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For Immediate Release

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

22 May 2006

The Contemporary Music Centre commissions new music from Irish composers for its 20th anniversary.

Open your ears to the sound of music on the streets in Dublin's Temple Bar! To mark its 20th anniversary, The Contemporary Music Centre creates an outdoor music trail in the Old City, throughout the month of June 2006!

The music trail locations are Essex Street West (at the steps beside Cultivate), Fishamble Street (at the CMC railings) and in the Contemporary Music Centre's rear courtyard. The music can be heard from outdoor speakers between 1.00pm and 6.30pm Monday to Friday and from 12.00pm - 3.00pm on Saturday and Sunday, 1 - 30 June 2006.

'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 Karen Hennessy, Promotion Manager, The Contemporary Music Centre.

The three new pieces of music, by Irish composers Ailis NíRíain, Siobhán Cleary and Seán Taylor, have been specially commissioned by the Contemporary Music Centre in association with Temple Bar Cultural Trust's 2006 Diversions Festival with funding from Dublin City Council. All three are electro-acoustic compositions: that is generated by electronic equipment and computer programmes rather than played on traditional music instruments.

Street Song by Ailis NíRíain, 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.

As of 1 June 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.

Mr John O'Donoghue, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, officially launches the music trail on 13 June 2006, at a reception in the Contemporary Music Centre, to mark its 20th anniversary.

For further information on Old City New Music - A Music Trail in Dublin's Temple Bar, the special podcast and the official launch by Minister John O'Donoghue 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

The Contemporary Music Centre is supported by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon.

Notes for Editors

Ailis NíRíain (b.1974)
Cork-born Ailis NíRíain 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.