Séamas de Barra

(b. 1955)
Séamas de Barra
Photo
John Sheehan

“And I can find nothing wrong with offering to my fellow-men music which may inspire them or comfort them, which may touch them or entertain them, even educate them - directly and with intention. On the contrary, it is the composer’s duty, as a member of society, to speak to or for his fellow human beings”. (Benjamin Britten, 1964)

Séamas de Barra studied music at University College Cork under Aloys Fleischmann, taking the degrees of BMus in 1977 and MA in 1980. His output includes much choral music and he has twice been commissioned by the Cork International Choral Festival (Magnificat, 1983 and Song of Pan, 1989). He has also been commissioned to write works for the King’s Singers, the Irish Youth Choir (Canticum in Laudibus, 1988) and the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral (Tibi laus, tibi gloria, 1993). His orchestral works have received performances by the National Symphony Orchestra, the RTE Concert Orchestra, the Cork Symphony Orchestra and various amateur groups. His music has been broadcast on RTE Radio and Television, and by the BBC.