16 January in conjunction with the Association of Irish Choirs.

An enthusiastic group of choral singers and conductors exercised their vocal chords on a selection of contemporary Irish pieces suitable for amateur choirs. It is hoped that this will encourage choirs to include new Irish music in their repertoire and also boost entries for the Contemporary Music Centre’s perpetual trophy at the Cork International Choral Festival. The workshop will be repeated on Cork on Saturday, 1 April.

Events in March include a seminar in CMC on ‘The Programming of New Music’ with contributions from leading Irish music promoters. This takes place on Tuesday, 7 March at 2.00 pm, and is intended to start a debate on the issues involved in successful programming.

On 24 March in CMC’s Salon series, jazz performer and composer Ronan Guilfoyle gives a talk and demonstration on improvisation and composition. This takes place in The Printing House, TCD at 6.30 pm.

The Contemporary Irish Music Cup competition takes place at Feis Ceoil, Dublin, on 29 March. Works by Irish composers will be played by some of Ireland’s most promising young musicians and monetary prizes are awarded by CMC.

Events in April include a New Music Platform in the CMC Salon series in which composition students of some of the university music departments -- NUI Maynooth, University College Dublin, University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin -- will collaborate to present an afternoon of new works, all performed by student colleagues. This takes place in The Printing House, TCD, on Saturday, 8 April from 2.00 – 6.00 pm.

In conjunction with the anniversary of the first performance of Handel’s Messiah on 13 April and the annual performance outdoors in Fishamble Street, CMC is running a talk on Handel’s visit to Dublin in 1741-2, and a walking tour of the area, with musicologist Dr Barra Boydell.

The Contemporary Music Centre is Ireland’s national archive and promotion centre for new music. Its expansion in staff, budget and activities has been significant over its twenty-year lifespan. Founded in 1986 as an initiative of the Arts Council, it now occupies its own building: a restored 18th-century house in the historic ‘Old City’ area of Dublin’s Temple Bar.

Its music library and sound archive, the only collection of its kind worldwide, represent a unique part of Ireland’s cultural heritage. Clients all over the world avail of CMC’s services via the web site, and a wide range of promotion and development activities ensure that new Irish new music reaches audiences both nationally and internationally.

Posted: 1 March 2006