Tionscadal na nAmhrán Ealaíne Gaeilge/ Irish Language Art Song Project - Dé Céadaoin/Wednesday 19 Feabhra/February

Welcome to the Irish Language Art Song Project. Irish is the oldest vernacular written language (i.e. non-Greek) in western Europe, and this longevity of tradition has created one of the great European literatures. Despite Irish language obliteration during colonization, the language has somehow, miraculously, survived. As the expression of a culture, the Irish language is immensely poetic and musical, and is ideally suited to the art song genre. However, in the classical music canon, the number of Irish language art songs is regrettably very small. In 2018, Bliain na Gaeilge/Year of Irish, in a desire to make a significant contribution to the canon of Irish language art song and to enliven interaction between classical composers and Irish language poets, Dáirine Ní Mheadhra commissioned fifty new art songs, set exclusively to Irish language texts, from Irish and International composers. All fifty songs are being recorded, and by November 2019 the song recordings and music scores (which include a pronunciation guide), will be available to download, at no cost, from a dedicated website generously hosted by the Contemporary Music Centre. This will allow any singer worldwide the possibility of singing an art song in Irish. The Arts Council of Ireland provided funding for this project.

This three-concert series in the Kevin Barry Recital Room at the National Concert Hall is the first public presentation of all fifty songs, and is most likely the first Irish language art song recital series in the history of the Irish state.

Anna Devin soprán/soprano, Rachel Kelly meánsoprán/mezzo-soprano,John Hess pianó/piano

Ryan Molloy
Cranna Foirtil le/by: Máirtín Ó Direáin
Ceoltóir na nÉan le/by: Pearse Hutchinson
Anseo ag Stáisiún Chaiseal na gCorr le/by: Cathal Ó Searcaigh

Linda Buckley
marginalia (foraois gan fhaobhar) le/by: Doireann Ní Ghríofa
Sólás le/by: Doireann Ní Ghríofa
Faoi Shamhain le/by: Doireann Ní Ghríofa

Anna Pidgorna
Caoineadh Eibhlín le/by: Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill
Caoineadh na Máthar dá hIníon Mhic Chárthaigh le/by: Máthair Dhiarmaid
Caoineadh Magaidh (Sleachta/Excerpts) le/by: Ní fios cé a chum/ Unknown author

Andrew Hamilton
An Béal Bocht (Sleachta/Excerpts) le/by: Myles na gCopaleen
An dóigh leat?
A Ghaela!
In airde

Jennifer Walshe
An Róbat le/by: Jennifer Walshe
Nuafhocail le/by: Jennifer Walshe
12 Amhrán Faoi Athrú Aeráide le/by: Jennifer Walshe

Ticéid

€17.50, 7.30pm, Seomra Ceadail Kevin Barry/Kevin Barry Recital Room
Series of all 3 Irish Language Art Song Concerts: €45