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For Immediate Release

Irish Composer Roger Doyle's 60th Birthday Celebration

9 October 2009

The Contemporary Music Centre presents Soundscapes, a ten-day outdoor celebration in sound of the work of veteran Irish composer Roger Doyle, often described as 'the Godfather of Irish electronic music'. The show runs from 22 - 31 Oct, 12.00 - 4.00pm, as part of the DEAF Festival 2009.

In an imaginative use of its 200-year old listed building in Fishamble Street, Temple Bar, the Contemporary Music Centre will create a dramatic outdoor sound gallery to play Doyle's strikingly contemporary electronic and piano music from speakers located on the front of the building and in its enclosed rear courtyard. Six different playlists spanning Doyle's career across the last three decades will be broadcast each afternoon.

The Contemporary Music Centre hosts an opening reception on Thursday, 22 Oct, 6.00 - 8.00pm at which the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Emer Costello, will officially launch Soundscapes.

Featured works include Doyle's prize-winning Passades and The Idea and its Shadow, a selection of works from his new CD Cool Steel Army as well as works from Under the Green Time; Operating Theatre-The Early Years and Baby Grand. Excerpts from the fake radio station featured in Doyle's magnum opus Babel and selections from Fairlight Memories also feature. Admission is free and no booking is required.

Roger Doyle has worked extensively in theatre, film and dance, in particular with the music-theatre company Operating Theatre, which he co-founded with actress Olwen Fouéré. More than 12 CDs of his music have been released including Babel, a five-CD boxed set released in 1999 to mark his fiftieth birthday, and his recent large-scale electronic work, Passades. A recipient of many awards, he has been honoured with the Programme Music Prize (1997) and the Magisterium Prize (2007) at the Bourges International Electro-Acoustic Music Competition, France.

The Contemporary Music Centre is Ireland's national archive and promotion agency for new music, supporting and developing the work of Irish composers nationally and internationally. It is funded by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon; the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Culture Ireland.

For further information contact Karen Hennessy, Promotion Manager, The Contemporary Music Centre, 19 Fishamble Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 8, Ireland. Tel: +353 1 673 1922 or email: khennessy@cmc.ie web site: www.cmc.ie

Notes for Editors

Fishamble Street, where the Contemporary Music Centre is located, has a long tradition of outdoor music. The annual 'Messiah on the Street' each Easter commemorates the first performance there in 1742 of Handel's Messiah—the most high profile concert of new music by the most famous contemporary composer of the time. Roger Doyle's outdoor sound gallery is the modern-day equivalent!

Programme Details

Soundscapes - A ten day outdoor celebration in Sound

Rear courtyard

22 Oct - 31 Oct, 12pm - 4pm
Passades - Fourth and fifth set
The Idea and Its Shadow

Front railings

22 Oct and 27 Oct, 12pm - 4pm
Tracks from Cool Steel Army and Under the Green Time

23 Oct and 28 Oct, 12pm - 4pm
Tracks from Operating Theatre - The Early Years

24 Oct and 29 Oct, 12pm - 4pm
Tracks from Baby Grand - Piano Music

25 Oct and 30 Oct, 12pm - 4pm
Tracks from Babel - KBBL Radio

26 Oct and 31 Oct, 12pm - 4pm
Tracks from Fairlight Memories

Location:
The Contemporary Music Centre,19 Fishamble Street
Temple Bar, Dublin 8
Tel: 01 6731922 Email: info@cmc.ie
Web site: www.cmc.ie