New Music Biennial London: Thar Farraige (Over Sea)

Linda Buckley connects threads of Irish and Scottish traditions and language, migration and the idea of home in her piece for pipes, strings and electronics.

Award-winning composer Linda Buckley’s ‘Thar Farraige (Over Sea)’ combines contemporary chamber music with Irish and Scottish folk traditions.

Composed for small pipes, string quartet and electronics, this captivating piece is performed with Maxwell Quartet and Ailis Sutherland. It explores contemporary chamber music, embracing both Irish and Scottish traditional music and language, songs of love and loss, connections to place, migration and our idea of what ‘home’ means.

‘Thar Farraige (Over Sea)’ explores the potential meeting points and new pathways of contemporary classical and folk music. Says the composer of her work: ‘This project will weave together many strands of my musical self to create a cohesive whole, an immersive experience for the listener drawing upon themes of emigration/migration, and our sense of home and how that can be carried with us.’

Since its debut, ‘Thar Farraige (Over Sea)’ has resonated with audiences around the world, including Glasgow’s Celtic Connections, Northern Ireland’s Moving On Music, Norway’s Hemsing Festival, London’s Kings Place and September Me in the Netherlands.

This project was commissioned by Chamber Music Scotland and supported by PRS Foundation.

Part of New Music Biennial, this event includes two performances of the same work and a short interview with the creative team in between the two, enabling audiences to experience the second performance with greater insight into the creative process.

Need to know

Age guidance

For ages 7+

Event information

This event is free, but ticketed. Seating is unallocated and tickets don’t guarantee entry: admission is on a first-come, first-served basis for those with tickets. Please arrive early to avoid disappointment.

Tickets

Free, booking and access information for Queen Elizabeth Hall - Southbank Centre here.

New Music Biennial is presented in partnership by PRS Foundation, Southbank Centre, Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, BBC Radio 3, and NMC Recordings.