The National Chamber Choir features works by Hellawell, Bates, Fennessy and Corcoran in April tour.

The title of the National Chamber Choir of Ireland's 2012 tour, from Tarik O'Regan's The Spring, itself based on an 12th/13th century Irish narrative, is strongly evocative: An Irish Colloquy. The programme for the tour is indeed a meeting point, a platform upon which the many strands of Irish and Ireland-influenced music can exchange, compare and contrast.

Alongside  composers Tarik O'Regan, Arvo Part, and Nicholas Maw the programm features with recent choral works by Irish composers. Piers Hellawell's Isabella's Banquet forms the crux of the programme, as its a premiere, while David Fennessy's chOirland forms its light heart, with nonsense lyrics taken from traditional songs and ballads. Also on the programme are Frank Corcoran's Caoineadh and Enda Bates' Pauper's Lament/A Stealing Sadness, both of which featured on the NCCI's Elegies tour earlier this year and were warmly received by audiences around the country.

The tour will visit Calary Church in Kilmacanogue, Co. Wicklow on April 18th, City Hall in Waterford on April 19th, St. Nicholas Collegiate Church in Galway on April 20th, Castalia Hall in Callan, Co. Kilkenny on the 21st and Dublin City Gallery, Hugh Lane on the 22nd.

In addition to the concert dates, National Chamber Choir has collaborated with the Contemporary Music Centre and Waterford  New Music Week to promote new Irish choral music in hosting an afternoon discussion with the composers and performers about the tour's programme in Waterford City Hall on April 19th. 'New Music – New Voices: Exploring New Choral Music' will be facilitated by CMC director Evonne Ferguson with NCCI Artistic Director Paul Hillier and forms part of the Waterford New Music Week.