The premiere of a new work by Donnacha Dennehy for Iarla Ó Lionáird takes place in February.

The Crash Ensemble will premiere a new work by Donnacha Dennehy for Sean-Nós singer Iarla Ó Lionáird as part of a celebration of newly composed music inspired by the sounds and ideas of ethnic music. Commissioned by Trinity College, Grá agus Bás is inspired by the moments of ecstasy (both luscious and dark) within a number of particular Sean-Nós songs, and uses these as a collective point of departure for a journey exploring the themes of love and death in a non-narrative context.

It is almost a year and a half since Donnacha Dennehy and Iarla Ó Lionáird began their collaboration on this project. Called Strange Folk, this one-night concert also includes works by composers Osvaldo Golijov, and Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, alongside an Indonesian-influenced piece by Bang On A Can’s Evan Ziporyn. Grá agus Bás will be presented again by the Crash Ensemble at the Merkin Hall, New York, as part of New Sounds Live Concert Series next March.

The concerts take place on Saturday 10 February and Wednesday 28 March at the Samuel Beckett Theatre, Dublin and Merkin Hall, New York. See Calendar for details.

Posted: 22 December 2006