World premiere for Vincent Kennedy's Where the North Wind Blows

On the Friday 15th and Saturday 16th April the world premiere of Vincent Kennedy’s Where the North Wind Blows will take place. Following an open tender process Vincent was commissioned by The North Wind Blows project to write this music.  That project is a Peace and Reconciliation project funded by the International Fund for Ireland and administered by the County Donegal VEC Music Education Partnership. Vincent has written a 10 minute piece of celebratory music for an ensemble made up of Lambeg Drum, Bodhrán, two Brass Bands, an Ulster Scots Highland Pipe Band, and additional woodwind and percussion. The players are from different community backgrounds in Counties Donegal and Tyrone.  Vincent will conduct the premiere with St Joseph’s Brass Band Strabane, the Bready Ulster Scots Pipe Band, Glenties Brass Band, and woodwind, brass and percussion players from the Donegal School of Music. The first performance takes place at the Balor Theatre Ballybofey, County Donegal on April 15th at 8pm and the following evening a second performance takes place at the Alley Theatre, Strabane. The Belfast composer Neil Martin who has also been commissioned by the North Wind Blows Project will conduct the world premiere of his Open Air as part of this concert series.