Tionscadal na nAmhrán Ealaíne Gaeilge/ Irish Language Art Song Project - DÉ SATHAIRN/SATURDAY

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, Daire Halpin soprán/soprano, Andrew Gavin teanór/tenor, John Hess pianó/piano.

Programme:

Ana Sokolović
Dínit an Bhróin le/by: Máirtín Ó Direáin
Maileo léró le/by: Ní fios cé a chum/Unknown author
Amhrán an treabhdóra le/by: Ní fios cé a chum/Unknown author

Garrett Sholdice
Dónall Óg le/by: Ní fios cé a chum/(Trí véarsa/Three verses) Unknown author

Oscar Strasnoy
Rosc Aimheirgin le/by: Amergin Glúingel
Leá le/by: Micheál Ó Cuaig
Lon Doire an Chairn le/by: Peadar Ó Doirnín

Ashkan Behzadi
Sneachta Gealaí ’77 le/by: Michael Hartnett
Foighne Chrainn le/by: Michael Hartnett
Sneachta Gealaí ’78 le/by: Michael Hartnett

Jonathan Nangle
An Croí le/by: Colm Breathnach
Snáth le/by: Nuala Ní Chonchúir
Chugat le/by: Michael Davitt

Kevin O’Connell
An Domhan le/by: Ní fios cé a chum
Íosagán le/by: Ní fios cé a chum
Scéal liom díobh le/by: Ní fios cé a chum

Ticéid

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