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For Immediate Release

Old City New Music - A Music Trail in Dublin's Temple Bar

1 June 2006

The Contemporary Music Centre brings new music from three Irish composers to the streets of Temple Bar

The streets of Temple Bar resound with the sound of new music from today, 1 June 2006 until 30 June 2006, as the Contemporary Music Centre (CMC) launches an outdoor music trail as part of its twentieth anniversary celebrations. The music, commissioned by CMC in association with Temple Bar Cultural Trust's 2006 Diversions Festival with funding from Dublin City Council, will be played through outdoor speakers in Essex Street West, Fishamble Street and in the Contemporary Music Centre's rear courtyard.

'We are delighted that this music trail is taking place. It enables us to bring new music by Irish composers on to the streets of Dublin's city centre for everyone to enjoy for free', says Eve O'Kelly, Director, CMC.

The three new pieces of music are by Cork born Ailis Ní Ríain, now living in London, Dubliner Siobhán Cleary who lives in Sligo and Seán Taylor, also born in Cork but now living in Limerick. All three are electro-acoustic compositions: that is generated by electronic equipment and computer programmes rather than played on traditional music instruments.

StreetSong by Ailis Ní Ríain, is a traditional keen from County Donegal, Caoineadh na Máthar, (the mother's lament), and floods Fishamble Street as this ancient song is presented in a new way. Siobhán Cleary's Eblana Civitas, a snapshot in sound of the history of the 'Old City' connects pastoral life with today's urban living. Alignments by Seán Taylor is a contemporary sound world for CMC's rear courtyard. This is next to the site of the 18th century Neal's Musick Hall where Handel's Messiah was first performed, one of the many local sources of inspiration.

The Contemporary Music Centre is Ireland's national library and promotion agency for new music. It has its home in a historic building in Fishamble Street in the Old City. The Centre celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2006 and this project is the focus of a special programme of events throughout the year. The Contemporary Music Centre is supported by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon.

The three outdoor sound installations that make up the music trail can be heard Monday to Friday, 1.00pm - 6.30pm and Saturday and Sunday, 12.00pm - 3.00pm, throughout the month of June 2006. For further information, please contact Karen Hennessy, Promotion Manager, The Contemporary Music Centre, 19 Fishamble Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 8. Tel: 01 673 1922 Email: khennessy@cmc.ie Web site: www/cmc.ie

For further information and a full programme of events on the 2006 Diversions Festival please visit the Temple Bar Cultural Information Centre, 12 East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 or log on to www.templebar.ie

Notes for Editors

From today, 1 June 2006, a special podcast on the project is available on the Centre's web site, www.cmc.ie. The podcast includes interviews with all three composers as well as the selection panel and CMC staff.

Ailis Ní Ríain (b.1974)
Cork-born Ailis Ní Ríain is particularly interested in mixed-media music theatre, electro-acoustic soundscapes and improvisation. Her works have been performed in the UK, Ireland, France, Holland, Italy and the USA. She is also a published poet, painter and pianist.

Siobhán Cleary (b.1970)
Dubliner Siobhán Cleary's music has been performed and broadcast in Ireland and many parts of Europe and the USA and she has received commissions from RTÉ, the National Chamber Choir, the National Concert Hall and Sligo County Council, where she now lives.

Seán Taylor (b.1959)
Seán Taylor is based in Limerick and comes from a visual arts background. He normally works as one half of the creative partnership, Softday, with computer software designer Mikael Fernström, whose work includes a commission from the ESB, performed in the turbine hall of the Ardnacrusha Power Station.