Composer Seóirse Bodley, on his installation as Saoi of Aosdána, spoke about the wider picture of music in Ireland.

At the official ceremony on 24 November when he was invested by President McAleese with a gold Torc as symbol of the office of Saoi, or 'wise one', Professor Bodley noted that the honour was an important acknowledgement of the vital place of composition in Irish society. The subject was discussed by President Mary MacAleese in her speech, which also marked the election of visual artist Camille Souter as Saoi, an honour bestowed for singular and sustained distinction in the arts.

Aosdána was established in 1981 by the Arts Council to acknowledge artists who have made an outstanding contribution to the arts in Ireland. Membership of Aosdána, which is by peer nomination and election, is open to artists engaged in architecture, choreography, music, literature and the visual arts and, currently, the body has 233 members.

Members of Aosdána nominate and elect the Saoithe and no more than seven artists may hold this honour at any one time. The current Saoithe are Louis Le Brocquy, Anthony Cronin, Brian Friel, Seamus Heaney and Patrick Scott. Previous Saoithe include Samuel Beckett, Sean Ó Faoláin, Patrick Collins, Mary Lavin, Francis Stewart, Tony O'Malley and Benedict Kiely.

The ceremony was attended by many of the artists' colleagues and numerous members of Aosdána, including John F. Deane, Paul Durcan and Imogen Stuart. Also present were Arts Council members Colm Tóibín and Aibhlín McCrann; Arts Council Director, Mary Cloake; and Registrar of Aosdána, Toby Dennett.

Posted: 8 December 2008